Parents Struggle As The Omicron Outbreak Disrupts School
While some parents are eager that classes be conducted online, some want the classes at schools to continue normally as Omicron rages through the US. What binds the two, separated by their opinions, is the uncertainty and fear that looms over them.
A feeling of helplessness overcomes a mother in rural Wisconsin as she continues to send her ward to school regularly. A mother of another child in suburban New Jersey is extremely frustrated as schools in her district returned to remote learning despite the district being highly vaccinated. Another in Chicago was hopeful that teachers at her kid’s school would indeed walk out of their classes as they had threatened to. That way, her kid would be able to avoid the crowded classrooms.
Dilemma Parents Face Amidst Omicron Outbreak
Even after two years of the outbreak, both parents and the schools are undecided on how classes should be held. Whether schools should reopen at all, or whether they should open only partially, or whether they should test the waters by opening for a while—the question has us all flummoxed. None is sure about what the future holds and how schools should respond.
It has indeed been very difficult for parents to cope with the disruption that the fresh outbreak of the Omicron has brought with it. They are very frustrated with the current situation, which has been especially harsh on mothers. While they may differ on whether schools should operate offline or remotely, all of them are bogged down by a feeling of utter helplessness.
The renewed disruption has come as the proverbial ‘last straw on the camel’s back for some mothers. There has been some sort of a meltdown in some of them. With kids managing to attend school only for a brief period over many weeks, a pall of depression and gloom has descended over many homes in the US. A feeling of complete loss of control over their lives has consumed the parents.
Fear and Uncertainty
KN95 masks are now a ‘must have’ with some parents choosing to send their kids to school only after they keep them on. When the pandemic broke out the first time in 2019, people had shown immense courage in facing the challenge and adjusting to the new way of life as day-to-day activities moved online.
However, two years down the line, the shoulders are drooping and the heads are falling. The pandemic shows no signs of ebbing and the Omicron outbreak has had a devastating impact on American lives. As we enter another phase of restricted living, facing the challenge all over again seems daunting.
Many kids have been forced to learn their lessons remotely, something that parents are very upset about. They are keen that their children attend school in person. Again, parents of those who are learning in person are upset that their children are having to take the risk of being exposed to the virus. We are therefore trying to thrash out a solution desperately in a situation that offers no easy answers.
How Parents Are Coping with Omicron Outbreak?
Some parents are very keen that their children don’t miss school for a prolonged period. They have been forced to make an agonizing decision of sending their children to school despite the risks. Concerns about whether their children will be safe or whether the schools have adequate infrastructure to restrict the spread of the virus keeps haunting the parents.
Some children have the sense of responsibility to adhere to the Covid protocols and they mask up diligently. However, in the US, the Covid-19 outbreak has been politicized. There’s a lobby against any form of restrictions. So, while responsible children mask up and follow Covid-19 restrictions, there are elements that challenge them. It has parents very worried and feeling utterly helpless.
Parents who are sending their children to schools try to ensure higher protection for their children by making them wear more robust masks. However, they are still a worried lot. Vaccination hasn’t quite taken off in the US. Every school has both children and parents yet to be vaccinated. That increases the risk of the virus spreading through schools manifold.
Again, Covid-19 and the latest variant Omicron seem to be capable of countering the vaccines. Therefore, parents who were particular about having their children fully vaccinated don’t feel much safe either.
The Toll Remote Learning Has Taken
Parents also reveal the toll remote learning has taken on their children. The news of having to return to it has left them very disappointed and frustrated. Many children who hated learning remotely were delighted to be back to school. However, a return to remote learning after schools have been forced to shut down yet again has left both children and their parents broken.
Children have suffered mental agony because of remote learning. Things haven’t remained confined to a mere dip in academic performance. With the new variant Omicron spreading rapidly, authorities at the schools are unsure about what the future holds. Schools closing down have affected the lives of parents greatly as many are having to stay back home to look after their children who have been forced into remote learning due to the Omicron outbreak.
Conclusion
The Omicron outbreak has plunged us into a new crisis. Life was limping back to normal and schools were gradually reopening. However, the Omicron variant outbreak has thrown us into uncertainty again. We seem to be back to square one as we face those days of not knowing what lies ahead. None can tell how long the Omicron outbreak shall continue to rage. Amidst the gloom, the only ray of hope is the news that a cocktail of vaccines is likely to be effective against all variants of the Coronavirus. We keep our fingers crossed and earnestly hope that the vaccines do work as we develop antibodies.
Remaining hopeful is the key as medical research continues how to counter Omicron and other Corona variants. Here’s hoping that mankind finds answers to the crisis we face now and our kids go back to school as normalcy returns.
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