"Home Schooling"

This week we began “Home Schooling”. I put that in quotes, because I am in no means trying to be a teacher. I am not a teacher, I am a mom, who is trying to get her “students” aka children, settled to do their assignments so I can make it to my 9am meeting on time and not look like a crazed lunatic.
 
First, I have to say, I am grateful every minute of every day, that my children are 12 and 15. I know there are so many of you with younger children trying to hold it down. Let’s just pause for all those mom’s out there. If your child is 10 or under and you are working from home (or you are just locked in your house with them 24/7) I applaud you and wish I could send you a babysitter, a full time cook, a house cleaner and lifetime supply of wine and chocolate. May the force be with you mamas.
 
Ok, back to “Home Schooling”. My son and all his friends always squeeze in one or two video games before school – on Monday they are all online chatting, when I hear – “school is cancelled for the year!”  Wait, what? I don’t watch the news, so I had no idea what he was talking about. After a little searching, he was indeed right. After three weeks of spring break, on the morning the kids are supposed to get serious and excited to learn, the governor declares schools will stay closed through the end of the year…………. My mind goes blank……… Now what are we supposed to do……….
 
The rest of my morning went something like this:
 

• This doesn’t change this week’s assignments that the teachers worked so hard to put together. Print out the sheets and get them done.
• Don’t miss my 8:30 meeting.
• What about all the kid’s stuff at school, how will they get it?
• Don’t miss my 9:30 meeting.
• What about 6th grade memory night?
• Did I answer that urgent email about that thing?
• What about the clap out on the last day of school?
• Don’t forget my 10 am meeting.
• Did Brad get logged into his math book to complete is assignment?
• Is Riley up yet?
• Did everyone get the latest corporate COVID email?
• Is it lunch time already?
• I can’t believe I won’t get to see Riley play softball again…..
• Is Everyone doing their work?
• Wait, this means the kids will be at home through at least the end of July…….what are they going to do……..

 
Each of the above felt like a wave, some were easy to ride, while others knocked me down.
 
Riley assures me the high school Sophomores have the best attitude – it’s not their first year and it’s not their last, so they are all totally fine with high school being closed, but I know she’s missing her friends and her freedom. Next week she can get her driver’s permit, she’s been counting down for months and now…..that too is on hold.
 
I feel bad for Brad, who has gone to the same school since Kinder and now will leave with barely a whisper. The last day of school volleyball game and the big puffy art projects hanging in the MPR, these are traditions only the 6th graders get to do and after watching for years, he won’t get to participate as he expected.
 
Is any of this the end of the world? No, but we can still be sad. Earlier this week Brad asked me if I was ok? I told him the truth – “No, right this minute, I’m not ok, but I will be ok in a little bit.” It’s important our kids see our emotions, that it is ok to express them and witness how we work through them.
 
So, if you couldn’t tell, I’m not stressing over home schooling, there are far too many other things going on in the world to worry about the difference between finding the area of a parallelogram vs. the area of a trapezoid. I’m asking the kids to do their best, to make an effort and I’m helping them when and where I can. They are not going to “fall behind”. They are not going to end up jobless in ten years because they missed a zoom call with their class. This is a time to let them explore their interests and to feel their feelings. We are all figuring this out as we go, be gentle.    
 
Heart-FULLy yours, 
Kacey

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Photo by Sven Brandsma on Unsplash