Sending our kids back to school in a pandemic.

To send or not to send. That is the question. Many of us are wrestling with the new school year as we dive head first into August. I know I am. It’s easy to let other people’s decisions sway you. It’s easy to feel wrong for feeling how you feel. We are still in a pandemic and there is no script for this.

I, and a very small handful of friends, have chosen to send my kids back because our school affords that option. I don’t feel amazing about the decision but I also do not have any help and my husband and I work very full time jobs. Working part time for the remainder of the year could easily jeopardize our income and jobs. Is this comforting? No. Are there other options? Not really.

I’ve listened to all the sides. I’ve weighed all the options in my head. Ultimately, we know our kids are going to return back to homeschooling once flu season kicks in. It’s inevitable. We know this may alienate them from seeing some of their friends until 2021 and we know this virus is real. We also know that our kids, when given the choice, want to see their teachers and peers and are experiencing anxiety and sadness at the thought of staying home full time with us again, especially in light of the fact that winter is coming.

I suppose we all need to move towards a mental shift and just learn to accept and respect our peers for whatever decision they make. There is a lot of judgement and opinions circulating. We are all doing the very best we can. Last night I sat on a three hour virtual board meeting and it was discouraging to hear the commentary. So many parents do not have options, so many kids are immune comprised and so many parents are meeting their peers and educators with negativity and an overall lack of compassion. It’s almost surreal to observe how comfortable people are when hiding behind their computers.

I had to touch on the topic to say there is no right or wrong in all of this. You have to make the best decision for your family and please don’t for a second doubt the amount of stress, anxiety and time each parent has put into making their decision. Let this not be yet another reason for divide in our communities.

Woof. Heavy stuff. Feel all the feels. You’re allowed to.