Parenting in 2020

I am still working from home this week because the Covid test results are still pending. I will be returning to work next week, since that will be beyond 2 weeks of quarantine. Love Bug has been sent back to daycare, so my fingers are crossed this week will goes well. Next week we will also know what our school district decides for the upcoming school year. They are presenting three options to the school board. Option one is all the students return to in-person classes. Option two is for only the academically vulnerable to attend in-person classes and the rest of the students attend virtually. The district decides who is academically vulnerable. The third option is for all students to attend virtual classes. 

As many parents are, I am vacillating on what my choice will be, depending on what the school decides. If the school chooses option one, like another local district, I need to decide if I am sending my children to school or homeschooling them or perhaps trying to find an alternative like a Montessori school. I have a friend with kids my kids ages and she has decided to homeschool her kids, regardless of the school districts decision. Of course, the in-person option would be easiest in terms of work, but most worrisome for the health of my children. On one hand, my kids are healthy, hardly ever sick despite their questionable personable hygiene. But, I don't really want to test their immune system by throwing them into a likely germ cesspool (let's be honest, schools are generally known as a good place to catch a cold). Yet, they are in daycare, which is also a good place to catch a case. There are a lot less kids at daycare than at school, so likely less of a chance. At this point, any decision feels like rolling the dice. 

Option two also presents it's share of problems. I don't know which students might be identified as "academically vulnerable" but I sense it might be kiddos like my Love Bug; the ones in special education, the ones who need more in-person attention or receive other assistive services. Under this option, I am guessing one of my children will be attending in-person classes and the other will be attending virtual schooling. Chica Marie did pretty good with the virtual schooling the end of this past school session, so that isn't the concern. My worry is how I will make it possible for her to be in class daily. After this week, I will return to working in the office twice a week. Will three days per week be enough for her to keep up with the work? Will I be able to work from home all week to accommodate her schooling? Would the daycare be willing to allow her to sign on and work two days per week? So many more questions than answers.

Option three is the most difficult for me to execute. If both kids need to be attending virtual classes, how will I be able to assist them working from home three days per week? What if I return to the office full-time with the kids still attending virtual classes? Trying to school the kids while working was so hard the last few months of school. Nearly impossible given their unique needs and my lack of teaching skills. Now, I am translating via Skype when I am working from home, which means I am even less able to be distracted but with even more of a need to be able to dedicate to working with my kids. The district wasn't grading the students the fourth quarter, but now they will be expecting the kids to perform. They handed out Chromebooks, so there is less of an issue of having available technology. So, while this is the safest option, physically, it is the most problematic for our little clan. 

No matter what the district decides, there will be something conceded. It will not be an easy decision by any means. This is parenting in 2020. 

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