Parents, You're Right

A message to our readers about back to school.

If there’s one thing we want parents to know during this uncertain time, it’s that you’re making the right decision.

Whether that decision is to return to the classroom, with masks and an extra box of Clorox wipes added to your school supply lists, to have your children taught by a passionate professional.

Or maybe that decision is to distance learn from the comfort of your home, where dress codes are lax (pajamas until noon!) and the kitchen table has become a makeshift classroom.

Or whether that decision is to go full-bore into homeschooling.

There are so many back-to-school options, and the truth is you’re only making the wrong one if you’re making it based on other people’s expectations and circumstances and not what is right for your own family.

We all started our parenting journeys on unsteady ground, unsure if we were making the right decision. There were so many options: breastmilk, formula, or both? Sleep schedule or no? Which car seat to invest in? But quickly we discovered that only we know what is right for our families. We establish a culture of our household, carried over traditions from our own childhoods, and created some of our own. And with each new phase of parenting, we learned that we’ve got this.

This is one of those times we cash in on all that good judgment we’ve been collecting over our years.

We are parents, just like you, obsessing about the right decision for our families. We made a commitment to be supportive of each other even though we’ve chosen drastically different options.

Tiffany decided in mid-July to homeschool. She did a deep dive, researching curriculum options and turning a playroom into a schoolroom. Tiffany’s children are 6 and 8, and they live on an 8-acre farm in the Bitterroot Valley. She’s glad part of her children’s education will be taking care of the farm animals and teaching fractions through baking with produce from the garden. “I’ve always been intrigued by homeschooling because my best friends are seasoned homeschoolers. My mother-in-law moved up here from Texas earlier this year, and she used to be an elementary school teacher, so I feel like we have lots of resources and are using this year as a test to see if this is something we want to do long-term. One aspect that drew me to homeschooling is the freedom to study whatever we are interested in. I want to continue the anti-racism work we’ve started in our household and spend more time volunteering with my kids.”

Charity has four kiddos ranging in age from 11 years old to 1.5 years old, with the two oldest being school age. She has decided to follow MCPS’ Phase-1 hybrid plan that includes in-person and remote learning for her two oldest children. “The decision was tough. My husband and I are very concerned about the risk of exposure not only for our children but for the teachers and school staff. However, we have the utmost confidence in the plan that MCPS has outlined for everyone to safely return. After discussing our priorities, concerns,  and options we decided that returning our children to school for the two days of in-person learning and three days of online learning was the best option for our family. All four of our children are at different ages and stages, and so we were very mindful of that in our decision making. Part of our decision also included the time we spent listening to our oldest children’s thoughts and concerns about returning to school and a large part of what we heard from them centered around their autonomy. Our oldest son is entering middle school this year and he’s looking forward to that experience including his participation in extracurriculars like orchestra. Our second grader is extremely social and looks forward to seeing his friends, teachers and participating in class activities—with social distancing, masks and lots of hand sanitizing, of course! We definitely recognize the risk that comes with our decision but we are confident in our children’s ability to adhere to proper safety measures and for their schools to do so as well. We remain open to any changes that may occur with their schools or any changes our family may need to make in order for our children to have a safe, successful school year.”

Laci’s son will be returning to in-person learning for 1st grade with some assistance from babysitters and grandparents on the remote learning days, while mom and dad are working. “I have struggled a lot with my own privilege while weighing the learning needs of my child with the safety of those around him. I doesn’t feel like any of the options are equitable for all families, but for those who choose to (or have to) return in person, I think it’s important to help make it as safe as possible for everyone in the building. Returning to school is scary, and I wish that remote learning and homeschooling were more feasible for us right now. But I am excited to support some of the creative ways that our school is working to increase outside learning. I feel better after talking to our principal and knowing how hard the teachers, staff and parents at our school are working hard to make in-person learning as safe and effective as possible,” said Laci.

We know that for many of you this is a stressful time, filled with doubt and fear of the unknown. We want you to know from the bottom of our hearts that we honor you and respect the work you’ve put into choosing what is right for your family. It’s the right decision, and everything is going to be fine.

Love,

Tiffany, Laci, and Charity