Photo by Carlos Castillo

Above: Parents photograph their children’s first day of school at Adams Elementary School in Normal Heights, Aug. 30, 2021.

When schools reopen their doors, children will have a different type of experience again: one shaped by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

RELATED: San Diego Unified Begins the 2021-22 School Year With COVID-19 Security Measures

Child psychologist Dr. Ian Schere came to Midday Edition on Monday to talk about how parents can best support their children as they start a new school year, along with some strategies to connect with their children about the coronavirus amid the uncertainty that comes with it and interference.

Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. The content can be viewed on the current source page: https://youtu.be/n2mVW8W-Ju4>

Video by Carlos Castillo

“We really have to give them the space to share with us,” said Schere. “We help our children feel more secure by helping them alleviate their anxiety by letting them be the ones to express themselves.”

When he thinks back to many of his patients who started school, Schere notes a clear difference.

“For 20 years I’ve talked to kids about how much they hate going to school,” he said. “For the past 20 months, I’ve talked to kids about how much they hate not going to school.

Listen to the full interview here:

Listen to the podcast episode

Clinical Therapist emphasizes more listening when students return to classrooms amid the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Broadcast: August 30, 2021 |

+ Subscribe to this podcast

KPBS Midday Edition is a daily radio news magazine that keeps San Diego updated on everything from politics to the arts.

To view PDF documents, download Acrobat Reader.