2 minute read
Pediatricians URGE Kids to Return to School
by Dr. Rebecca Butler, Board Certified in Pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics
It 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.
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A few reasons include:
• Mental and emotional health and wellbeing • Structured learning environment with trained educators that proves to accelerate learning • Extra help from in-school services in areas of need specific to each child • Social skills development and interaction • An established routine and regular exercise • The development of friendships and real life experiences
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 make based on the particular school’s policies, community transmission, and the specific needs of their children and their family in general.
“Send children back to the classroom this fall”, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. This large group of pediatricians “strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.”
“The importance of in-person learning is 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.
