So you hear in August that your child’s school will reopen for in-person classes—but are given no date. Then you’re told September 10. Then September 21. Finally, your kid goes back to school on September 29 … and learns a few days later she’ll be getting sent home again.

Most families probably aren’t experiencing the extreme reopening whiplash that some New York City children recently faced. But as more schools cautiously begin in-class learning, the likelihood of a school slamming shut again because of a COVID-19 outbreak remains ever present. And that sudden change can be difficult on children.

“Kids thrive when they can count on the adults around them to provide structure, warmth, guidance, and predictability,” says Mary Alvord, co-author of