Pediatricians URGE Kids TO RETURN TO SCHOOL by Dr. Rebecca Butler, Board Certified in Pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics
I
t is crunch time, and parents are facing a difficult decision and personal debate about whether to send their kiddos back to school. Recommendations seem to change daily, and every school district is implementing its own protocols. However, if possible, it is very important that our children be physically present in a classroom setting for various reasons.
A few reasons include:
make based on the particular school’s
•
Mental and emotional health and wellbeing
policies, community transmission, and the
•
Structured learning environment with trained educators that proves to accelerate learning
family in general.
specific needs of their children and their “Send children back to the classroom
•
Extra help from in-school services in areas of need specific to each child
this fall”, says the American Academy
•
Social skills development and interaction
pediatricians “strongly advocates
•
An established routine and regular exercise
coming school year should start with
•
that all policy considerations for the
The development of friendships and real life experiences
a goal of having students physically present in school.”
“The importance of in-person learning is
The mental health of parents is also a
very important consideration. The stress
of working and/or trying to homeschool
your children is a full-time job and can be extremely frustrating and overwhelming.
Sending children back to school is a very important decision that parents must
of Pediatrics. This large group of
well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on
children because of school closures in
the spring of 2020,” states the AAP. I can personally vouch for the complications
I have personally seen and dealt with in my office with children of all ages.
The AAP says that “schools are
fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being.” The
nation’s pediatricians argue that remote
learning can actually be detrimental to our children’s health, that it can, in fact, result
in severe learning loss and social isolation. As I agree with all of the above and
advocate for reopening of school, a onesize-fits-all approach is not appropriate for return to school. Parents should
weigh the risks and benefits to their
families and make an educated decision after reviewing the school’s specific
methods of implementation and safety procedures for minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Remember, there is not one right answer for every family. This is a very personal decision that only you as a parent can
make for the health of your children and
family. Please make a wise and educated decision for your family.
We are all in this together, and together we will overcome.
940.455.7200 | www.LantanaPediatrics.com
74 McMakin Rd., Ste. 100 • Bartonville, TX 76226
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AUGUST 2020
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