Parental Preparedness

Four in five parents have thought about homeschooling their little ones for the upcoming school year, according to new research.

The poll of 2,000 parents of school-aged children found within that, 43% are seriously considering the option of homeschooling their children for the 2020-2021 school year. A quarter of parents revealed that if the decision to open schools back up was entirely in their hands, they wouldn’t allow their kids to go back in the fall.

Conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Crispy Green, the survey aimed to uncover what the “new normal” looks like for parents with kids going back to school in the fall (in-person or virtually).

Research revealed that of those who’ve considered homeschooling their kids, 81% have considered doing so due to escalating health concerns. And 82% of parents surveyed said they are more worried about sending their kids back to school than ever before.

Two-thirds said they’re concerned about keeping their kids healthy, while 61% are worried their kids won’t wash their hands properly during this unusual time amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, 49% plan on teaching their kids about the proper method of effectively and efficiently washing their hands.

Compared to previous school years, 64% of parents plan on spending more time talking with their kids about safety this year while 62% are planning on educating their kids about the importance of personal space. As a “new normal” evolves around education and schooling, 49% of parents surveyed say they’ll teach their kids how to use Zoom and other video conferencing programs.

Despite the preparations parents plan on doing, 77% of parents still feel their kids won’t be fully prepared for the upcoming “new normal” associated with going back to school. And three in four parents said getting the kids out the door will take a lot more time this year compared to previous ones.

On average, those three in four expect to add nearly 40 additional minutes to their morning routines.

And those same parents are having to spend more money on their kids’ school supplies in preparation of schooling’s “new normal,” expecting to spend an additional $147 on each kid this year to get them prepared for the upcoming school year. Before parents feel fully comfortable sending their kids back to school, over half (55%) want to see increased COVID-19 tests on-premises as well as temperature checks.

And 54% said they’ll only feel comfortable sending their kids back to school in-person if there are smaller classroom sizes to properly maintain social distancing measures.

“Whether kids will be virtually learning from home or going back to their physical school, parents will be hyper-focused on kids’ immune system to ward off ANY potential illnesses … including COVID,” said a spokesperson from Crispy Green.

“Good nutrition is at the top of the list, so parents will want to make sure their kids have access to healthy lunches and snacks throughout the day. Staying away from snacks with added sugar is a great way to help curb childhood obesity, which can lead to diabetes and other diseases.”

Surprisingly, 71% said their kids have actually handled the changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic much better than they would have at their child’s age.

“A true testament to a more agile society due to technology, health and educational advancements,” continued the Crispy Green spokesperson. “If this happened 25 years ago, there would be substantially fewer options to successfully manage these challenges.”

TOP 5 NEW BACK TO SCHOOL PARENTAL WORRIES

Staying healthy                                                                                                 66%

Making sure kids wash their hands properly                                                         61%

Ensuring kids maintain social distance while at school                                           59%

Participating in social activities                                                                            42%

Getting an adequate education/paying attention despite everything going on          37%

TOP 5 SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS PARENTS EXPECT BEFORE FEELING COMFORTABLE SENDING KIDS BACK

COVID-19 testing on-premises                                                                            55%

Temperature checks                                                                                           55%

Smaller classrooms (maintaining social distancing)                                               54%

Ample amounts of hand sanitiser                                                                        50%

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