Home learning.
It’s ok to cry (or scream!?!).
*If you’re already sobbing right now, I totally hear you and am sending all the virtual hugs.
It’s tough, isn’t it?
It doesn’t matter what your situation is.
No matter how many devices you do or don’t have. Whether you have paper or no paper. Wildlings who scrap with each other at every word or saints that sit at the table and don’t move until you say so. Whether home learning is taught by the class teacher on zoom ALL day long, or if you’re the one trying to teach it.
There are going to be some sh*t show days that you can’t see your way out of. We all have them.
And that’s ok.
A beautiful writer once told of a saying a friend had told them. Nothing to do with home learning. But I think the theory absolutely applies to this.
Let your feelings come. Let them wash over you. But ALWAYS remember to let them go.
They are awake and ready for home learning at 4am.
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They are asleep and have to be dragged out of bed backwards with 1 minute to spare.
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They want to dress up as a hula girl from Hawaii for zoom class and it’s 3 degrees outside.
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They won’t wear anything other than PJ’s.
They sit with a hood or hat on shivering (on zoom) even though it’s 19 degrees in the house and the teacher (not knowing you are right there) feels very sorry for them and asks them to tell mummy or daddy to put the heating on in front of the whole class. They nod and say sadly ‘ok’. Embarrassed much?!?
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When it’s their turn to say ‘good morning’ at registration, the dog barks.
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The dog keeps barking all through zoom lessons.
The dog howls and barks at the top of it’s voice all day long though EVERY single blooming zoom lesson and no one can do ANYTHING about it. You finally realise that it hates listening to the class shouting ‘Miss Smith? Miss Smith… can you help me?!’ on repeat every 5 seconds, just as much as you do.
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It’s art class on zoom. You have a whole playroom full of art supplies. The teacher tells them to get paper. They sit there and shug as if they have none. The teacher looks so sorry for them and tells them not to worry and they will sort something out…. whilst you are silently screaming at them and jabbing the air with your fingers mouthing ‘get the pppppaaaapppppperrrrrr!!!’
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It’s Friday. Thank gawd!!! You are about to suggest making pancakes as a treat, but are met with a sour face. ‘Why did you DO THIS to me??!!’ they ask. You peer at the screen to see a long, long, LONG list of weekend homework.
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Great.
Just great.
And so it goes on…..
It might seem like everyone expects you to hold it all together… home life, work, home learning… but everyone needs a break. To pause. To feel. Don’t forget that your feelings are valid too.
It’s ok to cry.
We’ll all get through this. Together.
#ParentPower
WILD is now out in Spanish!
WILD – Our debut children’s picture book
Dad blogger Ross Good from The Stented Papa is the official storyteller for WILD!
Happy book birthday WILD!
Home learning is tough! We’ve had plenty of tears over it.
This did make me chuckle though, dragging my youngest out of bed may of happened a few times.
Hang on in there. I keep telling myself to. This can’t last forever x
I glad that my boys are grown so I don’t have to worry about home school #mischiefandmemories@_karendennis
I don’t envy parents having to tackle this plus their regular work!
Absolutely!
Our family made the conscious decision to homeschool. My husband and I both have backgrounds in education. EVEN SO, it was a tough road, and my hat is off to anyone home schooling in this season of necessity.
And yes, I frequently cried about school.
Home schooling is hard you’re so right. We have good and bad days with it. Hard on us and hard on the children who miss their friends and are out of routine. Hugs all rounf.
Truly testing times. We don’t have to homeschool as my daughter is 3 so can still attend pre-school but there’s still been plenty of tears and feeling sorry for ourselves. I’m so done with this now!
Katrina
#MischiefAndMemories
Home schooling certainly has it’s many challenges, the silently screaming to go get paper makes me chuckle and is deffinitely a home schooling memory never to forget. Roll on half term and hopefully fingers crossed all will be over on the 8th March! xx #MischiefAndMemories
Home schooling is so tough! This lockdown is just relentless and neverending 🙁 #mischiefandmemories
Home learning is enough to send me around the bend! Lovely post, Annette, really made me smile. 🙂
We had many tears the first time round. This time, we’ve had live lessons, which we didn’t have before, and it seems to be working much better. But still, roll on when they can be back at school with their friends and all the amazing resources they have at school! #ParentPower
This really made me laugh. On a serious note that quote is so right letting go makes all the difference. #MischiefAndMemories
We have all cried this lockdown over homeschooling – especially the maths! Thank goodness it’s half term! #mischiefandmemories
Home educating is tough always. So challenging to be parent and teacher – probably impossible. Children learn – they can’t help it. It is natural and they all have individual skills, qualities and passions. They are the ones who will carve out the new normal and perhaps do a better job than previous generations. Important and amusing post. #MischiefandMemories
We have definitely had our ups and downs the last 6 weeks! Home schooling is not for me! One of my boys got told off for having his hood up on a class zoom!! #MischiefAndMemories