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Community Corner

Parents Lose Patience During Last Week's Storm

How did other Kennesaw moms cope with extended time at home?

Kennesaw area kids seemed to love it while some of us parents went a little stir crazy for the duration of the Cobb school closings last week.

I can’t remember when Cobb schools have ever been closed for five inclement weather days during the school year. Add to that weekends, Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and winter break, and you have a total of 27 days!

That’s almost equivalent to the entire month of February. This mom wants to know just how much is too much and how Kennesaw families felt about this moderate inconvenience?

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I heard parents complain about missed work days, aggravated bosses, and all the sacrifices they were making to accommodate the challenges of the weather.   

Some moms were quick to tell me they were being eaten out of house and home by their kids and everyone else on the block.

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Still, other parents complained about their child’s abundant energy and ever-growing boredom while cooped up inside the house.

And, when getting out of the house, who could overlook that wonderful mixture of sandy slush and rock salt being deposited on living room floors all over Kennesaw?

While standing in the grocery store line, attempting to purchase the last gallon of milk, I heard a woman say how this was going to impact her bottom line and limit her family’s vacation time this year.

As a parent myself, I assumed I knew how the majority of kids felt about the situation. However, being the responsible journalist I am, I thought I would take a poll. Survey says:

Out of the 10 kids I polled, the following adjectives came up: amazing, outstanding, killer, unbelievable, cool (in more ways than one), boring and awesome-transitioning-to-cabin-fever-that-eventually-subsides!

Other than fear of having to make up large volumes of missed school work, most of the students I spoke to were more concerned about how their extracurricular activities would be affected.

“As far as making up the missed days, I would rather make up the days over the February break. The summer is short enough already,” said 8th grade Awtrey Middle School student Jack Dimmett.

Another friend of mine pointed out their family had already made plans for the Cobb February break and their preference would be to add the time on to the end of the school year.

Either way, it will be impossible to please parents, teachers and students alike. A decision I’m glad I do not have to make.

Considering it is still early in our Georgia winter, I wouldn’t discount the possibility of more winter storms before all is said and done.

Keep stocked up on games, hot cocoa and marshmallows.

I would like to leave you with a final thought. Whatever the outcome or consequence, we are still luckier weather-wise than many. We have all been inconvenienced on various levels to varying degrees, but nothing we cannot overcome.

Enjoy a day off and the extra time with your kids even when forced by necessity. Count your blessings that you have a roof over your head and heat in your home.

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