During coronavirus scare, pay attention to what matters

OPINION:

It’s time for deep breathing and counting down to, say, at least April 13, the day after Easter.

Like pressure cookers, the COVID-19 whistles are blaring.

Parents are being told to work from home, and classrooms, labs and lecture halls are shuttered to teachers and students. (Ha! The kids are going to suffer as much as the parents.)

Houses of worship aren’t welcoming all at all hours of the day and night, and watering holes — the small-business places that grown folk depend on for deep breathing away from home — are shaking on their empty bar stools.

The cherry blossoms are at the ready, yet the entertainment world is temporarily taking a breather.

No NCAA tourneys, no MLB games, no NFL scouting, no flying NHL pucks.

Hollywood is postponing the opening of major releases, including Peter Rabbit’s debut to a new generation and a delay of Bond, James Bond.

And for goodness sake, Hollywood’s highly respectable knight in shining armor, Tom Hanks, and his actress wife, Rita Wilson, are self-quarantined in Australia after confirmation of contracting the coronavirus.

That NASCAR fans won’t get a chance to learn in person how to quickly change a tire is disappointing.

How long will all this go on? There’s no way to tell.

So, as life goes on, as you continue to breathe, focus on what matters.

Has your child’s college campus closed because of the coronavirus? Well, now is a good time, while they are home, to have them figure out exactly how much the school should be reimbursing you for unused room and board. You’ll be better positioned to pay for the food, shopping, gas out-of-school costs your kids run up while home on extended spring break.

As for parents with kids in K-12, are school districts really prepared for online teaching and learning?

The question and the answers are especially important in rural areas, which are still begging for internet service, and in the nation’s capital, where elected leaders, policymakers and unions want students tethered to classrooms sans desktops and laptops.

So much for teaching and learning in the 21st century.

The first to publicly ask if D.C. Public Schools are prepared to educate children outside of a schoolhouse wins a gold ring.

See, discovering (read: uncovering) what really matters to families and their children isn’t that difficult. Just breathe and pay attention to what matters. We can do this.

Science will handle the heavy lifting regarding the mad coronavirus.

• Deborah Simmons can be contacted at dsimmons@washingtontimes.com.