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Our home, our school

Today marks an important day for many. 1 June 2020. While many families see parents going back to work or children going back to school, we too had the option of sending our eldest daughter back. However, we have made the decision to keep her at home and continue home schooling for a further 6 weeks before the European Summer Holiday’s kick in for 2 months.

While most schools seem to be implementing the same / similar regulations, these are a few of the guidelines our primary school has suggested they would adhere to.

  • Staggered drop off and collection times, by one adult only
  • Adults may not enter the school, children to be dropped outside the school gate – adhering to social distancing
  • Children to be in “bubbles” of 10 max, together with their assigned adult teacher and possibly 1 assistant teacher
  • Children may receive a new teacher due to classed being split up into “bubbles”
  • Children to remain at their own desk, no longer sitting in groups of 4-6
  • Children will receive their own packs of stationery. There will be no sharing of stationery, toys, books etc.
  • Teacher and children to always remain 2m apart
  • “Bubbles” to have their own break time, never to mix / play with other “bubbles”, adhering to social distancing
  • Children to eat lunch at their desk as opposed to the hall, where they would usually sit in groups / long tables with their friends
  • Hand washing, sanitising and toilet disinfection to be regularly implemented

These are just a few of the main points that have stuck with me. How does my mommy heart digest this? Basically my 5 year old daughter will be going to school to be alone. Learn alone, play alone, eat alone. Naturally she is quite a sensitive little girl. Is it worth subjecting her to all this when Summer Holiday’s are a mere 6 weeks away? We’ve made it through 10 weeks at home. This is our new normal. I would much rather bear the brunt of the highs and lows of home schooling than send her to school under these conditions. Perhaps the regulations would ease after the Summer Holiday, I certainly hope so.

My concerns are greater than what she may miss out on in the classroom… These 4 main points have been the deciding factors for us to keep her at home.

  • A knock in confidence
  • Feelings of rejection
  • Sadness due to being alone or not being able to be with her friends
  • Negative connotations to school in general

What about the softer skills we’ve all been teaching our children? Which they now must not do.

  • To share
  • To comfort a friend when they are feeling sad
  • To give their friend a hug or high 5
  • To play nicely
  • To include one another

The list goes on… all “this” is so far removed from what we know as parents and as children. Is this our new normal…? For how long?

I solute the mommy’s who have no choice but to send their children back to school who would actually prefer to keep them at home. I solute the key workers who’s children have continued to go to school so they can be on the frontline doing their much needed bit. I honestly commend the teachers for all they have done during this time as well as previously, we’ve all respected and appreciated our children’s teachers, but for me personally, this has been kicked up a couple of gears. Thank you to all 3 of my kiddies teachers, past, present and future.

So if today’s the big day for you and your family, I trust for peace and confidence in your decision. I trust for protection for your children against the virus as well as the points mentioned above, as well as for you going to work. I’m proud of you for making a decision – whether it be to send your babies back or not. There is no right or wrong, we’re all in this together.

Thinking of each mommy’s heart during these uncharted waters.

XX

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