As kids go back to school, some parents wrestle with whether they're making the right choice

Andrea Ahrens isn't sure she's made the right decision to send her three sons back to school. 

As students in Waterloo region start to trickle back beginning Tuesday, Ahrens says she's worried about the potential spread of COVID-19 in schools because her children are eight and under. 

"There's lots of anxiety. It's every choice I make. I'm worried. Is this worth it?," Ahrens said in an interview with CBC K-W. 

"What if we spread it to someone else?" 

The decision is particularly weighing on Ahrens because her eldest son, Jack, was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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With students out of school for nearly six months, Ahrens says she worries about her eight-year-old's social connections at school, as well as his ability to adapt to a new routine. 

"I don't know how to navigate what he'll need in school to help him be successful," she said. 

However, Ahrens says she ultimately made the decision to send all three of her kids to school because they need more structure in their schedule. 

Ahrens also works full-time and she says the pandemic has made it difficult for her sons to concentrate doing homework from home. 

"Three rambunctious loud boys who need to get out of this house and away from each other as well," she said. 

"They need to also meet new people and see different friends."

'Normal to feel anxious' 

Dr. Christine Purdon, a psychologist and professor at the University of Waterloo, says feeling worried about sending the kids back to school is not uncommon. 

Because the pandemic experience is new to parents, students and school staff, she says it would not be "abnormal" to feel anxious because there are so many unknowns.

She says many parents are feeling conflicted because they aren't sure they're making the best choice for their kids. 

"I think it's a really difficult issue to resolve for people, and I don't know that there are clear or right answers at all," she said. 

"People have to make a decision about what works best for them. But there's no way of knowing what the best decision is." 

Purdon says parents should try not to feel guilty, as they have the skills and judgment to know what is best for their kids. 

She says it would be helpful for parents to speak to their kids about what the new school year will be like, and remind them of safety measures such as wearing masks and washing their hands.

Everybody's trying to do their best in these really, really difficult times.- Dr. Christine Purdon, psychology professor at University of Waterloo

Purdon suggests parents should also talk to their kids about how they can play with their friends, as physical distancing measures will be put in place in schools.

"I think it is important to be just straightforward and to say, 'You know, we're sending you back to school because we feel like there's a way this can be done safely.'" 

Purdon also tells parents to try not to be judgmental towards another parent's choices about school. 

"If you've sent your kids to school, please don't judge parents that didn't," she said.

"Let's be supportive. Let's understand that everybody's trying to do their best in these really, really difficult times."

Despite her concerns, Ahrens is trying her best to prepare her three sons for the new school year. 

Together, they've been practicing wearing masks at home, washing their hands often and going to bed a bit earlier. 

Ahrens says she and her husband have made the choice to drop their kids off to school for now, instead of riding the school bus. 

However, she can't help but notice that her children are starting to get worried about school too. Ahrens adds that her sons have had nightmares and aren't sleeping well on some nights. 

"I think just the unknown. They haven't been to school for so long," she said. 

Still, Ahrens says she hopes she is not making a "big mistake" about her decision.

"My hope really for them is that they're excited, they get to see their friends, that they get to learn new things and feel things."