From toddlers to teens, Tennessee parents are juggling work and kids during lengthy school closures

A dangerous mix of ice and snow has kept Tennessee students out of school most of this week, and parents are juggling work duties while tending to their kids.

Tens of thousands of Tennesseans remain without power and many others are dealing with the fallout of water main breaks. On top of that, many families’ routines have been upended by lengthy school closures.

‘She got really cold…we had to rescue her’

Carmil Bailey and her teenaged son, Carson, have spent the last few evenings playing board games and trying to keep their bearded lady dragon warm after their Antioch home lost power early Sunday morning.

The family pet lizard stopped moving and became lethargic after the house’s temperature dropped down to 54 degrees.

“When the lights go out, they have no source of warmth,” Bailey told WPLN News. “She got really cold. So, we had said rescue her.”

They filled the lizard’s tank with blankets to keep her warm.

Their power was restored around 10 p.m. on Sunday — just in time for Carson’s fourteenth birthday on Monday.

“It kind of became his own midnight celebration. We made a pizza because we suddenly had power and we could actually cook,” she said. “But it became a nice little intimate celebration.”

Bailey’s son is a teenager and able to entertain himself while she works remotely.

Families with newborns ride out Nashville’s ice storm

‘It’s been really difficult’

Sarah Ebel, on the other hand, has two young daughters — a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old — who require much more attention.

Ebel is also pursuing her doctorate and, she said, managing her children while they’ve been home from school all week has made completing her work nearly impossible.

“Even if you get them occupied with an activity, they’re going to call you over. They’re going to need something,” she told WPLN News. “I feel like I’m just getting more and more behind with every passing minute.”

Ebel gets some reprieve, however, thanks to a network of parents in her East Nashville neighborhood that have been taking turns hosting playdates the last few days. Her toddler is too young to participate so Ebel must tend to her while trying to work.

“It’s been really difficult,” she said.

The 2-year-old’s daycare is still without power and many of the teachers live in nearby counties with backroads that are not yet safe for driving.

Snow days can disrupt learning and routines. Here are some tips for supporting students when they return to school.

Out of days

Schools in Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Cheatham and Williamson counties are closed for the remainder of the week, while students in Wilson County are scheduled to return to class on Friday

Sean Braisted, spokesperson for MNPS, told WPLN News that remote learning was impractical this week due to the volume of homes without power. He also noted that, at the time, the school district had not yet utilized all of their available inclement weather days.

However, as of Friday, MNPS will have used all of those days for the year.

The district has the option of seeking a state waiver of the 180 day classroom instruction requirement. The wavier is available in the event of a natural disaster.