CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – For kids, snow days may be all fun and games, but for those who take care of them, inclement weather can be an added layer of financial stress.
Now, in the midst of the third snowstorm in just the past two months, the number of days off from school is rising and central Virginians are scrambling to adjust.
“It’s definitely a puzzle piece,” said Shannon Williams, who lives in Charlottesville with her husband and two kids. “The night before it’s going to snow, we’re trying to figure out who we’ll get to see, anything we could do virtually, maybe, and then who’s watching the kids.”
Williams, who works as a therapist, says people in her neighborhood have been teaming up, working in shifts to take care of the kids while others work.
That meant on Wednesday afternoon, Williams and her husband were responsible for several excited kids at Meade Park.
“My husband and I both got to work this morning, and our neighbor watched our kids, and now there’s a couple more kids here that we’re watching,” Williams said.
Williams says she’s happy for the help but would not mind this being the last batch of snow.
“It’s sort of a mixture,” Williams said. “You lose some funds and it can be a little stressful, but it is really fun to be in the snow.”
Williams and her husband are not alone. Parents all across central Virginia are struggling to juggle kids and work.
“Everybody’s affected, but especially households with single parents or households where both parents are working,” said Eileen Barber, Lead Communications Specialist for ReadyKids. “It’s really hard to find last-minute childcare and we know that childcare is hard to come by regardless, so inclement weather just puts a strain on parents even more.”
Doug Straley, Superintendent for Louisa County Public Schools, says closing down is simply a matter of safety.
“When we have to call snow days and we have to cancel school, that’s never something that we want to happen and that’s never something that we take lightly,” Straley said. “We just want to make sure we’re making the right decisions and keeping our students and staff safe every day and not putting folks in danger.”
Straley says they are three snow days away from moving to virtual learning. LCPS also has longer school days, which means they have extra “bank time,” and have already made up for one of the snow days by having school on President’s Day.
“We want our students in school, we want them in front of their teachers,” Straley said. “When things get in the way and we face these obstacles, we all have to work together and get through it, and that’s what I’m so proud of our community for.”
Barber says if there’s one thing that families must do, it’s practicing grace.
“Grace for yourself, grace for your kids who are out of school and out of routine, and grace for your partner if you have one because we’re just doing our best,” said Barber.
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