The Struggle Is Real!
As we all sit more than 6 months into a worldwide pandemic, we are facing the same decision. Do we send our children back into the school building? And if not, what are we going to do to make sure they are getting an education? These are questions that I have seen on my social media feed multiple times a day, every single day. So what is the right answer? Sadly, like so much in life right now there is no blanket answer. The contributors at Ur Basic Mom voiced their thoughts and decisions to be shared with you, other moms struggling with the same choice.
Back in the Building
Some of our moms will be sending their children back to school or daycare full time.
Full time daycare, because as of right now, I will be back full time working in a school.
-Chelsea
Full time daycare, because hubby and I have to both go into work.
-Claire
Back to school full time. Our district does not have a virtual option, so it’s either traditional school or find our own way. We don’t have many cases in our county (at the moment) so I feel pretty confident sending them back.
I’ve always liked the idea of homeschooling and it’s tempting now because I could set our path and not have to worry about things changing at the drop of a hat. However, my husband is not on board and, honestly, I think our kids would have more opportunities to thrive among their teachers and peers.
-Jessica
Virtual
My children will be participating through virtual school. I like the fact that it is still going through our local school system, so I won’t have to worry about my kids testing back into public school. My biggest deciding factors were (1) that 2 of my kids are autistic and the change in routine of what school has been was going to be extremely difficult for them and (2) the need for kids to be socially distanced. I felt that since we are in a position to be able to do virtual, we would do that with our children to also help cut down on the number of kids in the room for the families that don’t have another choice.
-Heather
Our district is offering Virtual School through our school system for the first 2 months, then they will be reassessing a hybrid option for 2 days in school and 3 days virtual based on our local situation. We are a university town and 25k students will be coming back from all over the US and even some internationally. I appreciate the care and thought going into how they are navigating this situation . There is no good option, this situation is fun for no one. I appreciate them trying to do the best with the most current info we have and modifying as we go. We have a very fluid situation that changes very rapidly. It makes it complicated but I appreciate that they are recognizing the need to be flexible. I really would love a hybrid situation to be approved come November, because the kids need connection, and I’m not as fun as her friends even if I try really hard. I think it’s a great idea as long as it’s a safe choice based on the testing data that is being collected. I feel like they are basing the options in our town on the science needed to keep our community safe.
-Annie Marie
I don’t know. Probably virtual school. I spent an hour crying at lunch because the schedule they sent is crazy. I have a kindergartener, second grader and a crazy 3 year old. My kids don’t even have the same freaking lunch break!!!! I work full time in mental health. My husband works in public works for the city. So the burden falls to my mother in law and the days I can work from home. I’m still in meetings all day and taking calls and emails. California isn’t even close to reopening. They pushed the school start date back by 2 days to train teachers. The district plans to give out chromebooks. Also there are zero daycares open here. There is no help or support for working parents.
I’m sad. Sad for my kids. Sad for the families that we serve through work aren’t going to get the help they need. I oversee a district wide mental health program for kids. I work in a city where the poverty rate is 92%. The families don’t have a lot of education, or they speak another language. There is no support. I’m heartbroken because the inequality gap will continue to get bigger.
Also my oldest has an autoimmune disease and grandma who is the main caregiver while we work has lung issues. So virtual school is the best option.
I’m looking into homeschool, but I’m overwhelmed with the options.
-Caroline
Homeschool
I don’t know how to keep my sensory sensitive child safe and educated with in person school or virtual. Our district is allowing in person 5 days a week, but I’m not ready for those risks, being high-risk myself. I also can’t fathom 30 to 40 child zoom meetings at home. Luckily my children are young enough to still be within my capabilities and I have experience working with kids. I also haven’t worked outside the home in 8 years, so it just fits our family best. That is all this choice will come down to for all of us. We will do what works best for our own situations. I feel very ‘damned if we do, damned if we don’t’ about it all, though. Trying my best to remember that we have all of the options to best accommodate the majority during this impossible time.
-Erin
We’re going the homeschool route mostly because we’ve been doing it for 12 years now and traveling extensively. We were hoping to get into some in-person classes this fall/winter since we won’t be traveling again for a while, but everything is on hold, so we’ll be learning at home.
I have to say though, we’re about as far from “traditional” homeschool as you can get.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about this from the moms in my world too, so I just posted something with links for them.
-Celeste
For those considering the homeschool route, our contributor Celeste has her own blog called Togetherness Redefined: Homeschool + Road School. Hop on over and check out the tips, tricks, and resources she says work for her.
So there you have it. Even as a group, we have all come to the consensus that we have to do what is best for our own individual families. There is no “one size fits all” answer that will work. We at Ur Basic Mom encourage each of you to not worry about what someone else is doing with their children or what they may think of your back-to-school plan with your child. Look at your unique family and find the solution that best fits them.
