Is It Safe To Send My Kid Back To School?
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The pandemic has drastically changed people’s lives. No one would have ever imagined that the only way you can connect with people is through virtual screens. But because of the deadly virus that affected millions of innocent lives, protocols were put in place to prevent its spread. Schools and colleges adopted distance learning, and that became the new normal. If you’re a parent who has a full-time job, managing your kids and work becomes quite overwhelming. However, keeping their safety in mind and seeing that this was the only way to protect them from the virus, several parents were happy with the online classes.
It’s been over a year since the virus came into our lives and disrupted our well-being. Be it physically or mentally, the coronavirus has made a lasting impact on all of us, and it’s going to take a while for things to get back to normal. However, with the vaccine being administered by health care workers, things are slowly starting to take shape. Adults have started going back to work, offices are functioning, offline exams are being conducted, and schools are on the verge of reopening. While it might be great for all of us to get back to our lives pre-corona, as parents, you cannot help but wonder if it’s safe to send your kids back to school.
If we have to be completely honest, there is no straight answer. Every decision that is taken is made after calculating the risks that may come with it. It’s not an easy decision, but governments, health care workers, and service providers are coming together to make an informed decision about whether it is safe to send kids to school. There are rarely decisions free of risks, but it helps if the risks can be anticipated and assessed before a decision is made. Here are a few things that parents have to consider before sending their kids to school:
- The nature of the virus is that kids can be asymptomatic and infect other kids who have compromised immunities.
- Group activities are an integral part of a child’s learning experience. It helps enhance team-building skills and teaches kids various social skills that offline experiences lack.
- There is a high risk of maintaining public safety. After-school activities usually attract large crowds, which may increase the spread of COVID-19.
- Sending your kids to school may increase your stress levels. It’s only natural that you worry about your kid’s health when they are in school because you have no control over their preventative measures.
- If you consider homeschool as an option, one parent will have to give up their full-time job to coach the kids. They will have to dedicate time and energy to teach their kids and might not have the time for other work. It affects the income capacity of the family.
While there are pros and cons to sending your kids back to school, we are pretty unclear on what the right decision might be. However, here are some questions that you could ask your child’s school before deeming it safe:
- How will children maintain social distancing?
- Will the class size be limited?
- Will there be an increase in outdoor classes?
- How will children maintain social distancing in school buses?
- Will there be physical barriers between children in classrooms?
- What activities are allowed/not allowed during recess and physical education?
- What is the sanitization process for classrooms, benches, desks, etc.?
- Will teachers and students wear masks? Is it mandatory?
- How many kids will be allowed in the playground at once?
- Will my child interact with multiple adults or just the teacher?
- Will you screen students, teachers, and other staff members for COVID-19 symptoms every day?
It might seem like a lot of questions, but every parent wants their kid to be safe. There are no two ways about it. Do you think schools should reopen or continue with online classes? We would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Share them with us in the comments below.
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