What Would You Do?

December 11, 2014

Living in Northern California, just south of Sacramento, we have been experiencing an extreme drought all year.  Now, it looks as though we are finally being sent some rain.  No complaints as we really need this water, however, the storm looks as though it’s going to deliver our much needed water all at once.

The Pineapple Express is expected to be the “fiercest storm” in wind and rain since 2009.  Weather stations have predicted up to 9″ of rain in Northern California, with 3″ of rain and winds up to 60 mph just in the Sacramento area in just 2 days.  This has gotten the city and schools doing their due diligence to be prepared for the warnings of flash flooding, power outages, falling trees and limbs . . .

So, I ask, what would you do?  Bay area schools are closed today due to concerns related to the storm.  Our schools are not.  We have 3 boys in 3 different schools and, usually, we walk.  The elementary school is only 1/2 a mile away, the high school almost 1.5 miles away and the middle school just past there, almost 2 miles away.  The traffic on a “good” day at these schools is completely insane, hence, WALKING to school (besides it’s healthy!).  I can’t imagine what traffic would be like in heavy rains along with extreme winds.  I don’t know about where you live, but when the weather is bad here, the drivers become worse – forgetting pretty much how to drive all together . . . let alone watching for the mass exodus of children (or teens) when school is finally out.  Just not a great combination any way you look at it.

So, I wanted to keep my kids at home today.  My middle-schooler insisted on going today as it is such a burden to make up work when they miss school, and yes I admit it, he’s a brainiac – a studious but lovable nerd.  So my husband only took him about half way to school this morning and I will pick him up an hour or so after school gets out at the library. Hopefully by then, the traffic will have died down.  Or at least I can only hope.  My kindergartner was an easy decision.  I mean how much is he really going to miss?  Then there’s the high-schooler – I didn’t have to ask him twice if he wanted to stay home.

Don’t get me wrong.  I NEVER take my kids out of school early or let them miss to play “hooky”.  In fact, when my older two were little and stayed home sick, I made them even more miserable if I wasn’t really sure if they didn’t feel well.  I instilled the responsibility of school in them early on and it’s never been a problem.  We have never even taken them out to leave for vacation.  We plan around their schedules.

What would you do with your kids in this situation?