Hellobee Boards Topic: If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?

Hellobee Boards Topic: If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 12 May 2026 01:49:48 +0000 HappyBaker on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917207 Tue, 14 Jul 2020 05:12:34 +0000 HappyBaker 2917207@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Thanks for sharing everyone, it really helps to know I’m not alone in this! All my friends in real life are super definitive on their decision for school or no school so I was feeling like maybe I’m the outlier who doesn’t think it’s black or white across the board! misolee on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917201 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 21:57:58 +0000 misolee 2917201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My second grader goes to a public school and we have selected the full virtual option for the first 9 weeks. They are giving us the choice to assess after 9 weeks. The district has also stressed that it will look a lot different the past spring and will have morning meetings, lunch meetings, closing meetings, etc and with heavy parent commitment. She's in gifted, highly motivated, and very independent so I have no regrets with my choice for her. However, knowing she's going to be on the computer a lot and some added help in the beginning, we are choosing to send our four year old to half day preK program 5 days a week at a local church preschool. If he stays home, he will complain about how he can't be on the computer, bother his sister, etc. He also needs the structure more and I'm comforted that the preschool is taking a lot of precautions with an even smaller class sizes than the 14 they normally have. They are delaying the start of school until mid september (the public school here starts Aug 6). My youngest was supposed to be in the 3 day a week program (she's two) but we haven't decided yet. petitenoisette on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917195 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 17:27:52 +0000 petitenoisette 2917195@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I am definitely sending our 2 year old back to DC at the end of August. It’s 3 days a week with a max of 7 kids (and then 10 in the attached/partly open preschool room). So I feel comfortable with that. My kid going into k is a big question mark. I am a teacher too so I’m beholden to what my school does, but if we end up full remote and my kid ends up full in person or hybrid (which is possible bc I teach in a bigger HS vs a small elementary) I am really unsure. I don’t think we should be going back except for possibly k-2 if those classes have low numbers and those kids not having to stick to rigid social distancing guidelines. I keep having a mental image of a classroom with spaced out desks and little 5 year olds having to sit and stay seated all the way to the back of the class. I just don’t think that is the way forward especially agree with @DesertDreams88: that this isn't how I want her introduced to school. So If I have the option I probably won’t send her. My state all schools will have to offer a full remote option (and you can opt back into school at any time) so we will probably have to do that so that she has a spot in person if my school were to change. bhbee on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917185 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:25:54 +0000 bhbee 2917185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Definitely agree each decision can be different. I don’t work right now so it’s different but just to put out some considerations I’ve thought about - I decided in June to pull our will-be-2 year old from her two day program. That was before they took the big deposit, and to me age 2 is a “nice to have” as a SAHM vs a real educational experience, so it was the easiest to cut. As mentioned above, lower our germ pool and help keep the older ones healthy too. However handling their school with a toddler is not super fun! Middle is going into K and again agreeing, I’m not excited about sending him in person when it’s a mess. He also has asthma and while the data is pretty good for covid and asthma, we know he has a tendency to get pneumonia from other things like flu and that’s scary when hospitals are overwhelmed. I also wonder how much he’d even be allowed in with asthma coughing! And how often we’d be testing for covid because every cold makes him cough and often wheeze. In Texas our virtual K-2 has to be asynchronous meaning no live instruction or expecting kids to pay attention to tablets for hours, so I figure I can do whatever the school asks and supplement if I want. So that’s my second easiest decision. I’m hoping maybe he can go at least the last 9 weeks in person if things improve next year - it would still be something. My incoming 3rd grader is my hardest decision. If it felt safer I might send just her, but since Texas is a mess we’re doing virtual to start at least - there’s been a push to keep your kids home if you are able, to help protect teachers and students who don’t have that option. She likes school, misses friends, and biggest thing to me, was supposed to be in a clustered class next year for more challenge. I know it’s likely going to be impossible for the virtual teachers to differentiate like that given the situation. 3rd grade here has 180 minutes of live instruction that I am praying will be useful. I still probably plan to supplement so she gets some new material. I’ll send her back when/if it feels safe. My big worry is that there’s going to be a ton of review this year due to differences in what kids did in the spring, and then virus conditions may improve just in time for them to start cramming for our stupid mandated standardized testing :bummed: - not the teachers’ fault, just a bad situation. I really don’t want to truly homeschool her because she’d lose her place in the GT program and cluster, I believe. HappyBaker on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917184 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:28:32 +0000 HappyBaker 2917184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @DesertDreams88: I 100% agree, he’s the one I am considering keeping home the most. I saw what they were expecting of the K kids in our district in the spring, and while I know everyone says Fall remote learning will be better I still don’t want to deal with scanning worksheets as “proof” he did stuff, and doing most of his work on a computer. Homeschool wise we’re covering learning to read and basic math so far and it takes us 30 minutes, so I could easily add a few more things and still be done in an hour. That seems more age appropriate than 2-3 hours of computer based learning a day for him, that I’d have to manage / sit with him anyway for! DesertDreams88 on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917183 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:19:16 +0000 DesertDreams88 2917183@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @HappyBaker: this might be hard to hear, but as a parent and 5th/8th grade teacher, I would NOT send a kindergartner to school this year if I could possibly stay home with them. SO MANY REASONS but the main thing being, this is NOT how they should start school. If possible, I would keep my kid home, unschool him, and then enroll in K or 1st next year depending on the laws in my state. I'm of the opinion that sometimes in-person K curriculum & instruction isn't age-appropriate, and a lot of online instruction won't be, either. HappyBaker on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917182 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:04:11 +0000 HappyBaker 2917182@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @PinkElephant: Haha yea I'd be more than upset if the private school all of sudden had a billion more kids because of that! And totally agree, its going to be a game time probably week before school decision when it comes down to it! Thanks for sharing you are also in the same weird situation, solidarity helps ha. PinkElephant on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917180 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:57:36 +0000 PinkElephant 2917180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @HappyBaker: That's nice your son's school is doing that. I keep seeing this lady all over social media in my town blasting anyone who questions what the public schools are doing, and saying to go to (a particular) private school because they have small class sizes, openings, etc. - I assume she's affiliated with the school. And I keep thinking LADY!! Use your head! If you tell everyone to do this, you lose all benefits of the smaller size if it becomes overwhelmed with students! :silly: PinkElephant on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917179 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:55:42 +0000 PinkElephant 2917179@https://boards.hellobee.com/ This is a really interesting topic - the short answer is, I'm not sure yet. My kids will be not quite 4 (so she's doing her 3's year of preK), 6 (1st grade), and 8 (3rd grade) in the fall. The 3 & 6 year old attend a different school than the 8 year old. In a normal year, the preK class would have a max of 12 students, and the third grade should have around 15. The first grader could have anywhere between 18-22. It is not clear yet with our planned shortened days for in person school whether or not they will halve classes and do an AM/PM session to reduce class size, and I don't have a great "read" on how many people in our community intend to accept an all virtual option (therefore reducing class size). I am comfortable with the class sizes for my PreK and 3rd grade students; the larger number for the first grader makes me a bit leary. She's super smart and ahead of her grade level, so academically I'd be fine keeping her home - literally even if she learned nothing new for the year, she'd be pretty on target for second grade....she was able to do a lot of second grade work with her older sister over her should this year anyway. :silly: However, she craves being around others so much that I would feel guilty keeping her home while there is an in-person opportunity that I feel comfortable with. It's all such a tricky chicken-or-egg situation - I feel I as a parent can't really decide what to do until I have more details on what the COVID situation/specific school plans will look like, and schools can't really make specific plans until they know more about the COVID situation/what parents intend to do (so they can get a handle on numbers, spacing, etc.)... ETA: I stay at home. I literally had an interview for a program I was considering to use to get started on re-entering my career field on a Monday in March, and on Thursday, everything shut down. Total slap in the face, but I guess I'm glad I have the option to stay home to manage whatever weird transportation/virtual learning/staggered pickup times we end up dealing with. HappyBaker on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917178 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:54:21 +0000 HappyBaker 2917178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ ETA - I will be working from home full time, but I can't keep having all of them home with him as I need to start actually outputting more work and stop working nights till the wee hours and all weekends! HappyBaker on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917176 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:53:21 +0000 HappyBaker 2917176@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @ShootingStar: Thanks that helps to hear as my youngest is also the one that makes working SO hard! I'm considering sending the oldest and the youngest and keeping my middle guy home and homeschooling him - and either having him entertain himself while I work or getting a babysitter or even high school aged kid play with him a few hours a day. The public school's plans are the ones that seem riskiest, and he hates virtual learning already and I don't want to deal with it for K. (I'd already been interested in homeschooling and done a lot of research, and we have already been doing some of what we'd continue in the fall as a test run this summer). I go back and forth on keeping my youngest home too and getting an actual nanny to watch them most of the day (after I homeschool the K one for an hour or so in the morning) - but I'm not sure how that would work either. So many decisions and so much gray area! HappyBaker on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917175 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:49:40 +0000 HappyBaker 2917175@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @DesertDreams88: Thanks - and totally agree about the risk! @gotkimchi: The school that makes me most comfortable is my oldest's private school, and they are not taking any additional kids this year so they can spread out the ones they already have, which I appreciate as a parent with a kid already there but makes it harder to plan (kids who had already applied been accepted for the Fall can still come, but we had planned to send my middle guy to public school so they can't take him). ShootingStar on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917174 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:47:22 +0000 ShootingStar 2917174@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have a rising 1st grader and one going into pre-k. My pre-k kid goes to daycare right now, and that's where she'll do pre-k also. Right now we are choosing to send both to school. If I didn't have such a demanding job, I might choose to keep my first grader home. He's easier to handle and happy to have lots of screen time while we're working. My 3 (almost 4) year old is a ton more work, especially when both kids are together. I can't get anything done for work with her around and I've had to stop 1:1s with my reports mid-way because she wouldn't let me work. Her school is also smaller, and I feel comfortable with the restrictions they've put in place - no parents can enter, masks must be worn at drop off and pick up, kids wash hands before entering and no mixing of classrooms. I think the elementary school is going to have way more traffic and a harder time keeping up with things than the daycare. So I could definitely see making different choices for different kids. gotkimchi on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917170 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 09:35:54 +0000 gotkimchi 2917170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @HappyBaker: I’m sure you thought of this but could you send your older two to the school that makes you the most comfortable? Both of mine go to the same school/daycare so while my oldest had virtual school I kept my youngest home from daycare because it was just simpler for me. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with make different choices for different kids. These are unprecedented times and we’re all doing our best to navigate them. I also think as kids get older the more important school is so that would definitely go into my consideration along with my kids temperament/needs DesertDreams88 on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917169 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 09:35:30 +0000 DesertDreams88 2917169@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Just a personal example: My best friend has 3 kids. Age 4, age 7, age 8. Age 4 stays home regularly. Age 7 has lots of behavioral issues at school due to trauma, dislikes it, and craves more connection with her mom. Age 8 is gifted and loves school, routine, and independence. When all 3 are home my friend is regularly stressed. When its just 2, it's fine. IMHO in this family, the 8 yr old is the only one who should go to school. That means the family is being exposed to obly 1 class of 25, vs. 2 classes of a total 50 people. DesertDreams88 on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917168 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 09:31:13 +0000 DesertDreams88 2917168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ All kids are different and have different needs. All schools are different and have different plans. It makes sense that you would make different decisions for each kid, possibly. The more schools you send your children to, the more risk they are opening up to the family. Each kid is going to come into contact with 10-30 other kids. The more kids they interact with, the higher risk of cumulative exposure for the family. It's not all or nothing, like a lot of people think. DillonLion on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917165 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 09:08:53 +0000 DillonLion 2917165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have a 2nd grader and a young toddler who was supposed to start a 1 day program next year. The toddler doesn't really need the program. It was just for enrichment and because I am on the PTA and need childcare during the meetings. My 2nd grader needs dedicated learning by a professional, so I'd like to send her if they can resolve the issue of protecting teachers well. Silva on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917162 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 08:28:36 +0000 Silva 2917162@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We are likely to keep our second grader home, but send our 4 year old to preschool 2 days a week. His preschool is already primarily outside and is small, making it an easier transition to distancing without sacrificing the benefits of in person care. The guidelines for the public school will be difficult for ours to meet, and with the anticipation of switching back and forth from distance learning to in person, we feel better about just homeschooling for the year and choosing our own curriculum and style of learning. HappyBaker on "If you have kids in different schools are you making the same decision for Fall for all of them?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-kids-in-different-schools-are-you-making-the-same-decision-for-fall-for-all-of-them#post-2917155 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 07:19:42 +0000 HappyBaker 2917155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Does anyone have multiples kids who are in different schools and are making different decisions for Fall based on the school? Or if you have more than one kid are you 100% keeping all home or 100% sending to school? No judgement as I am super confused about what to do with my 3! All 3 schools have different plans and my comfort level with each is not the same, but i feel like I’d get crap from people if I kept one home but sent the others and vice versa. Mine are entering 2nd (private school), entering K (public school), and 2.5 in daycare toddler/preschool class.