As a parent you’re faced with tough decisions almost daily. No one knows what they are doing when they have a baby and it doesn’t get easier as they grow. Each age comes with new hurdles and every single one of us has no clue on how to handle any of it. We just do the best we can at the time.
Because of this reason alone I will never understand how parents can criticise other parents. Surely we’re all in this together right?
It would appear not. The internet (and playground tbh) is full of strangers who think they know best about parenting and if you decide to disagree with that opinion then you risk being hit with a barrage of abuse. Bringing up kids in itself is hard work, add to that the constant competition you seem to unwillingly find yourself in with other parents and it is bloody exhausting. Online and offline.
Many parents, like myself, chose not to send their kids back to school on June 1st and it would seem that anyone who did has been on the receiving end of criticism.
SIGH.
What a parent decides is best for their child and their family is no one else’s business.
My personal reason for deciding to keep Savannah off longer is simply because I am not happy with the amount of Covid19 related deaths still being recorded daily. Also, while I have nothing but praise for Savannah’s school and how they have set up the classrooms and the procedures in place to keep the pupils apart, I don’t want Savannah to go back until I know these procedures are working well and have been up and running for a while.
I also feel like initially, to lower the stress for both pupils and teachers while they grow accustomed to this new way of schooling, it should only be the pupils who absolutely need to be there who attend, such as children of key workers or children of those parents who have now had to return to work.
While I am still at home furloughed, Savannah may as well be off with me and continue to be home schooled. When I am eventually told I can return to work I will have no choice but to send Savannah back to school, although I have NO clue how that will pan out. Currently there is no morning club before school and her temporary school hours are the same as my work hours, however I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
Don’t get me wrong, in a perfect world I would send Savannah back to school. She needs to be around other children and has completely lost interest in home schooling which means I only do about an hour or two a day in order to avoid meltdowns or the urge to crack open the gin at 10am. But her health and safety come first.
You may agree with the reasons behind why I have kept Savannah off or you may not. Either is fine. Feel free to leave your own points of view below. What infuriates me most is the nastiness that spills from people who disagree with another person rather than just partaking in a healthy debate. The #BeKind movement lasted long didn’t it…
So tell me, did you send your child(ren) back to school last week? Or did you want to send your children back but their year wasn’t one of the ones selected to initially return?
8 Responses
High school is a different kettle of fish…I wish so much that my daughter could go to school (I thought she was entitled to an education? ) . Tomorrow, I start paying for a private tutor……
Health still comes first in my opinion, I think a private tutor is the best option personally. Sorry but I don’t think the government have dealt well this pandemic well at all and don’t trust them when they say it is safe to start lifting the ban. I won’t be going clothes shopping next week when they open up again nor will I be going to the pub when they reopen at the end of the month. Not until I feel ready. Everyone is different though and everyones circumstances are different. x
I too am totally fed up with social media and everyone’s opions,I have suffered in my own way, being self employed, loosing business every day, homeschooling twin 5 year old boys and having panic attacks frI’m the stress of it all, yes I’m very grateful I have not been ill with covid, but on the 22nd June when my boys school re opens I will be sending them back, they will be in a “bubble” with 4 other children for 2 mornings and one afternoon per week,
This will give me 2.5 hours of much needed peace per day and my boys some sense of “normal” again, I’m hoping being with 4 other children for 2.5 hours in a clean school will not put them at harm, I just don’t think some “perfect” mums understand how some mums suffer mentally, I speak the truth about being a mum , I have no money and slowly loosing my mind too , please let me have a few hours to myself before the summer holidays start ! I respect all mums parenting skills and we all get through the best way we can, don’t judge. P.s if you think I am a bad mum , please feel free to come round and meet my twin 5 year old boys ! ?
God no, I don’t think anyone is a bad mum and anyone who does really needs to stop looking around at what everyone else is up to and just pay attention to what they are doing. Like you say, we get through things best way we can. Well done you speaking the truth, not enough mums do. I too need that time to myself; kids come first of course but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put yourself first too sometimes or that us parents don’t have needs. I definitely need regular mental breaks and I only have one! I love Savannah but also love it when she is at he dads so I can have selfish time. Taking time for myself makes me a better mum. Hope business picks up soon and the boys enjoy being back at school! I know Savannah can’t wait to go back and see her friends on something other than FaceTime! Her school are doing amazingly under the circumstances too which is reassuring. Thanks for reading 🙂 xx
I’m neither for or against, I’ve kept them off for personal reasons. Being a key worker I could send them in but I have the option to work from home so they’re here, they’re happy and they’re healthy. Although I’m feeling stressed at times trying to homeschool and work..definitely a 10am Gin day at times ?♀️ We should all respect each other’s decisions, each family’s needs are different. I respect and love my friends regardless of their decisions..xx
Well said! I could never criticise another parent for how they choose to raise their children or for their decisions on what is best for the family. Each and every one of us is different, each and every child is different. Thanks for reading Georgina! Appreciate it. xx
So true on the backlash from other parents with opinions…….I would have sent my daughter back to school if she had been allowed. She is Year 2. My situation is both me and my partner work full time and therefore makes this impossible to handle. Sadly it wasn’t meant to be as year 2 isn’t allowed. And sadly again I received a lot of judgemental opinions when dared say out loud that I would be happy for her to go back to school… Sigh indeed… Xx
Sorry to hear you experienced judgement from others. Anyone I have chatted to about their kids returning to school I have noticed have felt the need to justify their decision. Just like I have felt justified to explain to some why I chose to keep my daughter off. Just such a shame. We are all in this together. Thanks for reading hun! xx