All the Options for Schooling Are Bad—But We Have to Choose Safety
On parents’ impossible decision
I am among the millions of parents around the country (and more around the world) wondering whether to send our children back to school. The mere question evokes conflicting thoughts that usually end in confusion and exasperation. It’s a big decision, one that most parents feel ill-equipped to make.
Let’s be real: This novel coronavirus still stumps world-renowned epidemiologists. How can parents adequately ascertain what’s best? My kids have tearfully intimated on more occasions than I care to acknowledge that they want to go back — to actually leave the house, learn from their teachers in person, spend time with friends beyond a laptop screen. My husband and I want that, too. If only it were that simple.
By August 30 at least 36 states had reported positive cases at colleges and universities, adding more than 8,700 cases to America’s total. My heart sinks thinking of that now-infamous photo of Georgia high school students — a state where I once lived — maskless and crammed together in a narrow hallway, no social distancing in sight. Predictably, nine students and staff tested positive for Covid and the school temporarily closed. It’s not quite a ringing endorsement for return.
And those were teenagers. Theoretically, they have the capacity to grasp the consequences of a public health crisis. My rambunctious 8- and 6‑year-old sons? Not so much. Before the pandemic, we were still working on the whole “wash your hands” thing. I am not optimistic they could keep a mask on for an entire school day.
The story of little Kimora Lynum — “Kimmie” as her family affectionately called her — adds to my never-ending anxiety. The 9‑year-old Florida girl loved to play video games and dance to YouTube and TikTok videos, just like my boys. After a sudden onset of a high fever and severe stomach pains in CONTINUE READING: All the Options for Schooling Are Bad—But We Have to Choose Safety - In These Times