What type of mother sends her child to school during a pandemic?

What type of mother would send her child to school during a time like this? Doesn’t she know that the coronavirus is running rampant? Does she care about her own child’s health?

2nd understand that everyone’s situation is different and there is absolutely no one answer that is correct. I mean they shut down schools and everyone was up in arms because they can’t balance being a teacher to their children with a full-time job. Then they decided to open schools and everyone is pissed off because they “don’t care about our kids”. I am here to tell you, rather you decide to homeschool, send your child to school, let them attend virtually, hire a personal teacher/Tudor, or any combination of these options, you are a great mom as long as you are making the best decision for YOUR family and letting others make the best decision for their family.

Remember everyone’s situation is different. Some parents do not have the luxury of working at home, and depending on the age, maturity, and personality of the child, they can’t leave their children at home and expect them to learn. Other parents and children have health conditions and can’t risk any interaction with others. Some schools have chosen to not offer options. Some schools have chosen not to put resources into one option or another. There are many different variables that affect this decision for parents.  So before you begin to judge or even have an opinion about another parent’s decision, understand that this is a very tough decision.

Personally, I am feeling all kinds of Mommi guilt for sending my child to school but after weighing all the pros and cons I feel like in-person schooling is the best option for us. I wanted to share this decision just in case any other Mommies are feeling the stress to let you know you’re not alone. I want to also provide the variables that I considered to help me with this decision.

Let me give you a little background. So, my son is a football player and my husband is a football coach which means they have been practicing in large groups since the beginning of July. Every day they go to practice with over 50 other children and coaches. My son is also starting high school this year. And I don’t know if you remember your freshman year but mine was pivotal in both my education and social maturity.

It was during freshman year that I learned the basics about writing essays professionally, Algebra, computer science, home skills, and a host of other essential nuggets that I have used to propel my careers. This was also the time of my most memorable social development. I cheered in middle school but the amount of fun that I had with my friends and the relationships I built in high school guided me through my adulthood. And my son (similar to myself) is the only child in the home. He doesn’t get much social interaction besides school and neither did I so I personally know the struggle.

I also solicited his feedback. My son is been waiting his whole life for high school and would be absolutely devastated if he did not get to experience his freshman year with his friends. As I said he’s the only child at home and rarely interacts with other children except for in a school or during football. So the moment I joked with him about staying home he immediately became sad.

My son also does very well academically. Last year he got straight A’s which made me one of the happiest moms in the world. But, he is not as efficient without the one on one instruction and a teacher that is easily accessible. My son needs guidance and the options that our county has given us for school this year, are full-time in person or full-time online. The structure of the online option does not include interactions with other children or verbal interactions with the teacher. They will be given video lead instructions and assignments to complete. Their teachers will also be available for any questions via email. That is the extent of what they’ve told us about how the class will be structured. Personally, I think because they are pouring so much energy into managing 2 different structures (in-person and online), neither option will provide the amount of focus and detail that it should. I understand that the county and school board has to make tough decisions in an unprecedented situation and they are doing the best they can to accommodate everyone.

I don’t know about your children (because they are all unique and learn differently) but my child will not retain and apply information effectively with this version on virtual learning. My child needs to hear his peers ask questions because sometimes he’s afraid to. He needs to be able to easily access his teacher and ask questions immediately when he doesn’t understand something because otherwise, he won’t ask at all. He needs to build a relationship with his teachers and have them interact with him in a very personable way to help him to enjoy the class which helps him to enjoy and retain the information that they’re giving.

I also believe that in order to be a successful adult you have to have great social skills. And at the same time, I want to make sure my child is healthy and alive. With the options that I have been presented, my plan (as of now) is to send my child to school. This way that he can get the most out of his academic experience. I also plan to take additional precautions to make sure that he and the rest of our family are safe.

We will check his temperature every day and be intrinsically in tune with what he is feeling every day physically and mentally. I’ll ask him about his physical and mental state multiple times a day to ensure that he still wants to go to school and that he is not feeling anything physically out of the norm. I’m sending him to school with hand-sanitizer, his own clean water bottle, lunch, a mask, and Lysol wipes daily.

I’ve heard a lot of complaints are about forcing children to wear a mask. And I understand that argument for younger children but specifically, with my son, he is old enough, responsible enough, and understands the situation enough to keep his mask on every day. In addition, I’m going to try to find him (or make myself) very cool mask that will coordinate with his shoes and outfits each day. I’m hoping that this will entice him to want to wear his mask every day as a statement piece. I’ve been searching for masks on Amazon, Etsy, and all over the Internet. I will also create and design him masks that say whatever the cool slang the kids are saying now. You know, like drip, no cap, D1 prospect, etc. I’m shopping for school clothes and shoes to match his fancy mask. Remember the days we laid out our school clothes the day before? And we were so excited to go to school just to look fly? Well, MommiNation has cool tees for the kids and my son cannot wait to wear them.

Although we’ve talked time and time again about the current state of the world and the changes in school, right before the first day of school we will sit down and have an extremely important and vital conversation about his responsibilities that he will need to maintain in order to continue going to school in person.

I will keep open communication with my son, his teachers, the staff, and the school board. I will stay current on the news and local discoveries in our county. 

With new developments, my decision to send my child to school could change at any moment. So, I plan on keeping an open and agile mind to be prepared to adjust at any moment.

I will keep you all updated as we make decisions concerning back to school. But, please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as we embark on this journey and I will do the same!

With Love,

Mommi Mykal