School in the Midst of a Pandemic

Just because we’re in the middle of a pandemic and one of our kids is off to college doesn’t mean our schedules are any less crazy. Our four kids are still at four schools, each with their own schedules.

Jack went back to Chicago in early August for fall training with his soccer team, before they postponed the season. He’ll stay there until Thanksgiving, when he comes home. He’ll likely stay home until the new year. (We’re hoping to squeeze in a family vacation in December and are crossing our fingers that the country begins to open up again to make that possible.)

Charlie and Lucy are at two separate high schools, with both starting online and then moving to in-person (one in late September and the other in mid-October). They’re both in sports–diving and volleyball respectively–but it’s still up in the air how the seasons will play out.

And then Molly is at a charter elementary school this year, back in-person after Labor Day.

For all four schools, kids must wear masks when attending in-person classes. The kids were worried about going back in-person but they’ve all taken it in stride. It’s been a challenge but the kids are resilient.

All in all, we’re using a lot more internet bandwidth than ever before, even with the kids all at least partially in person. And with the added exposure to the outside world, it seems everyone is taking extra precautions at home.

Some recommendations to staying healthy and safe:

• Take off your shoes before entering the house and have a shoe station by the door your family comes and goes from most often. This minimizes germs brought into the home and keeps your floors clean.
• Leave backpacks and other bags with your shoes and only take out what you need. This keeps germs that landed on your bags from being carried all over the house.
• Wash your hands immediately upon entering the house, and continue to wash them often.
• Stay in-the-know with schools by joining your schools’ mailing lists and Facebook groups. And for me, I have found that having connections with a few key parents is the most helpful when looking for the inside scoop!

This school year is going to be really different for everyone, including me. Know that everyone is in this together and we WILL get through this! It might feel more chaotic than normal, so give yourself some grace!