Parents and school administrators face a tough choice when it comes to sending children back to school.
CONTINUE ONWHETHER SCHOOLSHOULD BE IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL.A LOCAL DIRECTOROF MENTAL HEALTHSERVICES.
HASBEEN HELPING KIDSAND THEIR PARENTSTHROUGH THISPANDEMIC.
ANDURGESTRANSPARENCYFROM DISTRICTLEADERS ANDFLEXIBILITY WITHFAMILY'S NEEDS.OUR MADELINEWHITE ALSO SPOKEWITH A SOON-TO-BESIXTH GRADER ONWHAT THIS PANDEMICHAS BEEN LIKE FORHER."WHILE REMOTELEARNING IS APHYSICALLY SAFEALTERNATIVE FORMANY FAMILIES... ALOCAL EXPERT INCHILDRENS' MENTALHEALTH SAYS BASEDON WHAT HE'S SEEN-- HE HOPES SCHOOLADMINISTRATORSWILL CONSIDER THEMENTAL HEALTHIMPACTS... SOCIALISOLATION CANHAVE... ONDEVELOPINGCHILDREN."JESSICA - "I HAD ANEMOTIONALBREAKDOWN.BECAUSE I MISS ALLMY FRIENDS."THIS STUDENT OFWEST ADA SCHOOLDISTRICT SAYS SHEHAD TO DO A DRIVE-THRU FIFTH GRADEGRADUATIONINSTEAD OF BEINGWITH HER FRIENDS."WE WERE GOING TOSING WE ARE THECHAMPIONS.""WHEN YOU FOUNDOUT THAT IT HAD TOBE DIFFERENT, HOWDID IT MAKE YOUFEEL?""REALLY REALLYUPSET."SHE TELLS US WHATTHESE LAST FEWMONTHS HAVE BEENLIKE FOR HER."WHAT'S YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIKE?""BORING.
AND..JUST, AND.
EVENMORE BORING."ANSELME SADIKISAYS THESEFEELINGS ARECOMMON."THESE ARE SOMEOF THE ISSUES THATTHAT WE REALLYHAVE TO TALKABOUT."HIS TEAM ATCHILDREN'S HOMESOCIETY HAVE BEENCOUNSELING IDAHOCHILDREN THROUGHTHIS PANDEMIC.
HESAYS LONG-STANDING IMPACTSON KIDS' MENTALHEALTH HAVE YET TOBE SEEN."WE WON'TPROBABLY SEE IT INTHE NEXT YEAR ORTWO, BUT YA KNOW,TWO OR THREEYEARS DOWN THEROAD, WE'REPROBABLY GONNALOOK DOWN ANDREMEMBER THATKIDS WERE SO MUCHAFFECTED BY THEISOLATION."WHILE HEACKNOWLEDGES THERISK OFTRANSMISSION WITHSCHOOLSREOPENING"WE ARE LIVING IN AVERY CRITICALSITUATION RIGHTNOW."SADIKI SAYS HEHOPES SCHOOLLEADERS WILL WORKWITH PARENTS ANDDISCUSS THE GRAYAREAS"ENGAGING PARENTSINTO THATCONVERSATION ISVERY VERYIMPORTANT.""WE ALSO HAVE TOTHINK ABOUT THETEACHERS ASWELL.""IT TAKES ACTUALLYALL OF US TOREALLY KIND OFSHARE IDEASACTUALLY.""WHAT I DON'T LIKEIS PEOPLE SIMPLYTAKING JUST ONESTAND AND STAY I'MSTICKING WITH MYREASONING ANDSAYING, THAT'S IT I'MNOT GONNA CHANGEIT,' NO NO NO WECAN'T DO THAT."IT'S YET TO BEDECIDED HOWJESSICA WILLRETURN TO SCHOOL -BUT IN THEMEANTIME.
LIKE SOMANY OTHERSACROSS THECOUNTRY.THE 11YEAR OLD SAYS ISDEALING WITH SOMECOVID INDUCEDANXIETY."IT'S KINDA LIKEREALLY SCARY."IF YOUR CHILDRENNEED HELP REACHOUT TO CHILDREN'SHOME SOCIETY OFIDAHO.
THEY ACCEPTMEDICAID AND ALSOACCEPT PAYMENTSON A SLIDING SCALEBASED ON INCOME."FOR MORE REPORTSAND TIPS ONNAVIGATING THEBACK-TO-SCHOOLDILEMMA THAT SOMANY IDAHOANSFACE VISIT THE"BACK TO SCHOOLSAFELY" TAB ON OURWEBSITE IDAHONEWS 6 DOT COM.MADELINE WHITE.IDAHO NEWS 6."AND YOU CAN JOINUS LIVE ONFACEBOOK...TOMOR
WATCH: Madison County officials hold coronavirus news conference for July 31
