Back-to-School Tip #2: In-person or online? Make the best decision for your family

Fam­i­lies are fac­ing tough deci­sions right now: Should our kids go back to school or par­tic­i­pate in remote learn­ing? Many schools are offer­ing the option of in-per­son learn­ing or online learn­ing for the 2020 – 2021 school year due to the con­tin­ued threat of COVID-19. Attend­ing school is gen­er­al­ly good for the aca­d­e­m­ic, social, and emo­tion­al well­be­ing of chil­dren. But for many, the phys­i­cal health risk of attend­ing school in per­son this fall out­weighs those ben­e­fits. There are advan­tages and dis­ad­van­tages to both options, so how does one decide what is best for their child? Here are some things to consider.

• Seek facts. One thing is clear: Every­one has an opin­ion on just about every­thing these days. Angry Face­book rants aren’t the best place to get infor­ma­tion about how schools will be pre­vent­ing the spread of ill­ness this fall. Find accu­rate infor­ma­tion to help you make the best choice for your family.
• Ask ques­tions. The local school dis­tricts have pro­vid­ed a great deal of infor­ma­tion to fam­i­lies in recent weeks, and school admin­is­tra­tors have worked hard to make sure par­ents can access this infor­ma­tion. But, if the infor­ma­tion pro­vid­ed doesn’t answer your ques­tions or put your mind at ease, reach out to your child’s school for more guidance.
• Stay flex­i­ble. The com­ing school year will require flex­i­bil­i­ty from every­one. Even if you make the choice to send your child to school, his or her class­room may have to go into quar­an­tine, or there may be par­tial or full school shut­downs as the num­ber of cas­es ris­es in the area. What­ev­er deci­sion you make ini­tial­ly, be pre­pared to shift your plan if needed.
• Stay calm. It is easy to be over­whelmed by the unknown, but if you remain as calm and con­fi­dent as pos­si­ble while you make these big deci­sions, your child will feel safe and secure, regard­less of which option you choose.