Community Chat

[AuntG]

With some schools being shut down for two or three weeks, I wonder if grandparents will be asked to watch the children. My 72 year old neighbor and her 75 year old husband have been asked if they would be willing to step in and do that. Her three grandkids range from six to thirteen. 

[haddon9]

I'm sure it will be a much more difficult decision for some families than others.  I feel for the single parent with very young children and no family to help.  Some just can't afford to either stay at home or pay someone even if they could find daycare right now.

For that reason the city of Philadelphia has decided to keep the schools open right now (no cases yet of COVID-19).  Lots of the kids there depend on the schools to be safe & provide a meal.

Yet in Montgomery County which is next to Philadelphia all schools are closing for two weeks...there are over 22 COVID-19 cases.

[phoenixbrd]

@AuntG   Yes, this can be a challenge.  For the greater good and recovery from the crisis, the close proximity at schools and the larger population makes it imperative to close them.  And, unfortunately, children have been sent to school when they are not well which puts everyone at risk.  I expect that we will continue to see more school closures.  So critical that we take the stringent measures that are required to combat this virus.  I'm glad that we are taking the steps necessary.

[ID2]

Go back to the old way of raising your own children....one parent stays home. The topic question of this post really is kind-of an oxymoron. 

[Greeneyedlady21]

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@ID2 wrote:

Go back to the old way of raising your own children....one parent stays home. The topic question of this post really is kind-of an oxymoron. 

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Seriously? Not the economic reality for most people these days. Topic is not an "oxymoron" in any way, shape, or form. 

[Greeneyedlady21]

Where I live schools just started closing today. After all the cancellations of sports, etc in the last two days. There were no previous school closures other than after presumptive or confirmed cases, and that was to clean and sanitize the school.

So it does seem like a snowball psychological effect to me, and leaves so many parents without a paycheck. I just saw on the news one school system in my state is closed until April 27th! That is a true hardship for parents and I think right now it's extreme.

Personally I'm glad I'm no longer in the school job I had, I'd be without pay too.

[magicmoodz]

I know it's cliche but "it takes a village..."

Maybe parents, families, friends and neighbors need to rally together and figure out how to make it happen. If each parent takes a day of vacation one day a week to watch a group of children it seems as if it could be a solution to the problem.

[ECBG]

The parents already have plans in place for spring break, teacher workdays, and bad weather.  Hopefully, that arrangement will work out for this period.

[nevergivesup]

This is a very serious problem. I heard yesterday that in NYC there are 114,000  homeless students and the meal they get at school is their only dependable food. The implications for their physical safety, not to mention the emotional and psychological effects of being deprived of the only stability they have in their fragile lives, is very sad if their schools are closed. I wouldn’t want to be a state or local official who has to weigh all this.

[CrazyDaisy]

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@AuntG wrote:

With some schools being shut down for two or three weeks, I wonder if grandparents will be asked to watch the children. My 72 year old neighbor and her 75 year old husband have been asked if they would be willing to step in and do that. Her three grandkids range from six to thirteen. 

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Unfortunately that will be the case in many situations.  The very population the closures are designed to protect.