Where Do We Begin?

Schools closed. Virtual classrooms. Distance Learning. What are parents to do?

Here’s my possibly unpopular opinion, but it is my sole opinion and does not represent anyone else.

What you should be doing with your children is…spending time with them.

Why?

This is an era of overstatement, hysteria, and misinformation.

Spend time with your children. Talk to them. Go outside and be active.

Yes, that’s ok. In fact, it’s better to be outside in the yard than stuck inside.

I am in favor of online classroom options but much of that cannot be created in a week. Much of what will be sent home will be the dreaded “busy work.”

My belief is time is better spent with their families.

If you want your children to still be engaged in academics, that’s great! Encourage your children to read a book, talk to them about your family history, verbally quiz them on math skills.

Knowledge comes from countless experiences. We have criticized standardized testing. Here’s our chance to branch out and teach children “what really matters.”

Ask your kids what they’re reading or watching. Show curiosity and wonder. Withhold judgment. Encourage them to participate in things around the house they may not usually do or be able to do. Make it fun, incentivize, and when it gets really hard…take a deep breath.

My Experience

Even 25 to 30 years later, I can remember my mother listening intently to some of the dumbest thoughts that popped into my inexperienced brain. While I can now see how stupid some of my thoughts were, my mother showing her interest in what I was saying gave me the confidence to talk to her about anything.

Ask your kids to sit down and watch the evening news with you. I promise it won’t kill them. They may hate it, but they may also be interested to hear about what’s happening in the world.

As a child, I won’t say I was forced, but I did not have many other options; therefore, I would watch the evening news with my father. I’m sure I did not understand most of the information, but later in life, I can easily see I was more cultured and aware than I would have been otherwise…and probably more so than most of the other children my age.

We are living in unprecedented and somewhat scary times. With that said, if our society comes out on the other side of this with closer connections to our families, less dependence on our daily technology, and better-organized priorities, then we will at least made a positive out of a negative.

Conclusion

None of this is meant to belittle anything that is sent home. It is not meant to criticize schools. In fact, most schools, businesses, and leaders have done a tremendous job adjusting to a devastating situation that could not have been imagined a year ago.

Be sure to prepare but not panic. Spend time with your family. Social distance as best as you can. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that “this too shall pass.”