Working parents with vulnerable kids face a painful choice: In-person school or job loss

While Boatright’s husband has had to go back to his office a few days a week, her job as a music teacher allows her to work from home, and she expects to do so as long as needed. “It’s not ideal to teach lessons with ‘Sesame Street’ going in the background, but my students have been very understanding, and I know it’s a very privileged place to be,” she says. That doesn’t stop her from worrying about the impact the situation will have on her son, who is about to enter kindergarten. “I’m not concerned about his ability to excel academically at home for a little while, but I am concerned about the isolation,” she says. “Still, there is nothing more isolating than being in [the] hospital, so I think the wiser choice will be to wait until he can get the vaccine. I think we’d regret it if we didn’t.”