I have spent my morning attempting to assist my second- and fifth-graders with their online APS schooling, while also attempting to “work from home.” The kids are in tears and I sit here a wreck myself, un-showered, house a mess with a pile of work still to do. It’s 3:15 p.m.
I have also spent the day writing letters to our government officials letting them know of the extreme mental and emotional toll this is taking on N.M. families. I have attached my letter to the governor. … (Here are some excerpts from the letter:)
“I appreciate your commitment to New Mexico, and I appreciate your efforts to keep our state well. With that being said, I need to let you know, from a parent’s perspective, how you are failing us by keeping schools closed. This is not working.
“You currently have overwhelmed children, on screens all day, being bombarded with online assignments, without any social outlets, being supported by overwhelmed parents. As parents we are doing our best to maintain our children’s schedules – multiple children = multiple schedules – by being a teacher, lunch lady and custodian.
“We are doing all of this, while still attempting to work our jobs from home and maintain a loving and supportive space for our children. Our work is suffering, our relationships are suffering and, above all, our mental health is suffering. In fact, our mental health as a society will be crippled by this if we do not do something soon, and then the consequences of COVID-19 will be far greater than we could have ever imagined.
“There has to be another solution. We have to work harder to support the greater good, rather than just the good of those considered high risk in regards to COVID-19.
… I am asking you to put your political motives to the side and take a real look at what is best for NM families. I will be urging others to email you to ask you to consider real action to prevent the tragedies that will affect us in the years to come because of your decisions during this pandemic. I cannot be silent any longer.”
