Everyone is Doing Their Best – COVID-19 and Back to School

Now that we are into the first weeks of back to school, you and your child may be starting to fall into the new “normal” routine. Alternatively, new experiences may be causing you to rethink your decision of whether your child is back in the physical classroom.

During these times, it is so important to be patient and hold no judgement towards yourself or your child. You are navigating these new waters together.
Here are three things to keep in mind as you continue through the first month of back to school.

1) There is No Right Answer – There is no “Global Pandemic Rulebook” that some people are choosing to follow and others aren’t. This is a new situation for everyone, and schools to governments to businesses are slowly discovering how to function in this “new normal”. There are many factors that go into whether or not classrooms should be up and running, from physical safety to the social and mental health needs of your child. Everyone is learning what’s best by looking at information, making an educated choice and changing that choice as needed.

2) Every Family and Every Child is Different – Just because it was the right choice for one child to go back to school doesn’t mean it will be the right choice for another. Aside from safety and childcare factors, you may have decided that due to your child’s anxiety, going back to school may be too much for them right now. Or alternatively, due to their anxiety it’s best for them to get out of the house and see their classmates. Everyone has their own reasons for their decision, and it’s important not to judge yourself for your choice or judge others for theirs. There are struggles and factors behind the scenes in every family that we don’t know about.

3) You are Doing Your Best – In sticking with your decisions in your family, it’s important to remember that you are not wrong. You are not a bad parent. Your choice was right for your family, and if you find that it isn’t, there are options for changing your mind. It’s ok if you went past deadline with the WRDSB for your choice on sending your kids back to school. It is ok if you are struggling with work-life balance right now with the addition of school anxiety and the unknown. You are doing your best.

If you or your child ever need help or someone to talk to about COVID-19 or Back to School Anxiety, our staff at Front Door are always happy to help with a counselling session or other family mental health needs.