With my background in Educational Psychology and the return to school looming, I am getting messages now asking what I am doing with my four kids who are split between two schools.
My first response is
“What I do isn’t necessarily best for you”.
That said, the thought process I used to get to my decision may be helpful to many.
1) List all of your options.
What is actually possible? If you have employment demands and cannot physically handle anything other than sending your children to school, then your decision is made. But if you have flexibility in your decision making and schedule, read on.
2) Stability is important.
Is one educational option going to provide more consistency (even if us isn’t ideal) if cases get worse or better in your area? Is your school a cherished part of your family's community? Are they working to ensure a continuity of learning throughout the year?
3) Age matters.
Older children are better able to follow recommendations, and are also more likely to have the ability to keep things in perspective. AAP recommends masks in school for children middle school age and older. The CDC suggests dividers or partitions, desks 6 feet apart, and closing communal spaces.
Older children will adapt to the changes at school more easily; they will ignore the itchy nose and just get on with it. Many will be thrilled to finally be with their teen-tribe again. They are less likely to care if the teacher is behind a video screen or plexiglass partition.
Younger children need close contact with a teacher. They are less likely to comply with good hand washing (when mom isn’t around), or with proper mask wearing.
4) Think worse case scenario.
Does the education plan have adequate flexibility? Does it allow for changes in scenarios when someone has to quarantine or if the teacher gets sick? What are the expectations if a family member is sick? Does everyone in the house stay home? How is sick-time or quarantined time instruction handled?
Is the primary plan by your school realistic for your family? What are your alternate options? Could you distance learn via the public school system? What is your local private school doing? Could you manage home-schooling for a year with actual homeschool curriculum, rather than 8-3 on a screen watching a class from home? Could an online academy work for you? Are there various options that may work for your different children based on their own learning and comfort needs.
5) Look for the best fit for each child and for you as well.
I have always said that educational options need to be adapted to the children’s needs. Just because something worked for one child, it doesn’t mean it will be the best fit for them all. This is true now more than ever before.
That said, limiting your contact with others is still going to be important. If you have children at 4 different schools, that is potentially 4 different contamination locations, 4 different schedules, 4 different sets of rules/procedures. Recognize the complexity in that model and consider whether it is really required. Could you simplify here and still meet their needs just as well? Could you homeschool some and send others to a classroom setting? Maybe you let some distance learn and do an online academy with another?
Be careful, be thoughtful, be prayerful. Many of us do have lots of options, even if we don’t like the options! You need to find what will work best for your children and your family life, but with prayerful intentionality I am sure you will devise the best approach.
This is a rough time to be a child and to be a parent, but we will get through it together. Thanks for stopping by!
