A while back I posted about my pending empty nest syndrome as my two oldest children were officially out of our home (our daughter finishing up senior year at boarding school and our son attending his first year at college.) As painful an experience it was releasing them into the world, we eventually got used to the new energy that filled our space...quiet, calm and relaxed. Needless to say that new energy did not last too long as our empty nest syndrome was cut short by both our children’s return once covid set in and quarantine became the new normal. Don’t get me wrong, we were thrilled to have our children back at home, but living under conditions never experienced like this before made life a bit more complicated. Having been homebound since the beginning of March all I can say is it makes for a great opening of a joke...What do you get when you quarantine a 20 year old college student, an 18 year old graduating senior and a 15 year old brother, along with mom,dad and pet golden Zoey and rabbit, Pancakes???(....enter appropriate adjective here.)

It’s been a struggle adjusting to the new rhythm in our family with everyone homebound. At first, it reminded me of my childhood days when winter storms would wreak havoc on the east coast rendering us useless against the mile high snow drifts that would cover our front door leaving us trapped inside until the local department of transportation could bulldoze us out of our encampment.The idea of having no responsibility, no deadlines, no school as a kid was thrilling. While quarantine is anything but thrilling, the initial thought of it made me fantasize about my family hunkering down all together making meals, singing kumbaya and having some great memorable conversations. Yeah, that lasted all of barely two nights.

Entering the fourth month of quarantine as the country begins to open up (then quickly retract due to spikes in the virus) and as the politicalization of the virus continues with the argument of whether or not to wear a mask (to save not only your life but others by the way), I can honestly say I’m leaning towards never wanting quarantine to end. Unless that is, a vaccine is developed and proven safe. Oh yeah and it needs to be at LEAST 60% effective. Sounds realistic, right? NOT!!!! I may sound like an alarmist but my wife is immunocompromised and my actions (as well as those of my children) need to be taken seriously and with consideration. If you think you fall into a different category and are not compromising anyone if you choose NOT to keep your face covered, then think again. There is a strong chance you can affect an elder (be it a teacher, parent, grandparent) or someone immuno-compromised. Now imagine the moment you send your child to school this fall if the government gets its way (with no set plan that is) and your child’s teacher gets infected and tests positive. While the chances of complications from the virus for children is being reported as slim to none, you need to consider the chances of being exposed yourself as well as the rest of your family. Couple this with the possibility of time off from work to either care for your infected child,yourself or another family member. Not a comforting thought, is it?

IMG_5126 (1).jpg — Quoting a friend

“Don’t be a MASKHOLE! Wear your mask!!

The decision made by Universities on whether to open this fall or offer online classes is disturbing to say the least. After witnessing states like New York experience the worst case scenario in this pandemic with overcrowded hospitals and too little ventilators to keep up with demand, how can we confidently send our children off to college(where they will experience college life to its fullest...communal bathrooms in dorms, crowded elevators getting to classes not to mention the inability to fully social distance properly when the school you attend is populated with 48,000 students.) Sounds like a mini New York City, doesn’t it? That’s what freaks the shit out of me. It’s ironic that our institutions designed to teach knowledge and understanding are incapable of using said knowledge to make an informed decision that is in the best interest of the health and well being of our future (our children) instead of making a decision based purely on economics. I keep hearing reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics arguing the fact that it's important for children to go back to school. While this is understandable, I wonder why they are leaving out the more important argument that if schools are not set up safely and with a plan for a sudden outbreak, they should not rush into opening up so quickly this fall. I mean come on people. We just shut down the entire world for months to fight off this virus and all of a sudden our government is deciding it’s time we open up and get back to normal? Why is education more important than health and safety?

Currently the President of the United States is threatening to pull funding of schools who refuse to hold classes in person. Let that sink in for a moment. The actual President of the United States is threatening to pull funding of schools if they do not open backup this fall. While everyone agrees that school is important, it only makes sense if there is a clear, consistent message on how to safely and correctly open schools while providing material and education to students on proper social distance expectations, etc. The current rate of infection is rising and it’s only July 15th. What will that look like come August 15th, September 15th and so on and so on? Sadly I do not think we will be any better off. At this rate it only seems like the virus is spreading and our administration is telling us the opposite. Now can you understand my concern on sending my college freshman off to the South where the virus happens to be spreading like wildfire?

As these next few weeks unfold I encourage you to do your research and ask the proper questions of your schools, administration, and local representatives on how they are going to ensure your children are safe going back to school. So far I’m not convinced the decision to open up this fall is the right one. At the moment two of my three are opting to do remote learning from home. My third is insistent on heading to freshman year at college no matter what. This frightens me. While I admire the courage to face this pandemic head on, I am not supportive of my child being a guinea pig for schools and our government. As a parent I can honestly say this is one of the most difficult decisions my wife and I will have to make at this point in our lives. These next few weeks are going to demand a ton of patience, prayer and open mindedness. Much to meditate on. I am secretly hoping for a miracle. How are you handling the decision to send your kids back to school?

Including Zoey so she doesn’t feel left out.

School Choice: Remote Learning Or In Person