I'm not ready to send my kid back to school

The evidence suggests schools are safe, but we're staying home for a little while longer

A boy walking to school.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

It's not easy being a parent during the pandemic. On Tuesday afternoon, while I tried to do a phone interview for work, my 12-year-old son started practicing cello in the next room — not all that softly — for his public school's virtual orchestra class. Needless to say, it was a distraction. After a year of living, working, studying, and generally being on top of each other in a smallish living space, both he and I are ready for the public health crisis to end so he can go back to his classroom, his teachers, and his friends.

But not quite yet — at least not until his teachers and, hopefully, his parents have been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.