What About The Kids?

  If you have children chances are you are as worried about what September will look like for schooling as I am. It's a short 7 weeks til the 2020/21 school year begins and we are still floating in the wind waiting for details. There is a fluid plan that in my oh so humble opinion will be a disaster but the fact that there is some sort of plan is encouraging. For a while there it wasn't looking too promising. 

  Hubby and I had pretty much decided not to send the boys back in the fall if a vaccine was not available. That seems to be a given now. But our decision has changed and we are now in a "wait and see" frame of mind. What changed our minds you ask well it's simple...we stopped, took a breath, and looked at the big picture. 

  Every day I listen to folks talk about stopping the spread. And I 100% agree. We need to keep ourselves, our children, and others safe from this virus. But our overall health includes our mental health and that is where a huge difference comes into play between adults and kids. 

  Adults can express their anxiety and fears in ways that teenagers do not have the skills to. If we have issues can you imagine theirs? Add hormones, school, peer pressure, social media, did I mention hormones, into the mix and you have a perfect storm brewing. One that some kids cannot steer out of. That is something we need to take into account and watch out for. And it's just as important as their physical well being. During this pandemic maybe even more.

  Even now in 2020, we talk about mental health in whispers. People feel pity for the breakdowns of Brittany Spears and Dave Chappelle. Others like Catherine Zeta-Jones are heralded as brave for talking about her bipolar disease. Would she be "brave" if she talked about her diabetes? Or her Crohns? No, and that's the problem. One that if we do not get past will end up perpetuating the stigma of mental health diseases forever.

  Back to the kids...we must look at the big picture. Will they be wearing masks? Will there still be an average of 28 kids in the class? What about lunch? What about the bathrooms? How do we get them there? All good questions and all need to be answered. Then parents need to ask "How will my child cope with being isolated again?" That last one needs to be answered honestly. Even if we don't like the answer. 

  Know your kid. Understand their weaknesses and their strengths. Maybe going into the classroom is worth the risk. Only you as a parent can decide. Just don't judge others who come to a different decision. 

  I'll let you know what we decide...much, much closer to September!

  Ang