August mid week is all about school shopping and planning. By this time we all are ready for the kids to go back to where they truly belong - in school.
This year it feels so strange. The question is - do we want our kids to go to school or not?
The neuro typical families will have to consider childcare, schedule, transport and after school. but safety of children prevails and parents are choosing online learning but special needs families worry about all of those plus regression. I think that concerns us most.
Moms Network WhatsApp group is buzzing with messages full of confusion and worry, lack of decision making. Moms don’t even know what to do. I remember when this havoc started all of us struggled with the “what to do with the therapy sessions and providers”. Everything was so new and unknown it was hard to think beyond the “right now”.
But now when we have been in this for over 5 months, we all are not only scared but also tired and concerned. Our kids are regressing and that is difficult to watch and imagine what will happen if our kids are home for another 6 months. In Anand’s case I know he IS home for the next 6 months. Bridgewater State university has decided on the online module for the program he is in. I feel for the families with severely impacted kids, Medically complex kids, difficult marriages and single parents.So many moms are worried to keep kids home and scared to send them to school.
Friday, on a trip to Cambridge , I went through that difficult phase. Anand was invited for an outdoor socially distant Bday celebration for one of his classmates .He really wanted to go and I was happy for him that he was INVITED. How rare that was in his life a few years back . So I wouldn’t have stopped him anyway. We took him to Cambridge, let him enjoy the meal but I kept wondering if everything will be oK, will he be safe. 6 of them wore masks when they met but took it out while eating. Seeing him enjoying, laughing, eating and having a good time was an absolute joy but at the same time I kept wondering about how close they were to each other.
Please be kind, remember we all are going through something we have never seen, imagined before and don’t know how to react to and manage the whole confusion.
I loved going to Cambridge after months, a simple cotton saree made me forget the knots in my stomach. Hope for a better tomorrow.
This post is a tribute to every teacher in my orbit. I know they are dealing with all these and some more.
Uff those eyes. I was so lucky he let me take a picture
I am so glad he was able to get out for a socially distant meet up. My son has indeed regressed socially and is so distressed about the virus that I have not been able to get him to do even that. He is also going to college online this year. Some how we all need to figure out our comfort zones to be able to live during this time. Wishing you the best. April
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