In the Covid-19 Economy, You Can Have a Kid or a Job. You Can't Have Both.

[brooklynite]

New York Times

Last week, I received an email from my children’s principal, sharing some of the first details about plans to reopen New York City schools this fall. The message explained that the city’s Department of Education, following federal guidelines, will require each student to have 65 square feet of classroom space. Not everyone will be allowed in the building at once. The upshot is that my children will be able to physically attend school one out of every three weeks.

At the same time, many adults — at least the lucky ones that have held onto their jobs — are supposed to be back at work as the economy reopens. What is confusing to me is that these two plans are moving forward apace without any consideration of the working parents who will be ground up in the gears when they collide.

Let me say the quiet part loud: In the Covid-19 economy, you’re allowed only a kid or a job.

Why isn’t anyone talking about this? Why are we not hearing a primal scream so deafening that no plodding policy can be implemented without addressing the people buried by it? Why am I, a food blogger best known for such hits as the All-Butter Really Flaky Pie Dough and The ‘I Want Chocolate Cake’ Cake, sounding the alarm on this? I think it’s because when you’re home schooling all day, and not performing the work you were hired to do until the wee hours of the morning, and do it on repeat for 106 days (not that anyone is counting), you might be a bit too fried to funnel your rage effectively.

[Newest Reality]

1. AHHHH!

[fleur-de-lisa]

2. Yep. And who is bearing the brunt of this? Women.

Thank Dog my kid is an adult.

I'm hearing from lots of female friends, many of whom own businesses, they they are now in a position where they have to choose between keeping their business going or keeping their kids alive.

After all the progress women have made in the workplace, here we are again.

[HotTeaBag]

7. Yeah, us Fathers are in no way affected.

[fleur-de-lisa]

9. Weird that you capitalize "father." Bye.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

3. Yep it was kid or job

It began in the 80's when many kids became latchkey kids.

Both parents have had to work to survive since the 70's or earlier.

Covid just made it all worse.

[Laelth]

4. Most of us will choose our children over our jobs.

Most of us haven’t run out of money yet and are not yet homeless. When we do run out of money and are homeless, you can expect to hear that primal scream. It won’t be pretty.

-Laelth

[catrose]

5. It's always been hard. Now impossible.

[Nevilledog]

6. This hybrid model of attendance will be a nightmare.

[EllieBC]

8. It's a nightmare for teachers and kids.

My oldest is not an independent learner. She has an IEP so our province has said any kid with an IEP can come back full time in the fall. That’s good but there are MANY kids who aren’t independent learners but have no diagnosis so that won’t be an option.

And then teachers have to prepare both in person and online curriculum. Our schools don’t have textbooks anymore. A lot of the learning is really meant for in person. It translates horribly when you make it remote.

[Nevilledog]

10. My husband is an administrator.

Listening to all the things they're having to deal with is stressful.
Lots of blowback from parents. Some will pull their kids if mandatory masks, others will pull if not mandatory masks.

[EllieBC]

13. And at the end of the day the kids will be the biggest losers.

It’s not just the academics. School is the main place kids learn how to self regulate, where they gain social and emotional maturity and skills, and expected and unexpected behaviour. I have 3 kids but they interact with each other the way siblings do. They learn a lot more from their peers at school.

[Nevilledog]

14. There's no perfect solution right now.

It just sucks. All of it. And it didn't have to be this way.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. 'Twas ever thus. It's just now hitting more well-off white people who are now finding themselves in

straits they never thought they'd have to deal with and are mad that they have to.

What is confusing to me is that these two plans are moving forward apace without any consideration of the working parents who will be ground up in the gears when they collide.

It's always different when your own ox is being gored.

[aikoaiko]

12. FSU is catching heat for requiring that workers not care for their children if working remotely

They halted this stupid policy in March, but are reinstating it for the fall.

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/06/30/florida-state-bars-parenting-during-remote-work

In March, Florida State University decided to temporarily permit its employees to care for children while working remotely. The university now will reverse that policy, the administration announced in a memo to faculty and staff members. Beginning Aug. 7, employees will no longer be allowed to care for children while working remotely. If a staff member fails to abide by this requirement, the university can rescind approval for remote work.

"Now that our local public schools are planning to resume in-person instruction next month and local day-care centers are open throughout the county, FSU is also shifting back to normal policy," the university wrote in a statement clarifying its policy. "Florida State University is closely monitoring Leon County School’s reopening plans. If circumstances change, Florida State University will make any adjustments accordingly."

[roamer65]

15. There isn't a day that goes by now where I am thankful I don't have children.