I started homeschooling my first child in 2006, when he was 5 years old. I was a homeschooling Mom for the following 12+ years. We have participated in Co-ops, Virtual School, Hybrid Schools, and Community Resource Classes. It was, to this day, the most challenging work I have ever attempted. Honestly, though, I loved it. I am really close to each of my children...and I attribute the culture of homeschooling for a lot of that.
We were never the ‘homeschool or die’ type, though. We had a motto: Every Year, Every Child. Each year we contemplated the needs of each child, individually. We’ve had, by grace, many successes, but not without some significant misses in the mix, as well.
Currently, my youngest two are in Public School, and I looooove it so much I want to marry it, you guys. Ironically, though, our middle son started public school only 2 months ago...he’s still in the honeymoon phase. Last Wednesday was his last day, for who knows how long. Sad sigh.
With the Coronavirus causing all of us to embark on virtual school at home, I have been receiving some questions from my friends. For those of you new to this, these would be my top guiding principles. I hope they help.
You Be You… Perhaps the most difficult mindset to overcome as a homeschooling mom is the never relenting voice telling you that you should be doing more, using (fill in the blank) curriculum, or able to do everything Karen does the way Karen does it. Nobody even likes Karen*.
As with most things, experience breeds confidence. Since your curriculum will be provided, just educate your children out of your natural, God given gifts, talents, and personalities. You be You. If you like structure and lists, use them. If you find peace in a more creative, free-form schedule, do that. (I am 100% not endorsing Unschooling...yes, that’s legit a thing that makes homeschoolers look only slightly worse than non-ironic jean jumpers.)
Keep a Macro Vision...We will probably be back to school in 1-2 month’s time. Your child isn’t going to not get into college because schooling is a little shifty right now. Just keep the main things the main things. Focus on your child’s reading, writing, and math skills. Find simple ways to cultivate their creativity. You don’t need $400 worth of extra materials. Use what you have, and do what you can.
Some Practicals...My youngest has special needs, so I highly doubt that virtual schooling is going to play any significant part of her day. She will be missing speech therapy, and OT, along with everything else. I ordered a Handwriting Without Tears book to help maintain her writing. I have a large supply of library books in the subjects that I know she is interested in...books I read to her, and beginning readers that she can practice reading to me. We will use Starfall and some other online sites that her teachers provide us. Our treadmill and Spotify playlists will be her gym class. For her, it is exceedingly important that I provide a daily routine with clear expectations, consistency and structure. How are we going to do this... and actually work from home? All hands on deck, and one day at a time. I fully expect that I will find myself talking to my cat on my closet floor playing Solitaire in SOLITUDE. Cue Patsy Cline’s: Crazy….
Kidding but 100% not kidding. This ain’t my first rodeo.
Opportunity...During the European Plague’s version of social distancing, Sir Issac Newton developed early theories of optics and calculus. I 100% have negative zero percent expectations that I will never contribute any sort of mathematical or scientific theorems to our planet, under the best of circumstances. However...it did get me thinking... how can I take advantage of this ‘extra time’ not driving here and there, and going to this and that. I went out and bought a bunch of paints and have been binge watching tutorials on The Dutch Pour Method. I even ordered a torch for the process…(Owen has been asking me to purchase one for his flan, you guys...said totally defensively.) Are you nervous I’ll burn my house down? I’m not saying you're wrong...but, I digress... All this to say...encourage your kids, encourage yourself, to use this time as an opportunity to do some of the things that you always tell yourself you will get too, one day, when you have the time. Read the books, do the puzzles, bake the cookies, light the torches.
Stay Connected to your People...Ok, for real. This is where the rubber meets the road. Life right now not only demands an entirely new set of uncharted rhythms for ALL of us, it’s going to push most us in the direction of anxiety or dread. You MUST make a decision today that you will give yourself and your loved ones the space and grace to embrace the suck, as my son’s drill sergeant says. Jobs and stocks, the economy, our health, virtual schooling, toilet paper famine (am I really even having to write this?), food supplies, struggling loved ones/neighbors...so many things to keep us up at night with rapid pulses. Journal, read, pray, serve others, exercise, drink water, do all the things...but above all, fight the urge to isolate. Homeschooling is hard enough, in and of itself. Try to embrace this as unforeseen extra time with the kids…they grow up and leave ridiculously fast. And when you want to bang your head against a wall...which I promise you, you will...go to ‘The Twitter’ and watch hilarious tweets of grown adults making hand puppet videos out of sheer boredom on Day 6 of the Quarantine. You will feel a little less alone. And somehow, knowing we are all in the same Social Distancing ship together, makes it that much more bearable.
*https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/karen/
WHAT DOES KAREN MEAN?
Karen is a mocking slang term for an entitled, obnoxious, middle-aged white woman. Especially as featured in memes, Karen is generally stereotyped as having a blonde bob haircut, asking to speak to retail and restaurant managers to voice complaints or make demands, and being a nagging mother from Generation X.