i will say, and was brought to my attention by my brother, that i'm pretty cut out for this whole lockdown business. maybe you are like me...i love doing puzzles and reading books. i love being outside in the backyard or taking long jogs around the neighborhood. i don't mind taking a break from the rat race of life and just breathing. i like an extra glass of wine, staying up late, sleeping in, and having a homemade breakfast with coffee in a mug every morning. i also have started about 29 projects in my house and i am currently hoping to be featured in Better Homes & Gardens: COVID Edition. during this scary and uncertain time, i'm choosing to try to stay positive. i miss teaching, my classroom, and my school kids terribly...but i am enjoying time with my own kids. am i homeschooling? hell no. my kids work on some basic academic skills for about an hour in the morning...and then we work on life skills. so far they've learned how to pitch a tent, prep and paint a room, climb a tree, and make my grandmother's chicken noodle soup. they have mastered many things...everything except loading and unloading the dishwasher.
to parents who are trying to juggle working from home and homeschooling your kids...relax (really). because of this virus, education is going to shift in many ways. actually, i think lots of things are going to shift in many ways. when we return back to school (whenever that is), teachers will figure it out. not to toot my own horn, but teachers are flexible, resilient...and always have your children's best interest at heart (toot, toot!). this year alone i had one child come in reading on a second grade level...and another that only knew 10 letters. this is education now (even pre-corona). these gaps will be filled and life will go on. (it always does.) for now, the best thing you can do is simply have your children read books or read to them. have them complete puzzles, build things out of cardboard boxes, paint, play board games...and even simply be bored. creativity lives in the boredom. in fact my second born said today, 'i'm bored.' and i replied with, 'good.' focus on whatever your district, county, or teachers recommend you complete...but don't dwell on it and make yourself nuts. it's not worth it.
education aside...in a time like this, it is easy to fall prey to anxiety. not having a normal daily routine can be difficult for a lot of people...especially kids. however, one of the shifts i've already seen...is people being more kind and more gentle with each other. checking in on family and friends via facetime or otherwise. reaching out and making an attempt to see that friends and family are 'okay.' i've enjoyed reconnecting with lots of people just this past week and if anything, relationships will grow stronger with people you care about because of this whole mess. finally, if you are feeling frustrated or bad about your life...i suggest you hop on over to netflix and watch tiger king. what in the weird white people business that is. every episode is more messed up than the last and it leaves you feeling like you actually have your life together (even if you don't). in closing, i hope every one of you that reads this is healthy and well. if you are still working, working from home, or working to keep your sanity...you are not alone. at the end of the day, if you need to saunter around naked wearing reindeer antlers and grab yourself another snack to feel better...it's okay. this too shall pass.
