Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our NoVa private also requires eating outdoors and also zero talking while eating. I hate to think of the damage this is causing generations of kids. My kids describe trying to whisper to the person six feet away outdoors while the teachers walk a bit away.

OMG what is wrong with you people?!? Drama much?? My kids have been eating outside; yes, it is cold; yes, it is only 20 minutes; it is what we are doing right now. BFD!! Get a grip, parents. Our children are watching and learning how to cope with life - they will always be presented with challenges. Resilience is a good thing to learn to develop.

+1
Yes it's cold...do our kids mind: No.
Carry on.

People are dying, I don't mind if my kids have to eat outside. Perhaps for the young ones it seems a bit cruel, but there are many people still going to hospital so a little fresh air won't do my kids any harm. I think everyone should try to gain some perspective.

I suspect most parents on here mocking have been teleworking for much or all of the pandemic, wearing a mask only for a quick errand. Unless you have a job in which you must double mask or n95/face shield 8+ hours a day, you have no idea how fatiguing it is. I’m not anti-mask. I wear a mask every day at work. It’s especially hard on those with underlying asthma.

Before you mock these kids, you should live in your kids’ shoes. Try wearing a double mask all day every day next week and eat your lunch outside and try to feel some empathy for what are kids are experiencing. Eat your lunch in a chair with your lunch on your lap (no table). Is it uncomfortable for your hands in 25 degree weather? The teachers and adminstrators get to eat inside in comfort. Your only break is when you use the bathroom and you can take off your mask in the stall. That’s what our fully vaccinated and boosted kids are living Monday through Friday. I feel for them. You should too.

Anonymous wrote:I’m genuinely perplexed by the outdated attitudes, Covid or no Covid. Outside is good, even in extreme cold. I know it’s become popular for some parents to take a regular swing at the schools, but frankly don’t be ridiculous.

The babies who nap in sub-zero temperatures http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21537988

My daughter napped outside and ate outside, but she never had to sit on concrete floor in subfreezing temperatures to lean forward trying to eat lunch with bare hands. Kids who eat outside at schools have to sit on concrete floors mostly. Because not enough picnic tables... I think it is child abuse to make them sit on concrete floors.

Anonymous wrote:I’m genuinely perplexed by the outdated attitudes, Covid or no Covid. Outside is good, even in extreme cold. I know it’s become popular for some parents to take a regular swing at the schools, but frankly don’t be ridiculous.

The babies who nap in sub-zero temperatures http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21537988

I think it is well known that cooler temperatures are in general better for sleeping.

I'm a PP talking about elementary school kids having class outside most of the day - math, writing, etc. while their hands are freezing and they can barely write.

If my boss told me I had to sit outside and work all day on my laptop in 20 degree weather, I would quit.

How is a little cold fresh air harmful to the same children who “choke” under mask mandates? Call the police and the firemen!

I’m genuinely perplexed by the outdated attitudes, Covid or no Covid. Outside is good, even in extreme cold. I know it’s become popular for some parents to take a regular swing at the schools, but frankly don’t be ridiculous.

The babies who nap in sub-zero temperatures http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21537988

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our NoVa private also requires eating outdoors and also zero talking while eating. I hate to think of the damage this is causing generations of kids. My kids describe trying to whisper to the person six feet away outdoors while the teachers walk a bit away.

OMG what is wrong with you people?!? Drama much?? My kids have been eating outside; yes, it is cold; yes, it is only 20 minutes; it is what we are doing right now. BFD!! Get a grip, parents. Our children are watching and learning how to cope with life - they will always be presented with challenges. Resilience is a good thing to learn to develop.

So is common sense, and a respect for real medicine and science. Neither of which is being displayed in the situation that OP describes.

It's common sense to avoid transmission of a highly contagious aerosol virus with unknown long-term effects. Vaccines are incredibly helpful but insufficient as a stand-alone tool to prevent infections. These are facts grounded in "real medicine and science." OP's hand-wringing about her child eating in the cold is not common sense. It is entitlement and a refusal to accept pandemic realities. OP clings to the idea that we can return to life pre-pandemic as it was. We can't. We can - and must - adjus to keep our children in school as safely as possible. Moving forward and living with the virus means that we should embrace all tools at our disposal, especially during waves of high transmission. Vaccines. High-quality masks. Ventilation technologies. And yes- adjusting behaviors to mitigate risk as best as we can. We are the adults. We should be leading and protecting instead of whining. This is how we model resilience to our kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our NoVa private also requires eating outdoors and also zero talking while eating. I hate to think of the damage this is causing generations of kids. My kids describe trying to whisper to the person six feet away outdoors while the teachers walk a bit away.

OMG what is wrong with you people?!? Drama much?? My kids have been eating outside; yes, it is cold; yes, it is only 20 minutes; it is what we are doing right now. BFD!! Get a grip, parents. Our children are watching and learning how to cope with life - they will always be presented with challenges. Resilience is a good thing to learn to develop.

So is common sense, and a respect for real medicine and science. Neither of which is being displayed in the situation that OP describes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school hasn't been eating outside, and we're disappointed, because it's something parents have asked them to look into.
It feels like an easy thing to do for a short period of time to protect the entire community.
(It it's made equally more frustrating because our former, amazing, HOS, is doing it at their new school.)

OP again. Agree that it's a good idea overall. But surely there can and should be flexibility and common sense involved when weather is bad or very cold.

I SO wish our school had the kids eat outside. Our admin doesn't because of parents like you. The virus doesn't care if your kid is cold or that you are tired of the pandemic. And, for the millionth time, just because your kid doesn't end up in a hospital doesn't mean that this virus is mild or will not create longer term health concerns. It is under reported because no one wants to read it, but long covid is worrying, and is occurring with vaccinated people. I'm so frustrated that our generation is doing such a horrible job protecting our children. The physical and mental health repercussions of the pandemic are and will be staggering, all because parents don't want to deal with inconvenience.

Anonymous wrote:Our NoVa private also requires eating outdoors and also zero talking while eating. I hate to think of the damage this is causing generations of kids. My kids describe trying to whisper to the person six feet away outdoors while the teachers walk a bit away.

OMG what is wrong with you people?!? Drama much?? My kids have been eating outside; yes, it is cold; yes, it is only 20 minutes; it is what we are doing right now. BFD!! Get a grip, parents. Our children are watching and learning how to cope with life - they will always be presented with challenges. Resilience is a good thing to learn to develop.

Anonymous wrote:Totally ok. In Sweden people leave babies outside. My issue is with the reduced parking because “poor huddling children”

LOL. I’m now imagining paying $50k to have our kids huddled around a burning oil drum eating beans out of cans.

Quelle horreur!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My vaccinated elem. kid eats outside - no garage, no tent, and no heat lamps! They have been having class outside, as well. His hands are so cold he can't write.

Costco sells ski gloves for $11 and pocket warmers and puff coats and parkas.

PP here. He has all that. He wears snowpants and brings blankets. But it's hard to write with ski gloves on, so he takes them off. Can you picture it?

Is this a private school? I am assuming so. Shame on the school administration.

Yes it is. They are very proud of their low covid transmission rate.

I don't think public schools could get away with this.

I love how you seem irritated about that low transmission rate...

PP again. Not only are they outside for many hours a day, but when they are inside, it is almost just as cold because they keep all the windows open for ventilation.

Vaccination is mandatory and there is weekly testing. So while yes, I am happy about the low transmission, I do think it's overkill.

Won't somebody think of the children!