Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[Simba's Mom]

Just curious what grades this applies to? In MA, the governor has said grade 2 and up (plus adults) must have mask and it is strongly encouraged for pre-k to 1.

That's interesting. I'll have to see if that's the case in Texas for pre-K and grade 1. Mom lives in Massachusetts, and from what I hear from her, it seems that your governor, Baker, has done a good job with this virus.

 

[EveDallas]

Well, I don't know anyone wishing for that.

I think the PP means teachers wanted to be able to teach virtually. Well, they got want they wanted - just not how they wanted it.

 

[EveDallas]

No, that's true. But was there ever a time when people were actually held responsible for the children they produce? That's what I mean - there's been so much whining about "I have to go back to work who will watch my kids" - and they all expect the communal environment to take care of them. If you choose to have kids, you really should make sure you can handle one parent being home to take care of them. You never know what may happen in life, KWIM?

Sooo, what would someone like me do? When I got pregnant, my then fiance decided he wasn't ready to be a dad so he ran away like his tail was on fire. When I finally tracked him down and got a child support order, he promptly found a doctor to declare him "disabled". So I got a grand total of $110 a month in child support. So what exactly do you think someone in my place should do? I was the only parent so I had to work.

 

[mousefan73]

Tons of friends posting on FB pictures of their kids moving into dorms. ( Normal, IL At ISU). Was a bit surprised seeing how most public schools in the northern half are going virtual.

 

[mom2rtk]

Tons of friends posting on FB pictures of their kids moving into dorms. ( Normal, IL At ISU). Was a bit surprised seeing how most public schools in the northern half are going virtual.

Public schools are getting their funding even if nobody is onsite in class. Colleges don't.

 

[EACarlson]

No, that's true. But was there ever a time when people were actually held responsible for the children they produce? That's what I mean - there's been so much whining about "I have to go back to work who will watch my kids" - and they all expect the communal environment to take care of them. If you choose to have kids, you really should make sure you can handle one parent being home to take care of them. You never know what may happen in life, KWIM?

If both parents need to work, maybe make sure they live near family who can help, or yes, maybe not have kids. Not sure why we all think it's okay to reproduce but not be able to take care of the kids. If you cannot survive off of one income, you think it's okay to bring a child into the world that you cannot take care of? Yes, we should have a safety net for extenuating circumstances, but I just wish people would be more responsible with the most important decision one could make - creating another life.

Almost no one can survive off of one income anymore. When I lived in a large city we could barely survive on two. We moved to a much smaller city and could probably get by on just my wife's income. There would be no extra for doing anything fun, nor would there be money for fruits or vegetables, but we could live.

We do live near family who can help, they are also my wife's parents, who are 62 and 65 years old, and both have serious health conditions. Should I insist that I drop my kids off with them, knowing that if they get COVID, there is a very high probability that they will die?

There are a large number of kids in this country that are in single parent households, you are telling those parents that they have to quit their jobs, or only work 2nd or 3rd shift. Because they have to be home to help their kids with school. Then find some way to get care for those kids, at exorbitant cost usually, so they can work to keep food on the table and a roof over their head.

Tons of friends posting on FB pictures of their kids moving into dorms. ( Normal, IL At ISU). Was a bit surprised seeing how most public schools in the northern half are going virtual.

I live in a college town, about three blocks from campus. This weekend the area is covered in U-hauls with all the kids moving into their off campus apartments and houses. Next weekend they move into the dorms. Kids still want the college experience, and to be away from Mom & Dad.

 

[mjkacmom]

Almost no one can survive off of one income anymore. When I lived in a large city we could barely survive on two. We moved to a much smaller city and could probably get by on just my wife's income. There would be no extra for doing anything fun, nor would there be money for fruits or vegetables, but we could live.

We do live near family who can help, they are also my wife's parents, who are 62 and 65 years old, and both have serious health conditions. Should I insist that I drop my kids off with them, knowing that if they get COVID, there is a very high probability that they will die?

There are a large number of kids in this country that are in single parent households, you are telling those parents that they have to quit their jobs, or only work 2nd or 3rd shift. Because they have to be home to help their kids with school. Then find some way to get care for those kids, at exorbitant cost usually, so they can work to keep food on the table and a roof over their head.

I live in a college town, about three blocks from campus. This weekend the area is covered in U-hauls with all the kids moving into their off campus apartments and houses. Next weekend they move into the dorms. Kids still want the college experience, and to be away from Mom & Dad.

My daughter’s college is in a college town where leases for the fall are signed the previous October, so they’re going back. Only a small fraction will be allowed in some of the dorms (suite style only).

 

[MrsPete]

We need temp checks + masks + hand washing + social distancing + a vaccine + avoiding large gatherings when we can + keeping high risk individuals as safe as possible. It's all important.

Agree X 3. No one single thing will keep us safe, but if we follow all the recommended safety rules, we can feel relatively secure.

Also, a teacher here, and to add my two cents, one of the bigger issues with virtual is motivation.

For students who are generally self-starters, motivated individuals, they tend to look after their needs and seek out methods for getting their questions answered no matter what environment they're in.

But there are other students for whom getting started on the task, especially challenging tasks, doesn't come as easily for whatever reason. In physical classrooms, there are measures you can take to help increase the likelihood that these students will take care of these tasks that are hard to replicate in the virtual environment.

For instance, just the act of standing near a student will increase the likelihood that students will take the time to ask you a question. If they have to physically get up and walk to your desk in front of their peers, the likelihood goes down. Not in all students, but in some, and in my experience, disproportionately so with struggling students. Generating that proximity presents challenges in the virtual world (and to be honest, will present some challenges in the physical classroom, too), but easier.

Determining which students are on-task is also easier in the physical environment, and that can allow you to redirect student attention in a number of manners. My district allows students to determine whether their cameras will be on, the vast majority keep theirs off, and so determining off-bask behaviors are a lot more difficult. And those off-task behaviors are often more prevalent in struggling students as an avoidance mechanism.

Yes, I know exactly what you're talking about. If you hadn't identified yourself as a teacher, I would've known anyway. Everyone THINKS they know what goes on in a classroom ('cause, after all, didn't you go to school?), but teachers know things like this.

My hair stylist works in a shop that is twice as big as my DH's classroom. It's bigger than my old classroom and I taught band. They can only have 5 stylists with 1 customer each, no one else is allowed in the shop. Yet my DH will have 25 kids in a classroom with crappy ventilation, no AC, and fans are not allowed.

All kids are required to wear masks in the district regardless of age. But still, it makes you scratch your head.

No, not confusing. One group of people made the decision about kids going back to school. A completely different group of people made the decision about the salon. Why should we expect them to come to the same conclusions?

Before public education, a significant percentage of the population was illiterate. Children worked on farms and in factories, and had very little opportunity for future advancement in life.

Yes, but add to that thought: before public education, most jobs didn't require education as we know it today.

Judging modern parents for relying upon the expected structures of the modern world makes as much sense as arguing that people did just fine before electricity so needing a refrigerator and lights now is somehow irresponsible.

Good analogy.

 

[VandVsmama]

No, that's true. But was there ever a time when people were actually held responsible for the children they produce? That's what I mean - there's been so much whining about "I have to go back to work who will watch my kids" - and they all expect the communal environment to take care of them. If you choose to have kids, you really should make sure you can handle one parent being home to take care of them. You never know what may happen in life, KWIM?



If both parents need to work, maybe make sure they live near family who can help, or yes, maybe not have kids. Not sure why we all think it's okay to reproduce but not be able to take care of the kids. If you cannot survive off of one income, you think it's okay to bring a child into the world that you cannot take care of? Yes, we should have a safety net for extenuating circumstances, but I just wish people would be more responsible with the most important decision one could make - creating another life.

Wow, that was pretty judgmental.

 

[VandVsmama]

No, that's true. But was there ever a time when people were actually held responsible for the children they produce? That's what I mean - there's been so much whining about "I have to go back to work who will watch my kids" - and they all expect the communal environment to take care of them. If you choose to have kids, you really should make sure you can handle one parent being home to take care of them. You never know what may happen in life, KWIM?



If both parents need to work, maybe make sure they live near family who can help, or yes, maybe not have kids. Not sure why we all think it's okay to reproduce but not be able to take care of the kids. If you cannot survive off of one income, you think it's okay to bring a child into the world that you cannot take care of? Yes, we should have a safety net for extenuating circumstances, but I just wish people would be more responsible with the most important decision one could make - creating another life.

If you want to rant about people who have children and cannot afford to put a roof over their heads on 1 income, then please go start a different thread. This thread is asking about whether parents are sending their kids to school in person or not and their experiences with that in their local area. Just because what YOU would choose is best for YOUR family and YOUR unique situation, does not mean that YOUR way is right all of the time for everyone else. And woe to anyone in your extended family or friendship network who has had to divorce and figure out how to support children on your own in a single parent household.

 

[porschegrl]

Sooo, what would someone like me do? When I got pregnant, my then fiance decided he wasn't ready to be a dad so he ran away like his tail was on fire. When I finally tracked him down and got a child support order, he promptly found a doctor to declare him "disabled". So I got a grand total of $110 a month in child support. So what exactly do you think someone in my place should do? I was the only parent so I had to work.

Isn't it obvious? You should have traveled back in time and made better choices.

(For the record, I'm a single parent by choice. )

 

[Colleen27]

No, that's true. But was there ever a time when people were actually held responsible for the children they produce? That's what I mean - there's been so much whining about "I have to go back to work who will watch my kids" - and they all expect the communal environment to take care of them. If you choose to have kids, you really should make sure you can handle one parent being home to take care of them. You never know what may happen in life, KWIM?

But this is a situation that is even short-circuiting those back up plans for those who have them. My mom and MIL are both in their 70s. Living close to family has been an immense help in a number of situations over the the years, but this isn't one where they can be our solution. Both have high blood pressure, both are overweight/obese. And we're a house full of essential workers - my husband worked right through the shutdowns and my sons have been back to work since May. We're limiting our exposure to MIL to very occasional distanced outdoor visits, and I'm wearing a mask when I'm with my mom (who I cannot limit contact with because she just got home from the hospital and isn't back to driving or doing much cooking/cleaning yet). We're certainly not going to ask one of them to babysit right now. And a lot of people I know, including the family for whom I am "plan B", are in the same position, with grandparents or great-grandparents who have been sick-day childcare and emergency contacts for years but who have risk factors that make it dangerous to continue to do so in this specific situation. The spring shutdown was easier; so many workplaces closed at the same time, and those who had employees working from home were being far more accommodating than normal of workers trying to balance work and kids, that most families found ways to make it work. But fall is different... most everyone is back to work and employers are expecting more from their work-from-home staff, so the schools being closed is going to hit a lot more people a lot harder.

We're in the middle of a situation that none of us have ever experienced before, that most of us never even imagined could/would happen in this era of modern medicine. It seems like a little empathy for the fact that people weren't prepared for something 100% new and unforeseen would be in order.

 

[EveDallas]

Isn't it obvious? You should have traveled back in time and made better choices.

(For the record, I'm a single parent by choice. )

Yeah, I always love it when people say super helpful stuff like "well you chose to have a child with him". Cause I can see into the future. I managed to get him to adulthood in one piece so I didn't do too bad.

 

[RamblingMad]

Looks like teachers are quitting in Queen Creek, AZ.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

We had 2 workers give notice today because their kids schools are virtual only so they have no choice but to stay with them (elementary age). This is going to hurt a lot of workplaces.

most definitely, and not just the education sector. I’ve gotten several phone calls to reschedule with different Drs/practitioners for upcoming appointments because mine have chosen to/have to take a sabbatical to care for their small school-aged children.

I wouldn’t be surprised if when this is all over we see a major decline for women in the workforce again depending on how long this goes on. Yes, it’s getting better but in two-parent households the majority of childcare and coordination still falls to women.

This thing is going to have so many after effects that we can’t even imagine yet.

 

[sk!mom]

most definitely, and not just the education sector. I’ve gotten several phone calls to reschedule with different Drs/practitioners for upcoming appointments because mine have chosen to/have to take a sabbatical to care for their small school-aged children.

I wouldn’t be surprised if when this is all over we see a major decline for women in the workforce again depending on how long this goes on. Yes, it’s getting better but in two-parent households the majority of childcare and coordination still falls to women.

This thing is going to have so many after effects that we can’t even imagine yet.

There are honestly so many sides to this.

After weeks of hearing on the news that “schools have to open” for all the reasons given related to parents and work, my district is starting F2F on Wednesday. Parents were given the choice between full virtual and F2F. The district had estimated that it would probably shake out 80/20 with the majority in person based on surveys. But as the day approaches, scheduling has become a nightmare. This past week had parents calling nonstop to change to virtual. My elementary is now about 55/45. I haven’t heard final district numbers but it was such a flood that they have pushed high school start back a week and a half to regroup and figure out scheduling.

All that to say that yes, while many parents NEED school to open, many with open schools, here At least, are choosing to keep their kids home.

 

[MamaLema]

Only an n95 mask protects the wearer from the virus. Every other mask prevents the spread of the virus by the wearer. How many times have you seen a mask work improperly? I know I see them worn improperly almost 100% of the time. It’s incredibly frustrating—under the nose, under the chin, gaping, hanging off an ear, on and off repeatedly. A mask is supposed to be put on and left on. It’s not supposed to be touched until it is ready to be discarded or washed. If I’m heading into a high risk environment—school, hospital, hairstylist or anywhere else enclosed for anything over fifteen minutes, I’m wearing an n95. I can’t trust those around me to wear a mask properly. There is no way I’d go into a school without an n95. Regular masks are not enough.

I am 100% pro mask but you have you actually tried wearing an N95 for a long period of time? It’s very different than a regular mask in terms of it being breathable. I think it will be hard enough to enforce regular mask wearing.

 

[quandrea]

I am 100% pro mask but you have you actually tried wearing an N95 for a long period of time? It’s very different than a regular mask in terms of it being breathable. I think it will be hard enough to enforce regular mask wearing.

Yes. I’ve worn an n95 for as many as eight hours on many occasions. I actually find them easier to breathe in when compared to a cloth mask. If I’m going into a closed environment, I wear an n95. I can ensure I’m wearing it properly and don’t have to worry so much that everyone else is wearing their masks incorrectly.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Our K-12 is all online (backtracked on opening plan) yet the huge university in town (over 30k) students is doing in person. This week they all started moving in and this weekend they swarmed our downtown overwhelming bars and partying all over the place. At that rate, won’t be long until the university is online too. I don’t want to hear anymore complaining from the college kids (at least those joining the parties) that they hate being online after acting like that.

I teach at the university and their opening plan looks good until you read the fine print. Students in dorms can opt out of being tested and if students get a sticker on their ID from disability services they’re exempt from a mask. If I were a parent sending my kid back to college, definitely read the fine print on these opening plans. The colleges aren’t openly sharing those fine details.

 

[DisneyOma]

Sooo, what would someone like me do? When I got pregnant, my then fiance decided he wasn't ready to be a dad so he ran away like his tail was on fire. When I finally tracked him down and got a child support order, he promptly found a doctor to declare him "disabled". So I got a grand total of $110 a month in child support. So what exactly do you think someone in my place should do? I was the only parent so I had to work.

Sorry he didn't have the guts to stick around, sincerely. I believe this would fall under extenuating circumstances, especially if you had failure with birth control. This is also where I believe family can help - even if it's not a biological one. How did you handle things when your child was just born, an infant, up until he/she went to school though?

Almost no one can survive off of one income anymore. When I lived in a large city we could barely survive on two. We moved to a much smaller city and could probably get by on just my wife's income. There would be no extra for doing anything fun, nor would there be money for fruits or vegetables, but we could live.

We do live near family who can help, they are also my wife's parents, who are 62 and 65 years old, and both have serious health conditions. Should I insist that I drop my kids off with them, knowing that if they get COVID, there is a very high probability that they will die?

There are a large number of kids in this country that are in single parent households, you are telling those parents that they have to quit their jobs, or only work 2nd or 3rd shift. Because they have to be home to help their kids with school. Then find some way to get care for those kids, at exorbitant cost usually, so they can work to keep food on the table and a roof over their head.

Do people not know about the cost of things before they decide to have kids?

Wow, that was pretty judgmental.

Yes, I judge people who have kids they can't afford to take care of, because it's the kids that suffer. New meme this last Christmas - "don't tell your kids the iPad is from Santa because I can't afford to get my kid one." Choosing to have children is the most important decision of anyone's life, IMO. It's the biggest responsibility too.

If you want to rant about people who have children and cannot afford to put a roof over their heads on 1 income, then please go start a different thread. This thread is asking about whether parents are sending their kids to school in person or not and their experiences with that in their local area. Just because what YOU would choose is best for YOUR family and YOUR unique situation, does not mean that YOUR way is right all of the time for everyone else. And woe to anyone in your extended family or friendship network who has had to divorce and figure out how to support children on your own in a single parent household.

My local area, as I stated in my OP, was that the locals in my area are whining about schools not being open. They demand we open because what else are they going to do with their kids, they have to go back to work, etc. I think the place of business should shoulder some of the responsibility right now too.

But this is a situation that is even short-circuiting those back up plans for those who have them. My mom and MIL are both in their 70s. Living close to family has been an immense help in a number of situations over the the years, but this isn't one where they can be our solution. Both have high blood pressure, both are overweight/obese. And we're a house full of essential workers - my husband worked right through the shutdowns and my sons have been back to work since May. We're limiting our exposure to MIL to very occasional distanced outdoor visits, and I'm wearing a mask when I'm with my mom (who I cannot limit contact with because she just got home from the hospital and isn't back to driving or doing much cooking/cleaning yet). We're certainly not going to ask one of them to babysit right now. And a lot of people I know, including the family for whom I am "plan B", are in the same position, with grandparents or great-grandparents who have been sick-day childcare and emergency contacts for years but who have risk factors that make it dangerous to continue to do so in this specific situation. The spring shutdown was easier; so many workplaces closed at the same time, and those who had employees working from home were being far more accommodating than normal of workers trying to balance work and kids, that most families found ways to make it work. But fall is different... most everyone is back to work and employers are expecting more from their work-from-home staff, so the schools being closed is going to hit a lot more people a lot harder.

We're in the middle of a situation that none of us have ever experienced before, that most of us never even imagined could/would happen in this era of modern medicine. It seems like a little empathy for the fact that people weren't prepared for something 100% new and unforeseen would be in order.

Yes, and sending kids back into school, where they are going to become little vectors, puts all those family members, friends' family members, at risk.


To everyone who has quoted my response - my context was the push that parents are making to send kids to school because they need the kids looked after while they go to work, basically a need for babysitting. I hope parents turn to their places of employment and push for support to take care of their kids there, if your area goes remote or not. Set up friend "pods" to share childcare (we're doing that for our friends down the street) etc. As Colleen27 stated, this is new to all of us. But taking care of each other shouldn't be.