Hilary Duff trust that her 8-years-old son can make the call regarding how he learns when it comes time to attend school this year.
The actress and singer says she and her family, which include 8-year-old son Luca Cruz, husband Matthew Koma and their daughter, Banks Violet, 20 months — are staying up to date with guidelines surrounding the coronavirus pandemic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That being said, when it comes to Luca heading into the third grade, they are taking it one step at a time.
“Luca goes to private school, and we’re just waiting to see what happens,” says Duff, 32. “For his emotional well-being, I think it would be great if he could go back to school, but also it depends on what that looks like.”
“If it’s just strictly learning and no social interaction … I guess I would let him make the choice,” she adds. “If he was going and it was super sterile and it wasn’t benefiting him [in a social way], I would be up for remote learning again.”
In the interim, Duff is proud of Luca for being “great about” wearing a face covering “from the beginning,” telling PEOPLE her son “doesn’t leave the house without remembering to get his mask out for the day.”
“I have a basket by the front door and he’s just in the habit of grabbing one and going out, or even if he’s playing in the front yard — we’ve had a few social-distanced [hangouts] with kids from his school,” says the Duff. “He has his mask looped around his ears and under his chin. It’s so cute. I’m like, ‘Aw, buddy.’ “
“[And Banks] will wear one for, like, 15 minutes. And she’s only 20 months, so that’s pretty good,” Duff continues. “If my 20-month-old daughter can do it for 15 minutes, adults can wear a mask for whatever errands they’re doing that day or whoever you have to see. It’s so important.”
And when it comes to adding to the family, Duff and Koma, 33, are “spread pretty thin right now” but want children soon.
“We’re obsessed with our kids and [we’re like], ‘Should we do one more? Is this a good time?’ ” she shares. “It’s tough because everything is so uncertain. Like, is it safe to have a baby right now? We don’t know. Can we hold on for two years or is work gonna be crazy?”
“We’re always kind of talking about it and toying with the idea, but nothing too serious yet,” Duff adds.