After children spending much of the second half of last school year at home, e-learning, in-person learning will be a change. School as they knew it will not be the same, but as parents, we must talk with our children about what to expect and not scare them. Ira Kumar, MD, pediatrician with Franciscan Physician Network in Olympia Fields, does think that now is the time to begin conversations about remote options, caregiving in the event of a closure, and protection against the spread of viruses. “Start talking now and begin making decisions on plans for the school year,” she said. There are things that we can do like having our children practice the routine of wearing a mask. “We should purchase masks early and have the kids wear them around the house for increasingly longer periods to get them used to the concept,” he said. “We also should review good handwashing techniques, like signing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice while washing hands. Bottom line, not keeping our children in the dark about what’s going on is very important!