VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — We are days away from the start of school and many working parents are facing the same challenges they faced last spring. How do they make sure their kids’ are doing their online classes while they juggle a full-time job?
It’s a new reality many parents are trying to grapple with.
“It’s a balancing act. I’m just trying not to drop one of those plates that are all in the air and figure it out,” explained Ashley Harris.
Harris has a 9-year-old son named Parker. She’s a single mom, works full-time, goes to school and is in the process of moving.
She said, “It’s kind of been a fly by the seat of your pants situation. I’ve kind of just come up with plan B, plan C, plan D as I go, and we are dealing with life as it comes.”
She is just one parent facing the difficult dilemma of how to tackle the unexpected responsibilities of educating their children. Her son attends Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Officials at VBCPS decided to start the school year virtually
“I stand by their decision as frustrating as it may be for myself and everyone else,” she said. “I stand by what they chose.”
Harris said her son is in another state right now so she can continue working full-time, but when school starts, he will get help from a family friend.
“She is going to do virtual learning with him in the fall. I will be sending him there through at least the month of September and we will see what happens after that,” Harris explained.
Harris promises, whatever happens, everything is going to be OK.
“My son and myself we are a team and we will get through it,” she explained.