September "Not Back to School"

- August 31, 2020

As children who haven't been back to regular school in 6 months are preparing to return, we are preparing to -- continue as we are. But, even for home educators, September is usually a month of new things. Groups that took a break in the summer come back, new interests mean new groups to attend...

But not in 2020.

Six months of almost total social distancing has been a long time for all of us. For kids who are only a few years old, it's an eternity! And I do believe it's time we found ways to safely engage with the outside world again.

But, what is safe? As kids go back to school, I fully expect the virus to soar again. And with winter coming, that adds to it too. So what I decide to do today may be subject to change.

The good thing is, over the months Covid has been with us, there's been a lot of research on the disease and the way we protect ourselves has evolved too. Whereas at the beginning we were socially distancing not only from people but even from surfaces people may have touched (playgrounds!), from what I've read they now know that the highest risk is by being indoors with an infected person for an extended period.

Yes, that describes Mr.'s work environment, into which he is made to go again every other week. And that's a whole story in itself that I'm not happy with! It also describes school. What this means is that Mr. is actually our greatest Covid risk at the moment, with his weekly exposure to Covid, at length, in an enclosed space.

School kids and Mr. can't avoid those environments, but thankfully, me and the kids can.

So come September we'll be at Forest School again, as well as a weekly home educators' meet up at a playground (outdoors). Those things I am the most at ease with. I can't say I'm totally relaxed, but in terms of risk, those are the lowest possible risk activities, and the kids really do need to be around other kids again. They've been absolute troopers who have somehow rolled with all the unprecedented changes we've had in our lives, but it's really time they had access to their friends and peers again.

A few photos of things we've done recently...