by Autumn Lewis
With the California Safe Schools for All Plan underway, parents are considering the real possibility of sending their children back to school. The plan’s goal is to provide support and accountability to establish a clear path to minimize in-school transmissions and enable, first, a phased return to in-person instruction, and then ongoing safe in-person instruction. As reassuring as it sounds, many parents are still weighing the pros and cons of following through with the governor’s orders.
For starters, even though we are in the first phase of vaccinations, there is still an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Also, the school experience will be totally different, for parents and their children. There will be new procedures and ways of life that will take some getting used to. Masks will be worn at appropriate times which will make the social interactions that children get from school a lot less pleasant.
Even so, there are some bright spots in schools reopening for the year. Parents stress levels may change for the better due to worrying less about setting up school schedules around their daily home and work activities.
Finally, schools know best how to educate children. Most parents do not have the education credentials to teach their children what schools are structured and designed to do. Therefore, it may be time to give that responsibility back to the experts.
All in all, parents should decide what they think is best for the safety and well-being of their children.
What are your thoughts about children going back to school? Share your story with us.
Reference:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/my-health-story/back-to-school-in-the-age-of-covid-sending-my-children-back-to-school-as-an-immunocompromised-mom/
https://schools.covid19.ca.gov/