ABSTRACT
In January 2020, knowledge of a possible pandemic began to creep into Icelandic society. On social media platforms connected to Icelandic preschools, talking about children’s handwashing and how to promote it began to be a common theme in late January. This was a tiny clue to what became the main issue for most preschool teachers over the next year: how to work with children during COVID-19. In Iceland, it was clear from the beginning that preschools would remain open to all children, but with certain restrictions. How many children and staff could occupy the same space and the hours each child could be in preschool became issues. For some teachers, organising and making the children’s days as ‘normal’ as possible, and getting to those children whose parents decided to keep them home during the first wave, became a dilemma. During the second and third waves, the preschools were supposed to be open more and with fewer restrictions – a policy that did not sit well with preschool teachers.
