Between the world debating on how to get back to normal or stay stagnant still to observe, there are so many shades of anxiety amongst parents. The social implications of the last year and a half are wholly unknown and as some parents worry about the lasting damage of these times, others worry about the health risks involved with jumping back into things too quickly.
One aspect of this situation is clear though - irrespective of which side you belong to, the anxiety is real. The back to school options amongst many districts offered to alleviate the parents' concern by offering virtual options this time around. Other districts firmly believed physical presence in school being the main source of learning and removed all options for virtual learning. There is a retaliation from parents for either option - and this makes me think that respecting others' choices is the biggest lesson we should be learning. Instead we are out to tear each other in the belief that we alone know what is right for ALL children - not just our own.
With under 12 vaccines around the horizon, hope looms near though - until the next debate arises about the efficacy of those vaccines and their side affects.
One thing as a parent is clear: YOU are best suited to make the decisions regarding YOUR children. Keeping an open mind is key but in the end the decision does lie solely with you - a disturbing thought in this era of misinformation and the barrage of information streams we are exposed to. Sifting through it is a daunting and exhausting task. Luckily we are slowly becoming experts at it.