I know you feel like there is no real right answer.

I know you fear whatever you choose to do may not be best for your child.

I know the what-if's seem paralyzing and all-consuming right now.

What if my child isn't socialized enough if we homeschool?

What if I'm not equipped to properly teach my child?

What if we send our child to school and they contract something or bring home Covid?

What if my child's mental health suffers at home?

What if I'm exposing my child to disease?

Sister, hear me when I say these profound and life-changing words:

This. Sucks.

There is just no way around it.

None of us knows what is the best/right/safest/smartest decision for our kids right now because there just isn't enough research showing long-term effects or mutations or other science-y things that are causing me so much anxiety about possibly teaching my kid science in the first place!

We are trying to consider health, safety, masks, anxiety, sensory needs, academic tracks, disease spread rates, long-term effects, online school, childcare, work hours, and the impending gray cloud that we may be stuck in our houses forever and ever, amen.

Mama, make the choice you feel is best for your child and for your family.

The end.

You don't need to justify your decision to anyone. They don't pay your bills, sister!

You need to talk it out, make a list of pros and cons, hash things out over a box of wine...whatever is your process...and decide.

That's it.

Children are brilliantly resilient but what they need now is us; the honest but protective version of ourselves who encourages our kids, answers their questions, and helps to relieve their anxieties.

Some of us don't have a "choice" about what to do because we have to work or we are educators ourselves or our district is remaining closed and educating online.

Friend, this is allllll wonky. No one has the answers--

Not politicians.

Not world leaders.

Not pediatricians.

Not school administrators.

And not mamas.

And that's okay.

All we can do is our best. We can refuse to pass judgements on other mamas and we can acknowledge that we are all out here just doing the best we can to do the next right thing.

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