We decided to stay home and social distance ourselves starting Friday. Today is the fifth day of that–not that far in when you consider some of the projections we are hearing out there. Nevertheless, I have learned a few lessons along the way that I would like to share.
Iterations
Today is the third day of “homeschooling” and our third schedule. We are hacking this through iterations. I didn’t spend hours thinking up the perfect schedule and then print and laminate it. I made a schedule, tried it, made many notes to myself, and made a different one the next day.
This entire social distancing will have to be one iteration at a time. I learned better to do school work before outside play (it’s hard to wrangle the kids in). Learning activities geared towards my toddler are better done with all of us together, and school work for my first-grader is better left for nap time. Prodigy the math computer game is a great incentive to quell any potential complaints. I can sneak in a bit of Khan Academy math before Prodigy. I keep learning little tips, making note, and readjusting for the next day. Tomorrow’s schedule be different than today’s.
Routine Over Schedule
Use of the word schedule is a bit of a misnomer, it’s really more of a routine. I have found that sticking to time frames is stressful and unrealistic for us. Things change. Children do benefit from consistency, but my kids can’t tell time, so a timed schedule is no benefit to them and a stressor for me.
Instead, I make a rough flow for the day and have established activity triggers. I try to exercise in the morning before getting ready. Breakfast triggers getting dressed for the boys. If I need to shower once they are awake, they get a little tv. We try to get outside once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I take walks several times throughout the day. Lunch time triggers a themed lessons from Scholastic. And then story time, and then nap. Nap triggers hw for my older son, quiet time for me, and computer time for him when he finishes. We try to get all the should-dos out of the way in the morning, so after nap time it’s just playing outside or creating art or free time.
I have a short list of daily to-dos that aren’t scheduled, but I fit in wherever it makes sense. For me its exercise, get dressed, write, practice piano, study languages (I use Duolingo), go outside, walk, make art. Not in a particular order, though I have some preferences. It’s helpful to know what I would like to do each day and trust that I will make time for it.
Be Honest
I am not a teacher and I straight up told my kid so. I told him I didn’t go to school to learn how to teach kids. Even though I think its a cool (and essential!) job, I wanted to learn to do other things. So now we have both released me of any expectation to be a teacher. I explained his teacher knows what is best for his education, this is what she has asked us to do, and so I am trying my best. Opening up about this instead of pretending I knew what I was doing really changed the tone.
Big Changes Require Big Adjustments
On my first day of being home, I expected the schedule to be a big hit and for us to be fully adjusted to our new normal. Not sure why I thought there would be no adjustment period at all. I went from working full-time and being in school to being a homeschooling stay-at-home mom. Whoa! And my kids miss their schools, friends, teachers, routines. Our normal got blown up, and it took a few days to realize that big changes require adjustment periods. The bigger the change, perhaps the longer the adjustment. It helps to know that we are adjusting, finding our groove, and making tiny course corrections. I don’t know how long it will take, but I’m open to it.
Connection is Key
I have thought a lot about connection. I miss crowded restaurants, game nights with friends, and bustling parks. I miss classes at the gym and ice cream shops. And yet, I have felt more connected in some ways than I did before. I feel like the internet is finally being used for good, and at the same time, we are being forced to spend real time with the people right in front of us. I’ve enjoyed finding novel ways to connect with others, like live streamed yoga classes or daily Facetime calls. I hope these things last.
Varied Time Spent Together
I hear the extroverts are struggling. I am an ambivert, both extroverted and introverted, so I need to take care to honor both sides of my personality. For us, that looks like varying who is spending time with who. We try to make sure we have a good mix of alone time, one-on-one with different members of our family, and all together time. Too much of any one can be problematic.
Surviving v Thriving
At some point this week I decided to really delve into the yumminess of being home. I am lighting my scented candles, turning on the fireplace, playing my favorite records, and eating treats. I basically decided to treat this time like Christmas. You know how Christmas is so magical because there is music and treats and fun? I want to recreate that. I know it’s not a vacation or holiday, and that real people are suffering, struggling, and even dying. I don’t want to make light of it, but I also want to teach my children how to thrive, even in hard circumstances.
Those are my thoughts so far. Haha, only a few days in, so take most of this with a grain of salt. What have you learned in these few days? Anything surprise you? Let me know in the comments.
Our Place in the Sun 