Hellobee Boards

My kids are going to school half day today to gather their things. They have Monday off, and Tuesday will begin distance learning for at least two weeks before they re-evaluate. I stayed up last night planning art projects and science experiments and placed in store pickup orders for today.

I’m setting up “classrooms” in each child’s bedroom, and will do group science, art, music, and gym after their assigned learning each day. I’ll do a formal schedule once I get the learning plan from their schools (the teachers are doing it this afternoon and tomorrow).

This should be interesting, but I’ve decided to approach it full force in case it becomes long term.

Well, in the 2 days since I last posted: my company asked us all to work remotely for the next month, and schools are closed, we'll find out how long at some point, but i'm guessing for the next few weeks.

Very glad to see a massive movement towards social isolation, I think it will really help.

I thought I’d practice social distancing and do my grocery shopping at 7:30am after dropping off the kids. The parking lot was packed. The line to pay runs the full length of the store and doubles back into the produce section.

This is nuts.

@BadgerMom: there was a good thread on my local fb about supporting small local businesses. For example, if you take lessons that are cancelled and can afford to still pay them, do. Call local stores you might use (like a small toy store we have) and ask if they will gather up things to do and bring to your car if you drive over. Buy gift cards to local stores and use them later. Won’t save the economy but might help a small business owner.

@bhbee: Thank you! Those are all good ideas on ways we can “help” at least the people around us. We went to swim last night but who knows what the future holds and, like you suggested, I will still continue to pay them no matter what.

Our governor has encouraged all schools and universities to close, so starting Monday, our school will be out for at least 2 and possibly 4+ weeks. I work from home normally, but my company has everyone working from home until the end of the month. My husband is in the office today, but I feel like it's just a matter of time before they tell them to work from home also.

My daughter is in pre-k and doing well, so we aren't concerned about any loss of academic progress while school is out. But we are concerned about how to be productive and still do our jobs well with a bored 4.5 year old at home too. It's not feasible to take vacation to give her the level of attention she wants until schools are back in session. And all the places that normally provide camps during school breaks are also closed. And I know we're the fortunate ones who have jobs that we can do from home and not suffer from a loss of income or have to arrange emergency child care.

We were already talking about postponing our big spring break trip, but now that Disneyland is closed, it's highly unlikely we'll be going. I'm not confident that they'll be opening back up at the beginning of April. I want to rebook for early summer, but who knows yet when this situation will improve to make that feasible again.

@Becky: You are so right! They just closed our schools for 3 weeks (including spring break) and the only people who will be able to help us are both of our parents who are in their latter 60's/early 70's. Everyone is in good health but seems like that won't help the cause.

I’m in Santa Clara county in CA and most schools are still open. I’m so surprised bc so many of your schools are closed with so many less cases.

My husband just started working from home (mandatory) today, and my homeschool group just decided to move online (we just meet once a week). Santa Clara county has been definitely slower to react despite it having one of the highest number of diagnoses..

ETA: our libraries, public spaces are still open, some churches are still meeting... we have been very lax

@mrs.kiwi: I'm in Santa Clara County and my school district just sent out an email that they will be closing until April 12th, spring break is the week of April 6th.

Our schools just closed for the next 4 weeks, including spring break. I'm going into my quarter end at work, husband is in sales so he has to be out of the house in order to earn any commissions. It's going to be an interesting month!

Daycare for my 3 year old closed this week through March 23rd. I wonder if it will now be extended due to the public schools closing.

@KT326: lol I JUST got the news too.

@JJ2626: I think you are in SF as well - our nanny still has our kids and doesn't take public transit. We are basically isolating ourselves and she is as well. She takes our kids to her house and out to ride bikes or on hikes to non-crowded places.

@KNS: yes we are in sf! Hope you’re hanging in there. It’s wild times. Your approach makes sense. We had been letting her go to playgrounds but that may need to stop. It’s tricky bc she doesn’t drive but we will figure it out.

My 1st grader's school is closed until at least April 6th.

My husband's office (in a major city downtown) is doing a practice work-from-home-day on Tuesday where they still HAVE TO GO INTO THE OFFICE but "practice" working from laptops and cell phones. So ridiculous

Well, all Pennsylvania schools are closed for two weeks despite the fact that all of the cases being concentrated on one side of the state. So what happens when it comes to the other side? Do they close again? And how does this protect the older population? So many kids are going to be under the care of their grandparents because parents still have to work.

I am in the east Bay Area of SF, and our school district and most if not all surrounding districts closed till April 6. Our preschool followed their dates. I just feel like the “reopen” date is unrealistic if things are really going to “hit the fan”. Although I guess the point of doing all this is to hopefully stop it from spreading and contain things enough by that point?

Just curious: for those of you who are experiencing school closures, is your state (assuming you are in the U.S.) requiring your children to come back during the summer to make up the days?

@crazydoglady: no. Having declared a state of emergency prevents them asking for more than the 5 snow days back.

I don’t know what to be most freaked out about honestly. And @helloperidot: is spot on, mild can include extended hospitalization in cases that would be fatal with an overwhelmed health system. honestly if our system gets completely overwhelmed I’m not sure our social fabric can take it, health care is already such a polarizing issue.

This week has been insane and I’m wondering where we will be at a week from now and if this weeks problems will seem minor then...exhausted from an 11 week old who doesn’t sleep, watching her and my two year old while participating in work meetings, trying to get my at risk parents and in laws to take it seriously, wiping down all the non perishables I bought with disinfectant...and it’s barely started...

@helloperidot: I think that with a newborn, any respiratory illness can become that serious, like literally a common cold, so I wouldn’t worry more about this virus except for how it affects resources and infrastructure around you. Your newborn is probably safer with your bigger kid out of school in general, from all the winter viruses! Any there’s not such thing as intubation without ventilation, not that it eases your mind at all! Eta I got two posts confused and you didn’t mention a bigger kid, oops!