We recently asked parents of Kiddie Academy students what life was like for their families during the pandemic. Not surprisingly, it’s been tough for everyone. We found some common themes in our conversations with parents with young children. First, everyone’s lives were turned upside-down. Second, parents are strong and resourceful and made tough decisions and changes on the fly. And third, you’ve got to seek help so you can “do it all.”
Making the right choice for your family
In this interview, we met Gina, whose sons Jeffrey, Gunnar and Ryder attend Kiddie Academy.
Here’s what Gina had to say:
Gina and her husband, Jeff, are working parents. During the pandemic, while Jeff continued working on-site, Gina found herself trying to do her sales job from home while simultaneously managing the three boys, all under the age of four.
“Working from home with three boys all under the age of four at the time… I don’t know how I survived, to be honest with you. I was struggling because I was still very busy with work, and just they’re all at different ages. I had the baby and a two-and-a-half-year-old, a three-and-a-half-year-old, and they’re always fighting, bickering.
“It just became a decision of do I want my kids to be at home with me and have all of us be miserable. They weren’t flourishing at home.
“After the seven weeks I said to my husband, ‘I’ve got to do something. We can’t keep going on like this. I’m stressed out. The kids are feeling the effects. We have to do something.’
“They need school. I mean, it’s just… I really believe that these kids need this. It’s the best thing for them.
“Kiddie Academy had put a lot of precautions in place. The teachers are all wearing masks. The kids have to get their temperature checked before they go into school every day, they ask all the COVID questions.
“There’s no better feeling than knowing that you have made a decision to do the best thing you can do for your kids. You’re keeping them safe. You have them with people that genuinely care about them every day. If it can’t be you, it’s the next-best person. It’s somebody you trust. It’s somebody that loves that child like it’s their own child.”
You can watch more of the video interview with Gina (and other parents we interviewed) here.
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