So, you think you want to homeschool?

Post date: Mar 24, 2020 10:50:32 AM

Boy—I miss alone time.

If I ever wondered if homeschooling my four children was for me. Now I know—it’s not. I look forward to the day when this all becomes a blip on the map of our memories and we laugh and (mis)remember fondly how it felt to suddenly have virtual-everything virtually dumped upon us. Memory magic is a wonderful thing.Until then?

Here we are trying to keep up with the juxtaposition of facing off with tweens while our 6-year-old facetimes with a teacher. We parents shouldn’t complain. There are so many people stuck in their apartments alone. But, as is the human way—we both look longingly at the other’s basecamp.

Yesterday went by in a flash. Time flies when your attention is stretched across four kids and their corresponding grades simultaneously in a homeschool curriculum that is both out of your hands and very much in your hands all at the same time. We’re zooming and googling and even learning home economics. We made pasta today (meaning the dough from scratch not just pouring a box-o-pasta into hot water). It was amazingly simple and each kid—K through 6^th—was over the moon to have their own dough with which to work.

I figured: The worst that can happen is we make inedible playdough. The best that can happen is we make pasta dough I can use for dinner later on. Luckily, it seems, we made the latter—though having never made pasta before I had no standards by which to measure and, quite frankly, didn’t care what it tasted like as we squeezed the Home Economics lesson in between a Zoom classroom and a Facetime piano lesson. Wow—this stay at home thing is a lot less relaxing than it sounded when first floated.

So, what are we learning besides how to make edible playdough? That, apparently none of us wash our hands, let alone with any quality. That we love teachers! That walking isn’t so bad after all and fresh air is taken sorely for granted. Virtual isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that perhaps as a nation we should rethink our constant efforts to convert everything from human to virtual. Humans are fun, even when just virtually present! Germs aren’t as scary when faith has a stronghold in your life. Authors and creative individuals are incredibly generous with their gifts and should be supported more when we get out of this mess. We’re learning that toilet paper enjoys surprisingly high esteem among Americans. Lastly, community is king. No man (or woman) is an island. I was never so happy to see my local bank tellers, postal workers, grocery store clerks and neighbors in the last social-distancing and self-isolation laden weeks!I think that’s it for now. Until we meet (in person) again. Good luck, wash those hands and keep writing!

*Do you need some ideas on the fly? Check out our new Homeschool page for links.