Anyone else have Frozen 2 on repeat these days? Thanks Disney+… I mean really. THANK YOU but at the same time… kinda took the wind outta my sails for the Easter Bunny in a couple weeks.
Quarantine and social distancing are the rules right now. And of course my stubborn and rebellious side wants nothing more that to go out! Normally being at home is my catharsis. It is where I recharge as an introvert. I don’t have to be around people. Now that is literally what I am supposed to be doing and all I want is to go to a play place, museum, the zoo, ANYTHING.
Most of our day hasn’t changed though. We still do school in the morning, the husband still goes off to work (essential personnel), I still work on orders in between it all. But so many others have been thrust into a lifestyle they are not used to or prepared for. People are learning to work from home when they don’t have all their resources. Children are learning at home without their typical teachers, in a new format, and for some without the ability to access internet. Families who rely on food from school are trying to figure out how to eat during this time. Our school system has set up drive up services for many of these families. To be honest, I don’t know how it works or if it is working, but at least they are trying. Families are going without pay. A lot is up in the air for so many people right now.
I can’t answer all of your questions. I probably can’t help in most situations. But I have been homeschooling for 4 years now. Not a huge amount of time but enough that I have some words of wisdom (ok, maybe it is just unsolicited advice) for you.
SCHOOL DOESN’T HAVE TO BE STRESSFUL.
Your children have and will learn the same things over and over again on about a 3-4 year cycle, slowly building on prior knowledge. Is it stressful to have them home? Yes. Is it stressful to be thrust into a teaching position you didn’t want and don’t know how to do (or so you think)? Yes. Is it going to be ok? YES!
Most children are about to or have already started distance learning. This is new territory for everyone involved. There are going to be kinks. There are going to be breakdowns. Be kind to the teachers, they are doing the best they can. Be kind to yourself, you didn’t know this would fall on you. Be kind to your kids, their entire world just changed and they may not know how to handle it either.
If possible, don’t make your kid sit and do school work all day. Let them get up, take breaks, reset their mind. They learn so much just by living life. I am not saying your 16 year old doesn’t need any responsibility and should just play video games all day. I am not saying your 8 year old shouldn’t do their work just because they don’t want to. I am saying that 16 year old may have been dealing with stresses at school and can finally relax a little bit. Letting him/her play a couple hours of video games if everything else is done, may not be the end of the world. That 8 year old may not like doing the work because they don’t know how or they don’t understand the way they were taught. Use this time to try to figure out how they learn. Fill in the gaps they may have from having to keep up with the rest of the class. I am hoping most school systems will not be forcing kids to do 6-8 hours of school a day. If yours is, I am so sorry. From most people I have seen, the kids have just a few hours (if that) of work a day. My kids can get all of their school work done before lunch if they focus. It doesn’t have to take all day. Use the other time to let them relax, use their imagination, get bored (it is the catalyst to creativity), learn life (perfect time to teach about finances, oil changes, independent living, etc), and most importantly be kids! They are going to spend the rest of their life having to worry about deadlines, viruses, money and the like. For now let them enjoy the simplicity of it all (even if they don’t appreciate it now).
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