B.C. parents on the hook for one more week as school return delayed

There’s panic for some parents in B.C. who may be wondering how they will make it through an unscheduled extra week of winter break for their kids.

Tuesday, Jan. 4 was supposed to be back to class day for most students. However, the province announced at the end of December it would be delaying that return for the majority of students due to COVID-19 and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

While some students are able to head back to class as of this week, families of many others are scrambling to find care, while a number of parents are forced to work from home — which can also come with challenges.

Angela Crocker, the author of Work From Home Zone, says carving out productive time while working remotely with kids around can be done.

The best ways to do so can vary, but she says when it comes to younger children, it’s about keeping them occupied with things like play or even extra screen time — which is okay.

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For older kids, she suggests a few things. One thing parents can do is involve them in their work if they can, with things like shredding old files or dusting bookshelves, even with a bit of pay if you are able to.

“But [kids] also need to know that you’re present, so it’s important to break up your work day — not just go to the office at 8 a.m. and ignore them until 6 p.m., but really spend some time and let them know, ‘Hey, we’re going to sit down and have lunch together at 12 o’clock,” Crocker said.

Sometimes, she says the best course of action is to just be frank with your children.

Crocker notes it can be helpful if you explain to your kids that you are working, have responsibilities, and acknowledge the reality of the situation.

“Often we can bring children to, say, a video meeting. They’re so excited, ‘mom’s got meetings, how cool is that!’ But, really, once they come to a Zoom call and they see all these adults talking, they’re bored and disinterested very quickly and they wave hello and go,” she told CityNews.

Ultimately, she says parents just need to do the best they can. She admits this week may not be the one to be an A+ parent and an A+ employee and there’s nothing wrong with that.

“A solid B is possible, so just look after yourself, do the best that you can.”

Under the plan unveiled on Dec. 29, kids of essential workers, as well as those who need extra support, will return to class as initially planned this week, depending on their school’s schedule. All other students will return on Jan. 10.

The additional week of break is meant to give schools, teachers, and staff time to develop and implement additional protocols to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said the province would also be working with public health authorities and districts to adjust testing strategies and modify the notification process in schools.

In Surrey, the district superintendent told families to prepare for the possibility of school closures and remote learning if too many staff get sick.

Jordan Tinney said the extra before the return to class would be used to prepare for the months ahead, including the possibility of functional closures, which could force students in some schools to move to online schooling for days at a time.

-With files from Nikitha Martins