Keep working or homeschool kids? Some parents face difficult choice during coronavirus

As officials mull whether and how to reopen schools come fall, parents are on the edge of their seats.

Some school districts are still looking ahead to in-person classes, as others plan to implement online options for parents who may not feel safe sending their children back to school.

For some parents, however, choosing whether to send their children back to the classroom or use online schooling options isn’t simple — especially when it comes to balancing their children’s education with work responsibilities.

“We have it good in many ways, however it’s still been a real challenge for us over the last few months,” parent Deb Perelman told KTRK.

Perelman’s husband Alex was recently laid off and the pair are struggling to juggle caring for their two children with work obligations, according to the outlet.

As the new school year looms, Perelman said she worries moms might have choose between working and taking care of their children full-time, KTRK reported.

“Childcare has always been an issue. It’s never been easy for working parents to figure out what to do with their kids all day. And this isn’t a new problem,” Perelman told the outlet. “It’s not okay to tell working parents that they should lose their livelihood. It’s not okay to say that you can go to a bar or restaurant or hair salon, but your kids can’t finish kindergarten.”

Haley Campbell, 29, decided to resign from her full-time job as an insulin pump technician in Idaho to homeschool her children ages 2, 6 and 11, after their school released its COVID-19 plan which included staggered schedules and isolated lunches, NBC News reported.

“Kids need a safe space to feel comfortable learning, and what was being described to me by the school is not good enough for my kids,” she told the outlet. “They need to be able to focus on learning and not worry about what they can and can’t touch, staying apart and not being able to play with their best friend.”

Campbell and Perelman aren’t alone.

A poll of 2,000 employed Americans ages 22-54 conducted by Bustle and Luminary found that nearly 80% of respondents are concerned about sending their children back to school.

More than half are considering alternative schooling methods, according to the poll, and 61% said they’re considering scaling back work responsibilities to take on a greater role in their child’s education at home.

Karsten Vagner, Vice President of People at Maven Clinic, said it’s imperative for businesses to support workers who are also caring for their children at home, Great Place to Work reported.

“It’s important to meet people where they are,” Vagner told the outlet. “While some employees may have relatives or others in their home to provide childcare, others may be trying to maintain work and childcare single-handedly. Consider giving your team the time to adjust to their new reality, and show them you want to invest in them.”

He suggests that businesses make it easier for parents to work from home, offering stipends to help parents better equip their home offices.

Vagner also recommends giving workers more flexibility in their schedules, such as giving them the freedom to start work days later or end them earlier, Great Place to Work reported.

This could also mean allowing workers a schedule with no meetings or blocking out a portion of the day so they can manage childcare, Vagner told the outlet.

This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Keep working or homeschool kids? Some parents face difficult choice during coronavirus."