Dear Parents, If Your Teens Aren’t Home Right Now You Are Part Of The Problem

Dear Parents, why aren’t you keeping your teens home?

Sure, your state may have loosened up on their stay at home orders but you know what hasn’t loosened up? The virus.

Sorry to break it to you, but just because a Governor or The President says it’s time to reopen things (slowly) that doesn’t mean the virus is magically gone.

While we need to keep the economy open, there is a smart way to go about it. A safe way. A way that still includes you and your family staying home as much as possible to slow the progression of the virus until a solution/vaccine/cure is found.

So, why is it that you are allowing your teens to run around and hang out in crowds of friends like it’s Spring break or summer?

I remember what it was like being a teen (which really wasn’t that long ago) and in case you don’t, let me enlighten you.

Teens hang in large crowds.

Teens share chapstick, hair ties, drinks and more importantly, teens swap saliva.

*Gasp* Teens are kissing and sharing things with each other?! I know shocker, right?

But here’s what that means – it means that unless you are keeping your teens home, (the entire reason that kids are out of school in the first place) you are part of the problem rather than the solution.

I don’t know about you but I plan to be part of the solution which includes keeping me and my kids home as much as possible to help slow the spread of the virus and give our healthcare system a fighting chance.

And look, I get keeping teens home is hard.

In fact, I think teens have it the hardest. At their age, friends are the MOST important thing to them.

But guess what? I’d like to argue that while friends are important, a human life is even more important.

They can have social distance interaction with their friends, create TikTok challenges safely in their own homes and still text each other.

All of those things can be maintained at a distance. There is no reason your kids should be hanging out in parking lots or chillin’ with their bff’s right now.

They can pick back up on these friendships when this is all over. Trust me, it’ll be okay.

But do you know what can’t be brought back? A person.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, a human life should be worth more than anything right now.

We should ALL be protecting one another and at all costs.

If your reasoning is the economy, I get it. Go support your local businesses, buy take out, order from small businesses online, etc.

Hanging out with your friends (or your kids doing it) right now is NOT helping anyone but yourself.

Life is unfair right now for everyone and if you aren’t keeping your teens home because you feel like their feelings are more important over someone else’s life, then you are part of the problem.

I am not bashing you as a parent and I get that we are all entitled to our own opinions but instead of thinking it as an “opinion” think of it as a matter of a life or death situation.

What IF your teen had the virus and spread it to a friend. Then that friend spread it to their grandparents and they died?

I am not being dramatic, I am being realistic. It CAN happen so, the question then becomes, are you willing to risk that? Are you willing to risk another life so your kids can hang out with their friends?

Things will get back to normal at some point but right now we need to flatten the curve and we can if we keep our families home with us as much as possible. It’s up to us parents to ensure our kids are safe at home and not further spreading this virus by being human petri dishes.

I beg you, just keep your teens home!