The easiest thing in the world... for me
Today I spent finishing getting all the groceries I bought yesterday sorted out. I did a lot of blanching and freezing. It always takes longer than I expect it to by the time you wait for each step to be done. Tomorrow we are back to business as usual, which means that the school schedule begins again.
In some ways, our life (that would be mine and the school age children) has changed very little. We just have fewer places we need to be. (This is not true for J. and our adult and college age children... their typical schedule and money earning is completely turned upside down.) But really, it's the easiest thing in the world for us to get up in the morning, do some math, do some grammar, and head back to ancient Egypt. It's just how we live our lives. We're used to it.
As a result, I struggle with what to write. I don't want to just seem that life is normal, because it is so very far from normal. I would love to offer encouragement to those for whom this living and learning at home all together, all the time is new and different and feels very far from easy. I see photos of schedules that people have created to organize their days. Some are... ambitious. I want to say to them, "Dial it back! This looks unsustainable." But I don't because I remember creating rather similar schedules in my earlier days of homeschooling. (And yes, they were unsustainable, but I needed to learn that for myself.) I see other parents wondering how on earth their child will learn anything because they are already getting push back. I want to say this is not really a learning at home issue, this is a family dynamic issue. But for parents who are already stressed and edgy, hearing that is not going to help them calm themselves so they can look for the deeper dynamics which are going on outside of learning long division. And then there are the parents who disdain any idea that they are homeschooling. Their children will do the lessons assigned, but that is not their job. I so desperately want them to see what they are missing out on. There is such great joy in being the one to be there when your child discovers something new or finally figures something out.
The bottom line? When people are stressed and nervous and doing the best they can at that moment, unsolicited advice is never welcome. So here I am, one who usually has more than enough words to write about educating one's children at home, with nothing to say. The best I can do? Be gentle with yourselves and your children. This will not make or break anyone's academic career. This will not determine who is a successful adult. Academic skills can be picked up at any time; there is no window that closes when one can no longer learn to multiply, name the parts of speech, or write a five paragraph formal essay. It is your relationship with your child that matters. It is how you help them navigate this suddenly upside down world.
In some ways, our life (that would be mine and the school age children) has changed very little. We just have fewer places we need to be. (This is not true for J. and our adult and college age children... their typical schedule and money earning is completely turned upside down.) But really, it's the easiest thing in the world for us to get up in the morning, do some math, do some grammar, and head back to ancient Egypt. It's just how we live our lives. We're used to it.
As a result, I struggle with what to write. I don't want to just seem that life is normal, because it is so very far from normal. I would love to offer encouragement to those for whom this living and learning at home all together, all the time is new and different and feels very far from easy. I see photos of schedules that people have created to organize their days. Some are... ambitious. I want to say to them, "Dial it back! This looks unsustainable." But I don't because I remember creating rather similar schedules in my earlier days of homeschooling. (And yes, they were unsustainable, but I needed to learn that for myself.) I see other parents wondering how on earth their child will learn anything because they are already getting push back. I want to say this is not really a learning at home issue, this is a family dynamic issue. But for parents who are already stressed and edgy, hearing that is not going to help them calm themselves so they can look for the deeper dynamics which are going on outside of learning long division. And then there are the parents who disdain any idea that they are homeschooling. Their children will do the lessons assigned, but that is not their job. I so desperately want them to see what they are missing out on. There is such great joy in being the one to be there when your child discovers something new or finally figures something out.
The bottom line? When people are stressed and nervous and doing the best they can at that moment, unsolicited advice is never welcome. So here I am, one who usually has more than enough words to write about educating one's children at home, with nothing to say. The best I can do? Be gentle with yourselves and your children. This will not make or break anyone's academic career. This will not determine who is a successful adult. Academic skills can be picked up at any time; there is no window that closes when one can no longer learn to multiply, name the parts of speech, or write a five paragraph formal essay. It is your relationship with your child that matters. It is how you help them navigate this suddenly upside down world.
Comments