If you were firmly in the schools should stay closed camp ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

This is 100% how I feel. There was such poor guidance from the government and we just had to make decisions based on our individual circumstances, as well as our interpretation of the information provided. I think I did a good job keeping my family and those in my bubble safe by being cautious.

I think Biden and the CDC are premature in their decision to lift mask recommendations. The country is so divided already and there is no way we can count on the general public to keep this under control. We are only socializing with vaccinated adults outdoors. Our kids still wear masks when playing with other children. Risking unnecessary mask wearing is way preferable to risking Covid.

That being said, schools should feel good about reopening 5 days a week in Sept. The data totally supports that and we feel great knowing that we have given it time to see how this played out, and now we can make an informed decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

Occasionally buying batteries for a smoke detector or buckling a seatbelt when you’re driving isn’t quite on par with asking a 5 year old to spend a year of learning sitting in front of an iPad and having no socialization with peers.

That wasn’t the choice most people were making.
Doing virtual school didn’t have to mean no socialization.
My 8 year old did virtual school and played outside on hikes and with kids in the neighborhood with masks. We did less in the winter but still did some. I don’t regret the choice - of course now i can see how much better things are but as parents we are also fully vaccinated now so it is different. We made the right choice at the time. We also sent my 5 year old to an in person kindergarten. And she played outside.

Everyone I know chose middle grounds, some a bit different than others. Last year was terrible in many ways but we made choices because we were rational and had to. And many many people did get covid last winter. Had one family been less cautious it wouldn’t have been much different for that family. The reality is though that if every or a large number of families had been less cautious it would have been worse. I am glad the majority of people in my community worked together to be reasonably safe. I am so happy to enjoy the time now with friends given that.

I mean - you had the option to send your 5 year old to in person K. that makes you very lucky compared to many of us! and also on the less cautious side. hopefully you can see that your family had many many more advantages than those of us stuck with only online learning and without all the social opportunities your kids had.

DP. Many of us made lemonade from lemons. Sounds like you didn't. What you see as lack of opportunities the rest of us saw as challenges to overcome. This past year was tough, don't get me wrong, but it was also one of the most relaxing years our kids have had. It was scary because of Covid and we had to totally revamp our lifestyle to adjust to online learning but our kids thrived because of the choices we, their parents, made so that they could thrive. For most of the people complaining, I saw that we had the same lack of options and the same lack of opportunities but we got our acts together and made it work. It was hard but we did it. I am tired of listening to all the moaners and complainers bellyaching about this and that. The only way to change your output is to change your input. You make your opportunities.

Dude. That PP **SENT HER CHILD TO SCHOOL**. Many of us did not have that option. Many of us did not have the option to get our kids extensive other opportunities for socialization. The point is that school is an entitlement; not something that we should just throw our hands up and say "oh well, everyone needs to "change their input."" I mean really, you're horrifically tone deaf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

Occasionally buying batteries for a smoke detector or buckling a seatbelt when you’re driving isn’t quite on par with asking a 5 year old to spend a year of learning sitting in front of an iPad and having no socialization with peers.

That wasn’t the choice most people were making.
Doing virtual school didn’t have to mean no socialization.
My 8 year old did virtual school and played outside on hikes and with kids in the neighborhood with masks. We did less in the winter but still did some. I don’t regret the choice - of course now i can see how much better things are but as parents we are also fully vaccinated now so it is different. We made the right choice at the time. We also sent my 5 year old to an in person kindergarten. And she played outside.

Everyone I know chose middle grounds, some a bit different than others. Last year was terrible in many ways but we made choices because we were rational and had to. And many many people did get covid last winter. Had one family been less cautious it wouldn’t have been much different for that family. The reality is though that if every or a large number of families had been less cautious it would have been worse. I am glad the majority of people in my community worked together to be reasonably safe. I am so happy to enjoy the time now with friends given that.

I mean - you had the option to send your 5 year old to in person K. that makes you very lucky compared to many of us! and also on the less cautious side. hopefully you can see that your family had many many more advantages than those of us stuck with only online learning and without all the social opportunities your kids had.

Where are you that your K kid never had the opportunity to go in person?

I mean, most places didn't open K until April, and there are wait lists. So, everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

Occasionally buying batteries for a smoke detector or buckling a seatbelt when you’re driving isn’t quite on par with asking a 5 year old to spend a year of learning sitting in front of an iPad and having no socialization with peers.

That wasn’t the choice most people were making.
Doing virtual school didn’t have to mean no socialization.
My 8 year old did virtual school and played outside on hikes and with kids in the neighborhood with masks. We did less in the winter but still did some. I don’t regret the choice - of course now i can see how much better things are but as parents we are also fully vaccinated now so it is different. We made the right choice at the time. We also sent my 5 year old to an in person kindergarten. And she played outside.

Everyone I know chose middle grounds, some a bit different than others. Last year was terrible in many ways but we made choices because we were rational and had to. And many many people did get covid last winter. Had one family been less cautious it wouldn’t have been much different for that family. The reality is though that if every or a large number of families had been less cautious it would have been worse. I am glad the majority of people in my community worked together to be reasonably safe. I am so happy to enjoy the time now with friends given that.

I mean - you had the option to send your 5 year old to in person K. that makes you very lucky compared to many of us! and also on the less cautious side. hopefully you can see that your family had many many more advantages than those of us stuck with only online learning and without all the social opportunities your kids had.

Where are you that your K kid never had the opportunity to go in person?

Not PP but there are still some school systems that are 100% virtual.
https://info.burbio.com/school-tracker-update-may-10/

I'm in Arlington and my daughter's pre-K decided not to open at all this year. She'll start K in the fall having not been in school since she was 3. I've had her on a few waitlists for preschools that have reopened, but spaces aren't available since they're trying to keep classes small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

Occasionally buying batteries for a smoke detector or buckling a seatbelt when you’re driving isn’t quite on par with asking a 5 year old to spend a year of learning sitting in front of an iPad and having no socialization with peers.

That wasn’t the choice most people were making.
Doing virtual school didn’t have to mean no socialization.
My 8 year old did virtual school and played outside on hikes and with kids in the neighborhood with masks. We did less in the winter but still did some. I don’t regret the choice - of course now i can see how much better things are but as parents we are also fully vaccinated now so it is different. We made the right choice at the time. We also sent my 5 year old to an in person kindergarten. And she played outside.

Everyone I know chose middle grounds, some a bit different than others. Last year was terrible in many ways but we made choices because we were rational and had to. And many many people did get covid last winter. Had one family been less cautious it wouldn’t have been much different for that family. The reality is though that if every or a large number of families had been less cautious it would have been worse. I am glad the majority of people in my community worked together to be reasonably safe. I am so happy to enjoy the time now with friends given that.

I mean - you had the option to send your 5 year old to in person K. that makes you very lucky compared to many of us! and also on the less cautious side. hopefully you can see that your family had many many more advantages than those of us stuck with only online learning and without all the social opportunities your kids had.

Where are you that your K kid never had the opportunity to go in person?

I mean, most places didn't open K until April, and there are wait lists. So, everywhere.

I’m sorry what? That’s simply not true. There are no wait lists in public school. If your kid was enrolled in public K and you SELECTED in person, they would’ve been able to go months ago. If you didn’t pick in person, that’s on you. Nowhere in this area has not reopened , let alone for K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

Occasionally buying batteries for a smoke detector or buckling a seatbelt when you’re driving isn’t quite on par with asking a 5 year old to spend a year of learning sitting in front of an iPad and having no socialization with peers.

That wasn’t the choice most people were making.
Doing virtual school didn’t have to mean no socialization.
My 8 year old did virtual school and played outside on hikes and with kids in the neighborhood with masks. We did less in the winter but still did some. I don’t regret the choice - of course now i can see how much better things are but as parents we are also fully vaccinated now so it is different. We made the right choice at the time. We also sent my 5 year old to an in person kindergarten. And she played outside.

Everyone I know chose middle grounds, some a bit different than others. Last year was terrible in many ways but we made choices because we were rational and had to. And many many people did get covid last winter. Had one family been less cautious it wouldn’t have been much different for that family. The reality is though that if every or a large number of families had been less cautious it would have been worse. I am glad the majority of people in my community worked together to be reasonably safe. I am so happy to enjoy the time now with friends given that.

I mean - you had the option to send your 5 year old to in person K. that makes you very lucky compared to many of us! and also on the less cautious side. hopefully you can see that your family had many many more advantages than those of us stuck with only online learning and without all the social opportunities your kids had.

Where are you that your K kid never had the opportunity to go in person?

Not PP but there are still some school systems that are 100% virtual.
https://info.burbio.com/school-tracker-update-may-10/

I'm in Arlington and my daughter's pre-K decided not to open at all this year. She'll start K in the fall having not been in school since she was 3. I've had her on a few waitlists for preschools that have reopened, but spaces aren't available since they're trying to keep classes small.

Omg a private preschool is not the same thing as a public school system. Trying to bring that into the convo is ridiculous, you’re discussing an entirely different entity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you look back now and think that your fear was unwarranted? Do you feel you made the choice based on politics and not wanting to be viewed as supporting Trump?

Personally I regret being too cautious for way too long. I look at friends who traveled, whose kids went back in person to private school, played sports and so on and nothing happened. Not a single one so much as for a sniffle or a cold. I think I just wasted time sitting at home for nothing. And the last couple of months I really regret that my child isn’t in school at least four days a week

We're in FCPS so my child has been back in school since March, but my entire family caught Covid in December through preschool, and I was almost hospitalized, so no, I don't regret being cautious and I'm glad that things are slowly getting back to normal now.

[Anonymous]

So I’m not sure this is responsive to the question because, in my mind, poses a false choice: Either you were for schools being closed (and now perhaps regret keeping your kids home), or were for opening schools. We are glad that schools reopened, but opted to keep our kids distance learning through the end of the year. We have no regrets.

As one of the previous posters noted, many people sought a middle ground. So did we. Distance learning worked fine for us. Our older (high school) child has special needs, and the transition back to school for just a few days a week would have been counterproductive for various reasons. And our younger (middle school) child is doing just fine in distance learning. With the vaccination of 12-15 year olds, both are now in the process of being vaccinated, and we are looking forward to having them both return to school in-person in the fall. We thought about sending them back when Arlington schools reopened earlier this spring, but the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze for us—two days a week of learning, for about 1/3 of the year, wasn’t worth the risk to us, especially because we’ve managed to make distance learning work. Even with where things stand now, we’d prefer to keep them DL until our younger child is fully vaccinated; two weeks after the second shot will correspond with the end of the school year, which will make for a nice transition into the summer.

To be clear, this was a close call in our situation, and I completely understand the decisions other parents made to send their kids back. I supported reopening schools as much as was safe in order to accommodate those kids for whom distance learning wasn’t working as well, or those families who weren’t as risk averse. And to be blunt, I wanted to see schools reopen so the schools could work out the kinks before next year. But these decisions—and positions on these issues—is not as clear-cut as these discussion boards would make it seem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

Occasionally buying batteries for a smoke detector or buckling a seatbelt when you’re driving isn’t quite on par with asking a 5 year old to spend a year of learning sitting in front of an iPad and having no socialization with peers.

That wasn’t the choice most people were making.
Doing virtual school didn’t have to mean no socialization.
My 8 year old did virtual school and played outside on hikes and with kids in the neighborhood with masks. We did less in the winter but still did some. I don’t regret the choice - of course now i can see how much better things are but as parents we are also fully vaccinated now so it is different. We made the right choice at the time. We also sent my 5 year old to an in person kindergarten. And she played outside.

Everyone I know chose middle grounds, some a bit different than others. Last year was terrible in many ways but we made choices because we were rational and had to. And many many people did get covid last winter. Had one family been less cautious it wouldn’t have been much different for that family. The reality is though that if every or a large number of families had been less cautious it would have been worse. I am glad the majority of people in my community worked together to be reasonably safe. I am so happy to enjoy the time now with friends given that.

I mean - you had the option to send your 5 year old to in person K. that makes you very lucky compared to many of us! and also on the less cautious side. hopefully you can see that your family had many many more advantages than those of us stuck with only online learning and without all the social opportunities your kids had.

DP. Many of us made lemonade from lemons. Sounds like you didn't. What you see as lack of opportunities the rest of us saw as challenges to overcome. This past year was tough, don't get me wrong, but it was also one of the most relaxing years our kids have had. It was scary because of Covid and we had to totally revamp our lifestyle to adjust to online learning but our kids thrived because of the choices we, their parents, made so that they could thrive. For most of the people complaining, I saw that we had the same lack of options and the same lack of opportunities but we got our acts together and made it work. It was hard but we did it. I am tired of listening to all the moaners and complainers bellyaching about this and that. The only way to change your output is to change your input. You make your opportunities.

Dude. That PP **SENT HER CHILD TO SCHOOL**. Many of us did not have that option. Many of us did not have the option to get our kids extensive other opportunities for socialization. The point is that school is an entitlement; not something that we should just throw our hands up and say "oh well, everyone needs to "change their input."" I mean really, you're horrifically tone deaf.

Dude, we didn't have that option either but yet we MADE IT WORK. That isn't tone deaf. It is calling you out and telling you that you are more of the problem than anything else. The rest of us got with the program and made it work. You didn't. Your problem, not mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

Occasionally buying batteries for a smoke detector or buckling a seatbelt when you’re driving isn’t quite on par with asking a 5 year old to spend a year of learning sitting in front of an iPad and having no socialization with peers.

That wasn’t the choice most people were making.
Doing virtual school didn’t have to mean no socialization.
My 8 year old did virtual school and played outside on hikes and with kids in the neighborhood with masks. We did less in the winter but still did some. I don’t regret the choice - of course now i can see how much better things are but as parents we are also fully vaccinated now so it is different. We made the right choice at the time. We also sent my 5 year old to an in person kindergarten. And she played outside.

Everyone I know chose middle grounds, some a bit different than others. Last year was terrible in many ways but we made choices because we were rational and had to. And many many people did get covid last winter. Had one family been less cautious it wouldn’t have been much different for that family. The reality is though that if every or a large number of families had been less cautious it would have been worse. I am glad the majority of people in my community worked together to be reasonably safe. I am so happy to enjoy the time now with friends given that.

I mean - you had the option to send your 5 year old to in person K. that makes you very lucky compared to many of us! and also on the less cautious side. hopefully you can see that your family had many many more advantages than those of us stuck with only online learning and without all the social opportunities your kids had.

DP. Many of us made lemonade from lemons. Sounds like you didn't. What you see as lack of opportunities the rest of us saw as challenges to overcome. This past year was tough, don't get me wrong, but it was also one of the most relaxing years our kids have had. It was scary because of Covid and we had to totally revamp our lifestyle to adjust to online learning but our kids thrived because of the choices we, their parents, made so that they could thrive. For most of the people complaining, I saw that we had the same lack of options and the same lack of opportunities but we got our acts together and made it work. It was hard but we did it. I am tired of listening to all the moaners and complainers bellyaching about this and that. The only way to change your output is to change your input. You make your opportunities.

Dude. That PP **SENT HER CHILD TO SCHOOL**. Many of us did not have that option. Many of us did not have the option to get our kids extensive other opportunities for socialization. The point is that school is an entitlement; not something that we should just throw our hands up and say "oh well, everyone needs to "change their input."" I mean really, you're horrifically tone deaf.

Dude, we didn't have that option either but yet we MADE IT WORK. That isn't tone deaf. It is calling you out and telling you that you are more of the problem than anything else. The rest of us got with the program and made it work. You didn't. Your problem, not mine.

right, we were the only family struggling with DL. sure, sure, sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

Occasionally buying batteries for a smoke detector or buckling a seatbelt when you’re driving isn’t quite on par with asking a 5 year old to spend a year of learning sitting in front of an iPad and having no socialization with peers.

That wasn’t the choice most people were making.
Doing virtual school didn’t have to mean no socialization.
My 8 year old did virtual school and played outside on hikes and with kids in the neighborhood with masks. We did less in the winter but still did some. I don’t regret the choice - of course now i can see how much better things are but as parents we are also fully vaccinated now so it is different. We made the right choice at the time. We also sent my 5 year old to an in person kindergarten. And she played outside.

Everyone I know chose middle grounds, some a bit different than others. Last year was terrible in many ways but we made choices because we were rational and had to. And many many people did get covid last winter. Had one family been less cautious it wouldn’t have been much different for that family. The reality is though that if every or a large number of families had been less cautious it would have been worse. I am glad the majority of people in my community worked together to be reasonably safe. I am so happy to enjoy the time now with friends given that.

I mean - you had the option to send your 5 year old to in person K. that makes you very lucky compared to many of us! and also on the less cautious side. hopefully you can see that your family had many many more advantages than those of us stuck with only online learning and without all the social opportunities your kids had.

Where are you that your K kid never had the opportunity to go in person?

Not PP but there are still some school systems that are 100% virtual.
https://info.burbio.com/school-tracker-update-may-10/

This is about the Virginia not-FCPS suburbs though

I don't know where PP is, but there are still K-12 schools in the US that are still 100% virtual today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. If they’d offered surveillance or rapid testing in schools, I would have felt differently as both a parent and a staff member. They didn’t, and most of us who were in person with students before the vaccine was available have a pretty good idea why. I know people don’t want to hear this, but my personal experience is that schools have not been honest about reporting or contact tracing.

what schools weren’t doing any testing at all? and contact tracing is generally the responsibility of the health department. I was able to read the research and see that frequent asymptomatic testing wasn’t necessary for safety, and also be reassured by the lack of spread in open schools. We knew that as early as October if not earlier. people are really trying to rewrite history and wish we would forget that privates, parochials, and **all of NYC** successfully and safely reopened well prior to vaccines.

What public schools in NoVA were doing surveillance testing or rapid testing at the schools? Any? Certainly none in October.

Many of the schools that were able to open (privates, NYC, colleges, etc.) DID have extensive testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

This is 100% how I feel. There was such poor guidance from the government and we just had to make decisions based on our individual circumstances, as well as our interpretation of the information provided. I think I did a good job keeping my family and those in my bubble safe by being cautious.

I think Biden and the CDC are premature in their decision to lift mask recommendations. The country is so divided already and there is no way we can count on the general public to keep this under control. We are only socializing with vaccinated adults outdoors. Our kids still wear masks when playing with other children. Risking unnecessary mask wearing is way preferable to risking Covid.

That being said, schools should feel good about reopening 5 days a week in Sept. The data totally supports that and we feel great knowing that we have given it time to see how this played out, and now we can make an informed decision.

+1

In the fall 2020, our schools made reasonable choices to stay virtual. We didn't have the testing, PPE, or ventilation back then. And there was very limited data and projected impending fall surge.

But as vaccines became available the kids went back. And numbers are coming down. They will be way down by the fall so we will be back to almost normal. Masks are no big deal to my kids - they only needed around a week to adjust to those.

[Anonymous]

I lost my spouse and my mother to covid back in the fall. My child was just vaccinated. She will not return to school until next fall. When you haven't seen someone you love die, its pretty easy to think schools should have reopened earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house hasn’t caught on fire, but I don’t regret having working smoke detectors. I’ve never been in a serious car accident, but I don’t regret decades of wearing a seatbelt. I’ve never had an unintended pregnancy, but I don’t regret having used birth control. I took precautions to avoid covid. Maybe I wouldn’t have contracted it even if I wasn’t cautious, but that doesn’t make me regret the precautions. I make the best choices I can based on the information I have.

Occasionally buying batteries for a smoke detector or buckling a seatbelt when you’re driving isn’t quite on par with asking a 5 year old to spend a year of learning sitting in front of an iPad and having no socialization with peers.

That wasn’t the choice most people were making.
Doing virtual school didn’t have to mean no socialization.
My 8 year old did virtual school and played outside on hikes and with kids in the neighborhood with masks. We did less in the winter but still did some. I don’t regret the choice - of course now i can see how much better things are but as parents we are also fully vaccinated now so it is different. We made the right choice at the time. We also sent my 5 year old to an in person kindergarten. And she played outside.

Everyone I know chose middle grounds, some a bit different than others. Last year was terrible in many ways but we made choices because we were rational and had to. And many many people did get covid last winter. Had one family been less cautious it wouldn’t have been much different for that family. The reality is though that if every or a large number of families had been less cautious it would have been worse. I am glad the majority of people in my community worked together to be reasonably safe. I am so happy to enjoy the time now with friends given that.

I mean - you had the option to send your 5 year old to in person K. that makes you very lucky compared to many of us! and also on the less cautious side. hopefully you can see that your family had many many more advantages than those of us stuck with only online learning and without all the social opportunities your kids had.

Where are you that your K kid never had the opportunity to go in person?

Not PP but there are still some school systems that are 100% virtual.
https://info.burbio.com/school-tracker-update-may-10/

This is about the Virginia not-FCPS suburbs though

I don't know where PP is, but there are still K-12 schools in the US that are still 100% virtual today.

But she is posting on a board about schools in ARLINGTON. Here. Which means this is false. Sounds to me, until she says otherwise, she chose DL and couldn’t switch to in person and is mad. That’s on her for choosing it. The option WAS there. Same goes if she’s in a private K that didn’t open- she is posting on a public school forum. And in this area, her K kid WAS offered the opportunity to go in person this year .