Should I send my kids back to school and nursery on June 1?
It’s the million dollar question facing parents up and down the country, and one for which everyone has a different opinion – and answer.
The proposed reopening of schools and nurseries as lockdown is eased means our middle two (aged five and three) can return to reception and pre school if we want them to.
But with the threat of coronavirus still hanging over us and strict social distancing measures in place – making schools and nurseries very different from the schools and nurseries they left in March – the question is: what should we do for the best?
Is it too soon? Is it safe? What will ‘the new normal’ actually look like and how will it impact the kids?
Should I send my kids back to school & nursery?
I won’t lie: being confined to our two bedroom flat with four kids and no garden during lockdown has not been easy.
Add a heavily pregnant mama, then a newborn baby, homeschooling x 2 and one of us trying to work into the mix and some days have been worse than awful.
There have been tears and tantrums (theirsΒ andΒ mine), tempers have frayed and the frankly overwhelming situation has brought out the worst in all of us more times than I care to admit.
Having just the oldest (eight) and the youngest (four weeks) at home instead of all four at the same time would not only halve the workload, but give us all some much needed breathing space and a return to some semblance of routine and normality too.
The trouble is ‘the new normal’ is almost unrecognisable compared to life as we knew it.
When our primary school reopens on June 1 changes include spots painted on the playground to show the kids where they can and can’t stand and play, classes reduced to smaller groups kept separate from each other and each child sat at their own desk two metres apart – the complete opposite of the ‘shared learning’ environment they’re used to.
I can’t help but question the psychological impact ‘the new normal’ will have on the kids, both now and in the long term. Forcing five year olds to play two metres apart in the playground just seems bonkers, if not virtually impossible. Or perhaps I’m overthinking it and they won’t actually notice.
Then there’s the risk being back at school and nursery poses to family and friends if and when we are allowed to see them again. Right now, after six weeks in lockdown, I’m 99.9% certain we’re virus free, but with the kids back at school and nursery I won’t be able to make the same claim come mid-June.
Yet at the same time I worry about the psychological impact keeping the kids at home would have too.
Of course we could keep them at home for longer, until September for example, but if the same measures are still in place then – and beyond – we can’t keep them at home forever.
The fact is we’re simply not cut out for homeschooling: trying to teach two kids of different ages with different needs while entertaining a three year old, caring for a newborn and running a household while one of us works is not only unsustainable but too much – these are jobs that were never meant to be done by just one or two people.
And the thing that coronavirus, face masks and social distancing can’t change is human nature: the compassion, love and dedication of the teachers and nursery staff who I know will do their utmost to make the best of a bad situation. A global pandemic can’t take that away, which is why we’ve decided that our middle two will go back to school and nursery on June 1.
It’s a decision we may well live to regret, and we can always take them out again if it doesn’t work out, but I think we need to give it a chance because the fact is this new normal is going to be normal for quite some time.
What do you think? Are you faced with sending children back to school or nursery on June 1 too? What have you decided?
I am so glad that I don’t have to make this decision, as my children are all grown, whatever you decide will be right for you and your family #,thatfridaylinky@_karendennis
I’ve decided not to send my 4 year old back for the moment. But it comes down to the fact that there is no track and trace in place. And that the infection rate is higher in our region. I am going to see. Totally agree that it would be good for my little girl and my mental health if she went back, but at what risk? #KCACOLS
something that we have been talking a lot about around here as well. My daughter and her friends are all turning nine and getting ready to enter 4th grade. So far none of us have really decided 100% what the plan is going to be
It is such a hard choice with no right answer. My son is autistic so really struggles with changes and takes a while to get into a routine. At the moment we are planning to keep them off until the last couple of weeks that way he has some contact with school before September but not too much. #KCACOLS
I sent our kids back- we have no cases in our area and our numbers overall are low. I am still worried it’s not the right thing to do and esp for the one on public transport, I really worry. I don’t think I’ve ever been so unsure about what the right decision is in my life. If I was in the UK, I don’t think I would (but I can’t really say that unless I was – there’s so much to weigh up).
Good luck to everyone. It’s a tough time. #Dreamteam
Such a tricky decision – I’m still unsure! #dreamteam
I worry for the little things, for example, what happens if a child falls over and cuts their knee? Our school have said there’ll be PPE for situations like this but as there not enough PPE for Hospitals and Care Homes how can this be the case?
It’s such a tricky situation… #KCACOLS
Oh my goodness do you deserve a Spa break when the world allows. I have two at home with no outside space and have found it hell with one very confused angry 9 year old refusing to home-school and an equally angry toddler. As my partner is back to work as a keyworker and my son halfway through an ASD assessment his school have offered him a place from June which I have accepted. It makes me nervous at the thought of additional exposure but he is so, so unhappy at home and as he is still seeing his dad at weekends who is an ICU nurse I have been trying to balance things in my mind. I think every parent needs to decide for themselves and we all support each other. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time x
This is definitely a hot topic at the moment! We don’t have to think about this just yet, but I know it’s coming. I imagine the other school years will follow on quickly or they’ll never get a look in as it will be the summer holidays before we know it. I think, like you, we’ll just have to take stock of the current climate and how things will/or won’t work and then go from there. Good luck next week, I’m sure your two will be thrilled to see their friends again, even if only at arms length. Thank you for joining us for the #DreamTeamLinky xx
I’m coming back to work on 8th June and probably my son will come back to nursery but I’m concerned about it so I think I will need to decide in 100% soon #KCACOLS
There is so much conflicting information. My youngest has been offered a place back in preschool but I am not convinced about the safety plus the older two will still be at home so I have declined. Thanks for linking up with #dreamteamlinky
We’ve been lucky that my wife and I both work from home, so can afford to keep the kids off and see how things play out. Having a 10 week old and two primary-aged kids though, I can completely empathise with you: homeschooling’s a living nightmare! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time.
My niece is going back to school on Monday. She is year 6. The plans in place in her school are really good and I think the kids will be happy. They are trialling how it goes before inviting younger kids in. They will still be able to play with friends but only those in their new class bubbles to keep it as ‘normal’ as possible. Ny daughter is in year 9 so she is still at home for the foreseeable future. Which is good as I have no idea where her uniform is…. I hope the transition goes well for you #kcacols
This has been the hardest decision we had to make. We also live in a 2 bedroom flat with no garden which has been very hard, especially after seeing so many people enjoying their pools and we were so hot without being able to go out much. I wasn’t sure what to do so we decided to keep my youngest at home and see how the school coped the first week. After positive feedback from parents, teachers and the school, we decided to send her back to school on Monday. I hope she is okay next week.
#kcacols x