To send them this fall or keep them home?

To send them this fall or keep them home?

To send them this fall or keep them home? That’s the difficult question facing many parents this summer.

Will the kids have school this fall? If there is school, should I send them? How in the heck will I educate them for another fall? Another school year? Am I a monster if I send them to school? Is their safety in jeopardy if I choose school? What are my other options?

Welcome to the inside of just about every brain of every parent in the United States this summer. Does is resonate with yours? You aren’t alone.

Johns Hopkins University has established a web page devoted to tracking school reopenings and individual reopening plans nationwide in an effort to help parents make an educated decision for this fall. The page includes reopening checklists, national tracking and an ethics discusson on the topic of reopening during a pandemic.

Be Alright supports families and helps find individualized solutions to the challenges facing modern parenting.

Be Alright Tutoring wants to calm these anxieties. While we can’t predict what your school district in your particular part of the country will do, we can reassure you of the academic and time management support available to families.

We have gathered some easy tips for preparing for the upcoming 2020/2021 school year, regardless of the pandemic climate.

Take five deep cleansing breaths before making any decisions.

We’ve all been through the meat grinder these past months. Give yourself credit for navigating yourself and your family to this point. Get still, give yourself some quiet, ask for feedback from friends and family, then, listen for the best solution for your situation.

List your options.

There’s never been a better time to learn remotely, whether you are a preschooler, high school student or college student.

Go over all your options, regardless of the details. Maybe homeschooling feels like an insurmountable task, but you still want to explore the idea. Then, put it on the list. There’s time to gather your research and learn.

If it turns out homeschooling is the better option, or only option, start creating a list of resources available for homeschool support. This could mean joining a local homeschool support group, hiring a tutor, forming a neighborhood team of parents, or more. Schedule an hour or two and browse what’s available.

Examine how your child learns.

Does your child thrive when working on independent projects or need a healthy dose of structure daily? Take note for each child. If it comes to homeschooling in fall, it’s important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each student in your home. Putting resources in place, like weekly homework accountability with a tutor or family friend could save your family from hours of stress.

Stay healthy.

If full-time schooling is the best option (and a possibility) for your family, explore the ways you can stay safe. Knowing how to keep your family healthy will make the transition back to school easier. Ask your school system for answers when it comes to the policy on masks, social distancing, extra-curricular events, etc.

Read the following article, “Staying Safe and Helping Others during Covid-19,” at RedCross.org for the basics on staying Covid-free.

Ask your kids what they think.

While you might assume your kids will be pro-homeschool, this last six months may have given them a cold shower on the reality of self-managing schoolwork. The vision of friends and fun outside of your living room walls could be tempting. Ask for their feedback. It’s always easier to manage a transition when everyone feels their voice is heard.

Having a conversation with your kids about school reopenings may also reveal some deep anxieties kids are feeling during this national debate.

Have the conversation with your school.

What is their social-distancing plan? Do you see holes? Now is the time to pressure school districts to provide clear structure on reopening.

Think outside the box

One of our families is using this worldwide reboot to rent a camper and school on the go. Another family is researching online school curriculums. Don’t leave out any options, no matter how crazy the idea may seem.

  • Is there a way to combine part-time in-school activities with homeschooling?
  • Can you involve a tutor to take over the heavy lifting of homeschooling with weekly time management and built-in accountability for your children?
  • Could you create a system where your child has a Monday planning session, Wednesday accountability and Friday summary of what’s accomplished? Do you need someone, other than you, to make this accountability stick?

Whether you decide to homeschool or head back to school, learn more about Be Alright Tutoring. Our education professionals can make all the difference when it comes to creating a stress-free school year.

You’re not in this alone. Reach out and ask for a free consultation regarding your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Be Alright supports families and helps find individualized solutions to the challenges facing modern parenting.

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