I think it’s safe to say that most parents and guardians I know feel a mixed bag of emotions when it comes to their kids being back in the classroom. Our two boys were home 17 months from the beginning of the pandemic to now. 17 months!

They spent their entire school year last year in remote learning.

As school approached - my husband and I had some mixed feelings - excitement, elation, nervousness and more. In this podcast, I share some of my unfiltered thoughts and would love your thoughts too.

I know we are not out of the woods and I am so grateful that our school district has so many important safety precautions in place including masking, social distancing, new ventilation systems and so much more.

Seeing all the teachers applauded that first day back brings tears to my eyes. I am so grateful for all the great teachers.

I am grateful that our kids are off Zoom and at least for now can be safely back in school with their friends. I’m grateful for our teachers recognizing that most kids have not been in a physical classroom in sometime. I’m grateful for them focusing not just on grades but on the social and relational part of school and interacting that feels a bit new and foreign now even to adults.

I am grateful! How are you feeling about all of this? I would love to hear from you - send me a message or tag me in a post over on IG @katielance.

Additional links:

• LA Times: Back-to-school 2021 marks the third academic year the education of California’s 6 million children has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
• Podcast: Thoughts on ‘Getting Back to Normal’
• Podcast: Parenting During a Pandemic (an Update)
• Life 360 app
• Do you have ideas for topics for our podcast? Email me at [email protected]
• Visit me at KatieLance.com for more info about my speaking, consulting and our #​GetSocialSmart Academy​
• Follow me on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes into my life and business @katielance (Enjoying this podcast? Tag me on IG and let me know!)