https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 05:27:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2915023 Wed, 06 May 2020 09:18:58 +0000 graceandjoy 2915023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It depends on so much. Our schools are officially closed for the year (our last day is end of June), and I feel like our daycare/preschool will follow? Unless a loooot or parents are asking to reopen? I have no idea the regulations with that. </p> <p>But anyway, it would depend what my work situation is. As long as I’m still furloughed, the only reason to send my 3 year old would be so she can have some fun/social interaction. Baby definitely wouldn’t go. If I am working again but can WFH, will have to reassess. If I am working again and have to go into the office, then that’s also a different situation... Literally so many moving pieces that I’ll have to see where they all are. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914955 Mon, 04 May 2020 20:43:47 +0000 periwinklebee 2914955@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@petitenoisette: same 😂 and yeah, it's hard to even think to the fall...I think we will have a better understanding of how the virus works by then, if kids really aren't significant disease vectors, I think staff could stay relatively well protected from each other through use of PPE (if available by then, another mess), but there's plenty of other horrible diseases, like polio, where the majority of people infected are both asymptomatic and super contagious, so definitely not pinning hopes on that... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914954 Mon, 04 May 2020 20:19:12 +0000 petitenoisette 2914954@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My older one won’t be going back ☹️ (Straight to kindly) and since I’m a teacher my little will just stay home with me thru the summer. Currently we aren’t paying so we’ll see if we have to pay once they reopen to hold her spot; I’d think they would only initially reopen for people who really need the care right now but we’ll see. </p> <p>@periwinklebee: I’m in MA too, we haven’t gotten any info yet from our school regarding regs upon reopening (I don’t even know how they’re going to reopen bc it’s attached to a nursing home but I’m just going to be positive that they’ll be able to safely do so). Anyway I’m hoping the mask policy is clarified bc I cannot even begin to imagine my two year old keeping a face mask on! She doesn’t even want to keep her clothes on all day 😝. Sorry you are having to make a decision so soon.<br /> @LemonJack: same teacher frustrations and worries about a staggered schedule. I mean I get that it’s possible kids aren’t huge vectors but we really don’t know (and I’m not a scientist but I actually don’t get how that would even be the case) but adults work in schools! And interact with each other! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914945 Mon, 04 May 2020 13:11:00 +0000 periwinklebee 2914945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JJ2626: IDK if it is meant to include daycares or not, but the daycare center is under the impression from its regulator that it is, and sent out some link to a sesame street video to help kids understand why they have to wear masks. Not sure if the state ordinance is two and over or over two, there's a local ordinance that's two and over, though I know parents are trying to get it revised to five and over due to how difficult it is to get little kids to leave the mask on... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914941 Mon, 04 May 2020 11:45:10 +0000 JJ2626 2914941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: are you sure the law will apply to day cares/preschools? I’d be surprised based on exactly what you said-touching the mask constantly is way worse than not wearing one. They really don’t do all that much anyway. Also, pretty sure CDC says 3 and over not 2 and over. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914939 Mon, 04 May 2020 11:31:52 +0000 periwinklebee 2914939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skiierchck99: Yup, also in MA. Ugh... </p> <p>@muffinsmuffins: @ALV91711: Thank you! I spoke with a friend who's been involved in advocacy to get masks to the general population, and he said for young kids, if the teacher is constantly having to adjust them or put them back on, it could actually make things worse, unless they are wearing fresh gloves and washing hands every time. I'm going to express my concern to the director. I know she can't do anything about the state law, but it was clearly hastily thought out and they are in regular touch with the daycare regulators, so perhaps the rule could be revised. Doesn't make me feel much better about sending them, but in any case I just don't see it helping and it's going to suck for both the kids who won't want to wear and the teachers who will be expected to enforce... </p> <p>@CObee: I've read some into this, and seen studies going both ways. They are all basically impossible to interpret because there are so few confirmed cases of covid in kids - and probably the confirmed cases we see are not representative but skew towards the kids who were unlucky to get a bad case. So with the limited data people reach all sorts of conclusions, will check this out and hope she's right... I know daycare has to plan, but I really wish they would let us make decisions about the 2020/2021 school year a bit later this summer once we have more info on the risks... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914936 Mon, 04 May 2020 10:21:22 +0000 LemonJack 2914936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@CObee: I like Emily Oster! It would certainly make things a lot easier is that turns out to be true. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914935 Mon, 04 May 2020 10:19:37 +0000 LemonJack 2914935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Assuming schools open up as normal in the fall, my younger two will go back to daycare then. I’m a teacher and will be home with them this summer, so I don’t need to make the decision earlier. They go to a small in home and she’s really vigilant about cleaning, so I feel totally comfortable with them being there.</p> <p>My big concern right now is what we’ll do if they stagger school schedules in the fall. I’m a teacher so I’ll be expected to be there full time, but we’ll have a first grader. What will we do with her if she’s only there part time? Hopefully my husband could work from home.</p> <p>I know there’s no good solution here, but I am frustrated by the people who complain about schools being closed and wanting to send their kids back, while at the same time admitting they’ll still work from home as long as they can. So, staying safe at home is okay for them, but not for the staff that works with their kids? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914934 Mon, 04 May 2020 09:58:34 +0000 CObee 2914934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just read this article by Emily Oster (author of Expecting Better and Cribsheet) about the likelihood of kids both catching and spreading Covid 19. Basically she says the data points to an both extremely low likelihood of kids being infected and a low likelihood of them transmitting it to others if they do. Really really really hoping more data on this comes out soon and it’s confirmed! Would make decisions like this one as well as opening schools back up so much easier!! 😊</p> <p><a href="https://emilyoster.substack.com/p/can-kids-transmit-the-virus?fbclid=IwAR2OgjhCOio4aTOLdNsRgAMlLnXXokyZLVIPRLZGC_iJvbLLBnfZOVTWIDc" rel="nofollow">https://emilyoster.substack.com/p/can-kids-transmit-the-virus?fbclid=IwAR2OgjhCOio4aTOLdNsRgAMlLnXXokyZLVIPRLZGC_iJvbLLBnfZOVTWIDc</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914931 Mon, 04 May 2020 09:36:54 +0000 HappyBaker 2914931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m in MA and daycares are closed through the end of June. I’m glad in a way they made that declaration so I don’t have to make a decision before then, as things seem to change every week. I’m assuming the summer camps I’d have sent my oldest to won’t open for July and August so if that’s the case I’ll probably just keep all 3 kids home until September, since I can do my job from home (even though it’s impossible to get enough done with them here). Luckily our daycare is not asking us to pay right now, and we hadn’t signed up for summer yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914930 Mon, 04 May 2020 09:10:33 +0000 Fawn 2914930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Becky: Not sure where you are in NY, but I live in the suburbs outside NYC and I had thought this too as our daycare has been closed since mid-March, though we just got an email from the daycare owner letting us know that she cant afford to stay closed until September so she will be opening June 1 even though schools are now closed for the remainder of the school year.</p> <p>There have been just under 30,000 confirmed covid cases in my county, so the thought of sending my 1 year old back to daycare makes me nervous. Our plan is to keep her home in June, but possibly send her in July if our offices re-open. It's very stressful! With daycare opening in June though we will now need to pay our monthly tuition whether or not we send her in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914909 Mon, 04 May 2020 01:01:47 +0000 Mama Bird 2914909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>IDK. I don't think anything will be open for the older kids this summer. Sheesh, they may not even get school in the fall. I'm hearing our old day care will open soon, but if I send the baby cause I'm too wimpy to take care of all three, and she gets sick... no way. Even though I seriously can't handle her lately. She's started climbing tables and it's so tempting to either send her somewhere she can't cause much damage for a few hours, or nail up half the house so she can't get in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914908 Sun, 03 May 2020 23:08:26 +0000 skiierchck99 2914908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: yikes - had not put two and two together to consider this. You’re in MA, right? This is making me lean more towards nanny for this year, for many reasons. Luckily I’m due in 2 weeks so will have the summer to figure it all out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914906 Sun, 03 May 2020 22:04:48 +0000 ALV91711 2914906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: oh my, I can’t even imagine that little having to wear masks all day. Sorry you are having to make this tough decision. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914905 Sun, 03 May 2020 22:04:37 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2914905@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: Ugh. The mask thing would give me a lot of pause. I have a 20mo and 5.5yo and cannot imagine my 5.5 year old wearing one for the whole day. I’ve worn a mask myself the last 2 times I’ve gone to the store and it uncomfortable and hot and annoying even for the adults! I have no idea how they would enforce it so the kids don’t just fiddle with them all day long rendering them useless. I’m sorry you’re in this situation :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914904 Sun, 03 May 2020 21:45:23 +0000 periwinklebee 2914904@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs.kiwi: yeah, we loved our daycare so so so much, and it is one where it was nearly impossible to get off the waiting list - it seems unlikely we'll ever get slots again, which makes me so sad to think about. Not to mention that I don't have any other childcare lined up. But I don't see how I can send them in these circumstances. </p> <p>We have to sign a one year contract for Sep-Aug of next year by the end of the week if we want the slots. Of course, I am really really hoping for the good of the world and the many people in way worse circumstances than us that there's an end in sight during that period. But it's expensive and I can only pay for childcare we're not using for so long, and a lot of people argue it won't really get better for a long time... so ugh... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens/page/2#post-2914903 Sun, 03 May 2020 21:35:22 +0000 mrs.kiwi 2914903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: 😞 I am not in this situation but I have to say the thought of my 4yo and 2yo wearing a mask all day is difficult to swallow 😔 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914902 Sun, 03 May 2020 20:56:15 +0000 periwinklebee 2914902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When ours reopen, all children two and over will have to wear masks the full day. There is a state ordinance going into effect this week that requires everyone 2 and over to wear masks anywhere outside their home where they cannot maintain at least 6 feet of social distance. </p> <p>I completely understand the rationale for masks and agree that masks are our best defense when social distancing isn't possible, but there's something about the thought of my toddler needing a mask all day at daycare that makes it all the harder to consider sending him back. And then there's my infant, who's too young to wear a mask and will stick everything in her mouth no matter what. Anyone else facing a similar regulation? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914880 Sat, 02 May 2020 21:24:41 +0000 Miss Ariel 2914880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours is planning on operating with similar restrictions. No more than 5 in a class and no swapping kids/teachers. Temperatures will be taken twice a day. Parents can’t walk kids in and will do drop-offs outside. They’ll stagger outside and lunch times. They won’t have their extra curricular activities like music, soccer, gymnastics,... it will be interesting to see how it goes, but after staying at home to 2-ish months I think it’d still be a welcome change for them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914879 Sat, 02 May 2020 20:44:06 +0000 wrkbrk 2914879@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ALV91711: This is PreK not daycare but they obviously closed for the rest of the school year. They have “camp” all summer and haven’t announced yet if that’s going forward or not but I can’t imagine we will send him. At this point I’d be thrilled to get him back in August for next year!!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914868 Sat, 02 May 2020 13:29:50 +0000 ALV91711 2914868@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Grace: Nothing has been said. All that was said is daycares can open in phase 1 and they are hoping to implement phase 1 mid month. </p> <p>We haven’t heard anything from our daycare since they shut down. I have been in contact via text with our youngests teacher, so I may contact her next week to see if she had info. </p> <p>If we had to pay full price for a part time spot or pay to hold a spot we will probably just pull them out for the time being. We would just have to hope to get back in at a later date of figure something else out. </p> <p>There are daycares in our city open hut only for essential workers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914867 Sat, 02 May 2020 11:54:08 +0000 periwinklebee 2914867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaCate: I'm sure it depends on the details of how you do it, and how old the kids are, but I think for small kids it is more or less a losing battle if you have an area with high number of cases. One proposal is to have half the kids come M/W/F and the other half Tu/Th. But if you still have the same teachers there everyday (they need full-time jobs to pay their bills), then they are going to be vectors of transmission if someone gets sick. And parents will use other forms of childcare on days where their kids can't come to the center, which has a counteracting effect of increasing the number of people they come into contact with who might be infected. It is not feasible to remodel the building to make classrooms smaller. In our center there's been no talk of reducing prices for the likely reduced availability of care - they are struggling financially already from shutdowns - and I also think it's going to be really hard for families to justify or afford the costs for reduced care. My kids are also young, and there's just no way you will keep them apart or stop them from sticking things in their mouth. Some of the social distancing stuff I think could work better for school age kids, where you can enforce that they wear masks and stay apart. </p> <p>The frustrating thing is that we don't yet have much information about viral loads and shedding in kids. We know small kids tend not to get very sick (with some tragic but relatively rare exceptions). If this is associated with them not shedding much virus, then keeping schools and daycares closed may not be doing much of anything to slow community transmission. Or it could be completely critical if they are central vectors... I feel horrible for everyone involved given what a mess it is, especially teachers... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914866 Sat, 02 May 2020 11:43:13 +0000 MACSUNSHINE 2914866@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrssrs thank you! Those are the same policies that they are talking about here which is weighing on me. There was even mention of splitting some classrooms to two, I understand they need to make it work from a business sense but I just am not sure about that. Our classrooms were already smaller than I liked. It is helpful to hear directly from someone living it. </p> <p>As I said we will have 3 kids when I go back to work so having someone come to our house may be an option. Although I am terrified about the supply and demand scenario as more people realize the realities of life until there is a broadly available vaccine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914863 Sat, 02 May 2020 11:24:12 +0000 MrsSRS 2914863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaCate: So we have pretty similar policies in place. And I agree that it dramatically lowers the number of kids that are in contact with each other which is great. It also dramatically increases the amount of time that children are spending in one room together which is a bad idea. Our outside time has also been cut by a lot in order to prevent any overlap. which means more time all in the same room breathing the same air together. And going from two teachers per room to one is going to have an absolutely gigantic impact on quality of care. My students are younger than Pre-K age. There's absolutely no way to keep them from breathing on each other or to keep every toy sanitized at every second. Especially with only one adult. I'm not saying that there's necessarily a better way to do it. I just think it's going to be a nightmare. It's also increasing the trauma because instead of at least going back to the classrooms they were accustomed to, children will be split into different groups possibly with new teachers and with completely different routines. It's going to be really hard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914862 Sat, 02 May 2020 11:06:12 +0000 MamaCate 2914862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: @MrsSRS: can you say more about this appearance vs reality? It does feel like there are steps to mitigate risk but obviously you can’t get it to zero.</p> <p>These are some of the things our school has changed (this is in pre k):<br /> -kids used to be in groups of 15-20 with two teachers and rotate different rooms during the day (art, science, etc). Kids now in groups of 10 max with one teacher and they stay in the same room with a variety of teaching materials<br /> -parents used to walk kids in, drop off lunch, say goodbye in the center. Now we drop and pick up at the gate<br /> -teachers now wearing masks<br /> -kids keep shoes off in the classroom and only use them for outdoor time<br /> -increased disinfecting</p> <p>There used to be over 60 kids in their section of the school (5 groups) and they are now down to under 30 so it seems possible to make some of this work but not when everyone is ready to come back. My kiddo is scheduled to start kinder in August so that is a whole other issue (500 kids in our elementary. I can’t think about that right now.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914861 Sat, 02 May 2020 10:41:44 +0000 MrsSRS 2914861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: yes security theater. As a daycare teacher I can say, all the changes our administration says they will implement, while I agree that they may mitigate some risk, they aren't going to be enough. It's going to be super risky still. And all these changes will also be lowering the standard of care in many ways. It feels like a lose/lose. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914859 Sat, 02 May 2020 10:05:41 +0000 Grace 2914859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ALV91711: Are they opening up to full capacity? Ours has a limit of 16 kids per center, and I think we’ll have to start paying fees to hold a spot regardless of whether we send them. If the case load stays low here, we’d probably feel comfortable sending them after Victoria Day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914858 Sat, 02 May 2020 09:58:26 +0000 periwinklebee 2914858@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>p.s. they say de-densification will be an essential part of childcare over the next 18 months - and the state licensing body will provide guidelines soon - but I wonder how much that really does anything. When little kids stick everything in their mouth, aren't going to wear masks, and there's no way you can keep them apart. Like, it feels more like security theatre for daycare, than something that will keep everyone safer. I feel like all it will do is make it more expensive/less available... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914857 Sat, 02 May 2020 09:52:56 +0000 periwinklebee 2914857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>And just got an email from daycare saying they will strive to be open for a total of 5 weeks over the summer, if the state permits, and they need to know within the next few days whether we will sign a contract to participate or not. So I guess this will force our hand to decide now. It's so hard to know w/o any idea what cases will look like 2.5 months from now when the summer program would start. I really don't want to pay for it and not use it b/c it's a lot of money, but at the same time the thought that there is for sure no childcare until September (at best) is pretty crushing, I am exhausted and LO misses the social opportunities and his friends/teachers so much... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-daycare-reopens#post-2914856 Sat, 02 May 2020 08:51:29 +0000 mrsmacSLP 2914856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m also in Washington state where daycare are essential. We sent our son (3) back three days a week because my husband is required back in work three days per week and I work for the schools which are running remotely. I see kids via zoom and couldn’t handle only working afternoon’s through evenings anymore. I was missing dinner and bedtime and struggling mentally. The shift just for three days made a huge impact for both my husband and I. We’re self isolating from my parents and family that have all been quarantined from others, as much as I love family I had to do this for myself. </p>