Remember I blogged about not knowing what to do with Carver for preschool? You can read that post here: http://www.thepinkshoelaces.com/i-am-just-hating-this/
We’ve made the decision: Carver will be going to three year old preschool this fall.
This has been a long debated topic in our house and we’ve made this decision based on several reasons. I know a lot of parents are struggling with this right now so I thought maybe sharing our thoughts may help you collect yours.
Carver is really good about wearing a mask. He enjoys wearing it, picking it out, he keeps it on, he doesn’t complain too much about it. He’s got a great attitude about it and he knows it helps protect other people from getting sick.
We are able to transport Carver to and from preschool so he doesn’t have to ride the bus. This was a request made by our school district to minimize the amount of kids on the bus so they can spread out and social distance. It also limits Carver’s exposure.
In yesterday’s blog post, (Linked below), I talked about the bonuses of my schedule and this is one of those bonuses – having a flexible work schedule. Craig works about a mile away from the school and doesn’t have to be at work until 8 most days anyway.
If we delay Carver starting preschool, let’s say we wait until the second quarter to send him, everyone will already know everybody and know the routine and the schedule and when to wear masks and when not to wear masks and when to wash hands etc. I don’t want him to feel behind or confused if we delay his start date.
Carver will be starting school in the middle of a pandemic. It’s not a terrible thing, Carver will have social distancing, hand hygiene, covering your cough and all of those germy etiquettes down to a tee in no time.
We didn’t make this decision lightly, this was talked about for weeks and months and for a long time I didn’t think we would send him but Carver is SO ready and we are too.
If you’ve chosen to make a different decision about sending your kids to school, good for you. Honestly. What a hard decision to make. We’ve gone back and forth so many times as I’m sure you have to.
On one hand, I know this may be a controversial blog post. On the other hand, I know this is the best choice for our family.
There is one thing I want to make very clear though: I believe in the coronavirus. I’ve seen with my own two eyes what it is and what it does. I understand it is risky sending kids to school. This isn’t me just “getting over it” or saying “I’m not afraid of it,” this is me and my family trying to learn how to cope and adapt the best way we can.
Any haters will be deleted ✌? I’ll do my family and you do yours! Thanks for reading friends!
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I’m sure Carver will do fine and am sure it will be good for him to have friends his age to interact with! Good for y’all, be safe and take cate! Poor Gannon will miss him, I’m sure!
I agree with you. It was not easy decision but hit sounds like you made the right one for your family.
Stay Safe and Healthy
I’m glad you are sending him to school. I think the kids should all be in school. I’m afraid some are going to be behind as it is. They need to see their friends and make friends. I know he will do well.
I don’t think there is a “right” answer to this – only the answer that is right for your family, child, and situation. We are sending our kids to school, but they attend a small school that will limit contact to even smaller groups. That said- they had to shut down for 2 weeks during the summer program due to several positive COVID cases in class. We are going back, knowing that at any time we may have to change to the remote learning again. We can just make the best decision we can, be prepared for change, and be KIND to those who chose differently.
I don’t envy parenting decisions in these difficult COVID time. I know that you have educated Carver well for his safety using every ounce of science you know. He may well be the ‘rona teacher in his class 😉
Wishing you all peace with your decision and good health moving forward.
My grandkids really need to get back into a routine and school. It has been 6 months without. Mom and Dad work, so they have way too much free time, even with chores and rules. I am making a wardrobe of masks to help keep them safe.
It is a really difficult decision and each family should make it based on there situation. I’m glad that I don’t have to and that I have no grandchildren to worry about. The decision you made is perfect for your family, sums it up. I know Carver will really enjoy school and he sounds so ready to go…..wishing him a happy year ahead making new friends and learning at school.
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Carver will love school – I’m glad you had this choice to make!! It will be an adjustment for him from Grandma Jo’s or home with you, but I’m sure he will thrive. My daughter is facing a weird schedule with her 12 year old going to physical school (so she can participate in art, band and sports) and her 7 year old will be doing 100% remote. Like you, she works graveyard, but 5 nights a week, so her sleep time will also be when she needs to be helping her second grader. Should be interesting and it makes me sad she lives so far away from me that I can’t help.
My youngest is going to college for the first time. He could have gone virtually, but then he wouldn’t have been able to do certain classes. So he’s going — at least that’s the plan right now but who know if that will change in the next week or two? We are awaiting a possible pivot, and even if that doesn’t happen before he goes, maybe it happens two weeks later.
All any of us can do right now is make the best decision for our family at the time, be super-careful in our behavior, and be ready to pivot!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. You are doing such a great job with your kids.
VERY hard decision! I don’t relish the thoughts about it either. I’m glad I don’t have to make that choice.
Such a difficult decision to make. I have two older grand children going back to school – one a senior and one a freshman. It was a hard choice for mom but I know she’s thought about this for a long time. My other 5 are home schooled so no decision needed to be made there.
Love and prayers
Our school is starting so my middle grandson ( a teenager) will be going back. I’m glad he’s into tech and can spend day and night on a tablet. He even signed up for football. He said he’s spent too much time alone. There are 30 kids or less per grade, we’re a small village in northern Michigan. I’m not sure what is happening with my youngest grandson. He will be 3 at the end of the month and I don’t know what is available. They moved to Memphis Tennessee last month.
It is a difficult decision but with all you and your mom have said about Carver he definitely sounds like he is ready for school and will benefit from it.
That’s a tough decision and I’m sure glad I don’t have to make it. Carver sounds very ready for school and I’m sure he will thrive there. The social aspect of school is so important and he will enjoy having new friends. Gannon will miss him but he will also enjoy time alone with you. I’m sure Carver will come home and teach Gannon many of the things he learns. Watching children grow is such a thrilling experience.
I am busy making masks for my grand daughters and the neighbour children. They need 2 a day because when they take the first one off to eat lunch, they are to put a new one on after they have washed their hands. Also, a great idea is the attach the mask to a lanyard. If it comes off, it will not land on the floor and we all know that it will be picked up and put back on again :)). Thought you might like the lanyard idea.
I agree, it is a tough decision. We chose to keep our daughter at home because she is high risk. I hate the thoughts of her missing the social aspect of it but planning to coordinate with her teacher at school and keep lunch and play schedules the same so that if we decide to send her later she will already be used to the routine.
We are getting criticism for our decision, yet we are also getting support. My response to the haters is “our kid, our decision.”