NJ school mask mandate is going away. Here’s how anxious students, parents can prepare – NorthJersey.com

Updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines have made indoor mask-wearing voluntary for more than 70% of Americans. New Jersey’s school mask mandate, meanwhile, will end on March 7, with the choice left to local school districts.  

That has both doctors and mental health experts in New Jersey on guard: Although masking has proved difficult for some kids, others may be unnerved by the transition after two years of strict COVID protocols. The lack of a uniform approach may make it more confusing.

“There is freedom of choice, but on the other hand they are saying it is up to you now. It puts parents and students in a tough spot,” said Paramus-based child psychiatrist Sarabjit Singh.

Some districts, including Paterson, Newark, Hillside and Plainfield, have announced they will keep the mask mandate in place, though many others have said they’ll make masks optional starting next week.

Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration took another step to ease the rules Monday, announcing that the requirement for face coverings on school buses will also be optional. Coronavirus hospitalizations keep plunging, though experts also warn that forgoing key precautions like vaccinations could allow the virus to mutate into new variants. 

Here’s a look at how parents can put their children’s minds at ease in the shifting environment:

For the vaccinated, ‘terrific’ immunity

The chief message to provide to kids is that the pandemic has shifted into a less risky reality, said Robert Lahita, director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Disease at St. Joseph’s Health in Passaic County. Although future variants can always throw us for another loop, Lahita said, the time for alarm is over.

“If you are not vaccinated, then you’ve had omicron and you have immunity, and if you are vaccinated your immunity is terrific,” Lahita said, though he added that unvaccinated and medically vulnerable people should still “be very prudent” and continue to mask.  

Guidelines:NJ schools get new COVID guidelines. Here’s what it means for your child

Paterson mandate:Schools to keep COVID mask mandate after statewide requirement ends

Families have seen change after change over the last two years, but if parents explain why it’s OK to remove the mask mandate, their children will benefit, experts said. 

“The science has evolved. Explain it to kids and say, ‘We feel this is safe. A decision has been made,’ ” said Singh, executive medical director of behavioral health services at three local hospitals: Saint Clare’s in Morris County, St. Mary’s in Passaic and St. Michael’s in Essex.

Seeing that parents are on the same page and in alignment with what’s happening at school will go a long way to allaying fears, added Jane Timmons-Mitchell, a psychologist at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine in Cleveland.

How to spot stress in students

Still, any change — positive or negative — is fertile soil for anxiety, Singh said. 

Some kids will need more reassurance than others. So parents should encourage them to reach out to counselors and other authority figures at school. 

Get kids of all ages to talk about their feelings, experts said. It will help them feel more in control, even in situations that seem beyond them.

Stress will show differently depending on age. Younger children project their feelings onto others and may have physical symptoms when things are amiss, such as stomach pains, headaches and nausea.

Parents of older children should focus on their overall mood: Is it more positive or negative than what’s typical? Are they withdrawing from friends and family? Have sleep patterns changed? Have they lost interest in things they used to enjoy?

Giving kids a ‘sense of control’

If you have an older student, draw a connection between emotions, outlook and behavior, said Singh. 

“The magic is, if you change one, the other two will change,” he said. “If you wake up in a frantic mood, you are going to get very anxious. If you train yourself to try and see the silver lining, if you are thinking positively, the emotion is going to change as well. Doing this will make you more resilient. Trying to frame everything positively will also give them a sense of control.” 

Last and most important of all, Singh said, is to engage children in mindfulness — a focus on the here and now.

“Don’t let your mind drift into the future, because the reality is you don’t control the future,” he said. 

The future can cause anxiety, and dwelling on the past can lead to regret.

“If you are going in either direction, hit the pause button and start talking about the present,” said Singh.

Precautions that still make sense  

Nearly all U.S. states that had put in place indoor mask-wearing mandates for the winter omicron surge are letting them lapse as cases have precipitously dropped nationwide. Some have eliminated the mandates entirely, while others have kept mask-wearing requirements in place for schools and medical facilities.

“The governors are correct in dropping the mask mandates in schools,” Lahita said. “It’s not a major issue. The infectivity among children is exceedingly low.”

Students can continue to protect themselves by washing their hands and teachers can help by watching for symptoms of infection, Lahita said. 

“Any child who is sneezing or has a fever, even if it’s slight, should be prohibited from entering the school,” he said. “Teachers should wash their hands between classes and wear masks and avoid close contact with students.

“The key will be to make sure everyone is healthy: Look for fever, coughing, congestion and sneezing,” he said. “Those are the ways that respiratory viruses are transmitted.”

Gene Myers covers disability and mental health for NorthJersey.com and the USA Today Network. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: myers@northjersey.com 

Twitter: @myersgene