But if the worst of it for some of us is bored kids telling us how bored they are, and in our case, how resourceful they've had to become, keeping themselves entertained with art projects, reading (at least one of them) and other activities, and not always on their devices or watching television, then we're in better shape than we thought. Our two young daughters have been pretty resilient in the face of such disruptive changes to their "normal" everyday lives. And we've also been very grateful since we've been able to be home with them this whole time, while we work.
My wife Amy has also helped them try out various online virtual activities like an acting and drawing class for Beatrice and American Doll hair-braiding class for Bryce, and other joint online activities for both of them. We also do fun science experiments, play games, go outside for walks and ride our bikes sometimes, or go to local parks for the girls to play and for us to walk our sweet dog Jenny. And we'll be camping soon! Unfortunately the morning summer school work has become a little sparse, but we keep trying!
Yes, it's been summertime for many of us in the U.S., and even partial daycare won't happen again until August or September, depending on where you live and what your local healthcare restrictions are. Daycare meaning school, of course. Publicly-funded daycare unless your kids attend private schools, and then it's privately-funded daycare.
I'm not writing this to disparage our teachers and the schools we dispatch to our children. We love our school where the girls have gone and they have had amazing teachers. Teachers who had to quickly adapt to distance learning in a very short period of time and then sustain it over time while keeping our kids engaged this spring into early summer. I cannot imagine being a school administrator or a teacher these days.
However, it's been a lot more difficult for working parents who can't work from home. We have friends in this situation and it's been tough, will continue to be tough. What to do with the children, especially younger children. Maybe some had childcare options like family babysitters. Or maybe taking turns via the cohorts referenced above, something we're planning more of since school will be starting again in a few weeks for us. Not everyone can be home with their kids like we've been able to do, though.
Or maybe they just had to be left home for periods of time. We had already started that practice pre-coronavirus, and only for an hour at a time if we'd go for a walk or a short hike. The girls can contact us if there ever was an emergency, and thank goodness there have been none to date. But we haven't had to leave them for hours on end.
Now with school only a few weeks away for us, our school district was planning reopening with “medium restrictions” in place. This would mean that 50% of students are on campus at a time and would allow for social distancing in the classrooms. Students would then attend school two days a week and participate in distance learning three days a week. They'd have contact with their teachers daily whether they are participating in distance learning or in-class instruction. Or, parents can opt for homeschooling curriculum or other private online school programs, if they can do that and manage their jobs as well.
With COVID-19 surging though, and no vaccine for who knows how long, it's looking more and more like all distance learning this fall and maybe next spring as well. That means no publicly-funded child daycare for many working parents, some of whom may be single parents. So, opting for homeschooling or other private programs will not be an option for them.
Add to that so many people who have lost their jobs and lost their businesses due to coronavirus, hitting people of color much harder than white people. According to the Economic Policy Institute, “The disparate racial impact of the virus is deeply rooted in historic and ongoing social and economic injustices. Persistent racial disparities in health status, access to health care, wealth, employment, wages, housing, income, and poverty all contribute to greater susceptibility to the virus—both economically and physically.”
Also, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there's been a rise in online bullying and violent behavior, as well as spikes in child abuse and intimate partner violence during this pandemic. Thankfully there are nonprofit organizations like Kidpower that offer emotional and physical safety resources and online classes for children, teens and adults.
Too many people continue breaking under the weight of today, and too many children may fall farther behind and struggle to learn during the coming school year. This is why we've all got to help each other help our kids -- parents, teachers, school districts, communities, government on all levels.
Employers must also be a part of this equation -- according to the latest coronavirus at work survey my organization Talent Board has been running since mid-March, 30% of employers say they'll provide more childcare benefits for working parents (more remote working when possible, onsite childcare, childcare stipends, etc.). That's important since tax revenue will be dramatically lower in the years to come because of the COVID-19 economic devastation, and the impact on our public schools more traumatic than even the great recession over 10 years ago.
Community cohorts of parents, families and friends willing to help each other with childcare and learning will also become invaluable for all working parents. Health safety must also be a top priority for teachers if and when they go back to the classrooms, the same protocols that will keep parents, grandparents, other family and friends safe as well.
Never in our collective lifetimes have we been where we're at today. Never before have we needed each other more, especially our kids.
All of you are loved. Be safe and well.
Other "Days of Coronavirus" posts:
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