Back to School? 5 Moms Share Their Experience.

There’s a tightness in the chests of parents everywhere, eyes darting as we survey the scene to see which way to jump; opposing opinions chatter around making it feel noisy and confusing at times. If this year has taught us anything in the book of parenthood, it’s that there is no one right way to navigate any of this. When referring to the topic of daycare and/or back to school, parents everywhere are simply trying to do their best with what they are given, holding steadfast to the hope that each move is the right choice for their kid(s). 

No matter who you talk to, you will likely hear varying paths but the same trepidation lies within the undertone regardless of the route that particular parent is taking. But if anything, perhaps this can teach us all a bit more empathy, to give a bit more grace to our fellow parents who, at all costs, are showing up in the best ways we know how.

Here’s what a few Mamas have said regarding their experiences, maybe you can relate:

"My son is 2.5 years old so in a way, we have it much easier than my friends who have school aged children and navigating those schedules. However we are in the daycare struggle, and debate our choices every single day. We kept him home until mid-summer, and then slowly brought him back adding one  day every couple weeks. With viruses (non Covid related) already circulating, we are in a constant push pull of our decision. We know we are better parents when we can get our work done so we can be present, but live in fear of the idea of him falling ill and not knowing what it is. The motto has been hour by hour, because even day by day can feel too daunting. We are trusting our gut as it’s never strayed us wrong."

- Sarah B.

"As a teacher and a parent, I see it from so many angles. It’s incredibly anxiety provoking because I want to keep my children and my students safe and there is no one right way to do it. My classroom is full time because they are in first grade and our school decided it’s more beneficial for them to be in person. My children are hybrid because of their ages, which again proves everyone is doing the best we can with what we know." 

-Michelle

"Our district left it up to us and we decided to keep our two youngest home and our oldest is hybrid because he needs the interaction. Trying to honor each child has been the most important and difficult part. We have the luxury of being able to work from home but it’s such a shuffle."

-Jessica

"We decided not to send our 1 year old back to daycare because we would’ve ended up paying more for him to go than I was able to bring in with hours cut. We are grateful to be able to keep him safe but the adjustment for all has been so abrupt and humbling."

-Katie

"We are both lucky and cursed to have an option for childcare for our  almost three year old. Everyday you question whether it’s the right choice to send her. You weigh the importance of the peace and quiet needed to sustain mom and dad’s jobs with the risk of covid exposure. Are we risking our family’s safety? It’s only going to be clear in retrospect."

-Sarah C.

Bottom Line: No matter what you choose to do this Fall, ultimately you know what’s best for you and your family. Parenting is hard. Parenting in a pandemic is a whole different kind of hard. There is no book, blog or even advice from your own Mom that could have prepared you for this. We're here to remind you, you got this.