Another- would you keep kids home from school?

[AngB]

I don't want to hijack or get lost in another thread but here's our current situation:

My kids don't have spring break until next Friday, 3/20. I have to work (in the medical field- but an outpatient center) on Tuesday and Wednesday. My 60-something yo mom with some mild health issues (blood pressure controlled by meds, etc.) babysits on days I work. There have been 4 positive cases in our state/neighboring county (many in our neighboring states), hardly anyone is being tested. The school district sent out an email about super duper cleaning, etc. that they are doing but basically said they won't close until *at least* there are positive cases in the county. I am not expecting that to happen over the weekend even though I think it's likely there are many positive cases out there being spread around. The governor is letting the districts decide. Our neighboring districts are mostly on spring break so they don't have to make a decision by Monday.

Would you send your kids to school Monday? My 1 yo is having her birthday party tomorrow and we literally went from expecting 40 people to just my best friends' family and maybe an aunt, because of the virus (which is fine, she won't notice!) It just gives me pause -especially with my mom having to babysit- about sending kids to school Monday...

[nfceagles]

I would send them to school before having your mom watch them. No perfect answer, that’s just my gut instinct.


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[jgenie]

I would send them to school before having your mom watch them. No perfect answer, that’s just my gut instinct.


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I would do the same.

[Myira]

I’d just keep home, it’s elementary school not like they are missing a whole lot in a week.


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[doberbrat]

I’d just keep home, it’s elementary school not like they are missing a whole lot in a week.
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I disagree with that statement. These days, quite a bit can be missed by missing a whole week. More for some kids than others obviously.

I'm not sure what I'd do tbh. I think I'd want to send them as long as school is available to both learn and keep a sense of normalcy. Plus they have those specials that can be harder to replicate at home.... art, music, sci etc.

At the same time, I do believe there is a risk - even if its tiny ......

[PZMommy]

I’d keep them home. My district finally closed as of yesterday. All week my attendance was dwindling, and the last two days we spent most of the day showing movies or playing on devices as teachers were told we had to prepare two weeks worth of lessons in case we shut down. Also so many kids are sick, and coughing and sneezing on each other. If your mom will be watching them at all during spring break, I’d start keeping them home now.

[carolinacool]

I disagree with that statement. These days, quite a bit can be missed by missing a whole week. More for some kids than others obviously.

I'm not sure what I'd do tbh. I think I'd want to send them as long as school is available to both learn and keep a sense of normalcy. Plus they have those specials that can be harder to replicate at home.... art, music, sci etc.

At the same time, I do believe there is a risk - even if its tiny ......

Agreed. My fourth-grader is reading below grade level. Just this week, his teacher began the process to request an IEP ( a process I went through last year and was denied). If I had a kid who might grumble, but could successful complete a homework package with little to no help, I might feel differently. I personally don't want to begin that battle until I have to. My company is encouraging us to work from for the next two weeks, but the key word is "work." So while I'll be here, I don't have an hour or two each day to fight over school work. I'm actually really dreading it.

Our school system has not closed. As long as it's open, he will be there -- both because he needs to be there and also to maintain some sense of normalcy. None of us have any conditions that could make illness worse, nor do we live around grandparents or any other family members who would be more susceptible.

In your case, I learn toward school. Your mom's age might be more concerning that her BP issues.

[doberbrat]

Agreed. My fourth-grader is reading below grade level. Just this week, his teacher began the process to request an IEP ( a process I went through last year and was denied). If I had a kid who might grumble, but could successful complete a homework package with little to no help, I might feel differently. I personally don't want to begin that battle until I have to. My company is encouraging us to work from for the next two weeks, but the key word is "work." So while I'll be here, I don't have an hour or two each day to fight over school work. I'm actually really dreading it.

:heartbeat: I'm so worried about my students who are below grade level. Some significantly so. Its been documented that they start loosing skills after 2weeks off... hence the need for extended school year for them. 4 weeks or more esp right before MCAS will be a disaster. :(

[HannaAddict]

If they were healthy, I would keep them home and not go to the playground etc either and start social distancing now. I kept mine home once I knew what was coming, and my older kids’ school was the first in the state to close (independent) after their crisis response team evaluated what was happening and on its way.


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[marinkitty]

I would keep them home. Your schools are likely to be closed in the next day or so. I truly thing nothing will be open by mid-week. This isn't going to miraculously get contained. As you said, we aren't testing and when we start to test the numbers are going to skyrocket. In the meantime, being out and about just increases the chance that more people are exposed and infected. I wish the goverment and our school districts weren't putting people in this terrible position of having to decide for themselves. There should be clear guidance from the top and it should be that all non-essential activities need to stop now while we get a handle on testing and try to mitigate the spread. I have nothing but sympathy for any of us having to make those kinds of judgments on our own and weigh our livelihoods against the health and safety of our loved ones.

[sariana]

I would send my kids to school until the schools closed (ours did starting Monday) unless they were sick themselves (I mean run-of-the-mill colds and whatnot) or had underlying conditions (asthma, etc). I live in the Bay Area, which had some of the earliest reported cases, but I haven't been concerned about the safety of my own children.

You have to make the decisions that feels right for you, but under the circumstances I would not worry about attendance issues or missing work or things like that. As this crisis continues, no one is going to be worrying about those kinds of things. We all are going to need to adapt.

[carolinacool]

We are closed now. The governor shut down all N.C. schools for two weeks starting Monday.

[Myira]

I disagree with that statement. These days, quite a bit can be missed by missing a whole week.

Plus they have those specials that can be harder to replicate at home.... art, music, sci etc.



I get your concern about students that are struggling, but feel these are extraordinary circumstances.

At other times though I get your sentiment. Already the school year is barely 9 months, and take out Spring/Christmas breaks it’s not even that. I cannot believe the school year has only 2 months left already.


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[KpbS]

No, keep the kids at home. Not only is it the most conservative decision health wise for your family, it's also most sensible from a community health standpoint. Soon most/all will be closed in efforts to prevent deaths like Italy has seen. They estimate we are 9-10 days behind them with infection rates.