CMHO | COVID-19 and the Schoolyear

Last updated on April 29th, 2021 at 10:32 pm

With the start of the schoolyear afoot and an impossible decision on our hands, I found myself wondering how to write about the things we’ve discussed ad nauseam since the pandemic started. How much we parents are struggling, trying to take care of our children with limited resources—especially with school here and every choice feeling like a bad one. Or what it’s like living in a world where turning a blind eye to racism is more passé than ever, leaving us wondering how we can fix the problem that took centuries to create. 2020’s undoubtedly been a year for the books, but it’s not quite over yet—school’s back, and it’ll be stranger than ever before.

Back-to-school, circa 2019—who even knows what it’ll look like this year?

Back-to-school was already tough enough for kids in the pre-COVID world, a million questions rushing through their heads as they start a new school year ahead. Will they fit in? Are their outfits on point? What stories can they tell when people ask about their summers? It may be a distant memory for many of us, but those first few days often set the tone for the year to come, and everyone wants to start it off on the right foot.

But that’s only if you have the luxury of those being your biggest problems.

Fact is, the COVID-19 pandemic has made things so much more difficult, and it’s hard to see how we’re going to figure things out.

Let Best Buy Canada Get You Back to School!

Last updated on April 21st, 2021 at 01:57 am

Summer’s over. Time to go back to school!

“Back to school” is a strange concept for me as it’s been about a decade since I was last a full-time student. Having worked all the time since, I barely recognize the summer vacation months when they come along, noting only that it’s a little hotter and all the fun stuff in town’s a lot busier than it was a few months prior.

Which is all fine and dandy—until you have a kid.

Because Back-to-School is Different as a Parent.

I woke up early on the Tuesday following Labour Day, getting my Facebooking in before the toils and tribulations of the day ahead. I’ve spent 9 years seeing my Facebook evolve from club kids without a clue to travel, weddings and baby announcements, but this morning my Facebook feed was plastered with kids getting ready for the first day of school. My little guy’s only creeping on 10 months old, and I already find myself thinking of all the things I’ll need to keep in mind when he’s in preschool. Then in elementary school. And later in high school.

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