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SOMEONE ALWAYS
HAS IT TOUGHER |
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Is the pandemic getting you down? Are you struggling with
social isolation, economic uncertainty and anxiety about dying from
COVID-19?
Well, let me help. In your darkest moments, remember that you
don't have children that you have to home-school for the foreseeable
future. That works for me.
For those of you who do have school-age children, you have my
sympathy and I suggest you stop reading. For those of you who have no
school-age children in your home, feel the relief, and perhaps, the joy.
School is starting for almost everyone in the next week or
two, and parents won't have the satisfaction of dropping their children
off at school and enjoying the hours of freedom they've looked forward to
ever since they were born. Instead, they're stuck at home (if they're able
to), nagging and pestering their little offspring to get their work done.
I can only imagine how difficult that would be.
While it will be a struggle for kids of all ages, I would
guess it's even more draining for the parents of elementary school
children. Getting them to focus on learning while at home must be a
monumental challenge.
To prove my theory, I called my niece, who is the proud
mother of a kindergartner and a second-grader. She also works full time
from home, courtesy of COVID.
"How are you going to handle working full-time and also
monitoring your children's virtual learning?" I politely asked when
she answered the phone.
I wasn't entirely prepared for the exasperating scream that
came from the other end of the line. But I think she felt better after she
finished.
"We did it in April and May and it was horrible,"
she said once she calmed down. "I got up at 5 a.m. so I could get
three hours of work done before school begins. It's so hard."
Yes, it is. Fortunately, she has a retired mother-in-law who
lives close by and can help. That's more than many families. And while she
doesn't have the added obstacle of being a single parent, her husband
isn't much help. He works outside the home, and she says that's fine
because "he would just mess up my system."
"What about the pandemic pods I hear about?" I
asked. "Can you get your kids into one of those?"
"I don't want to deal with it," she replied. "Not
only is there the safety factor, there's always the other parents asking
'who'd you pod with?' It's like high school all over again. Too much
stress."
Instead, she's planning on hiring a tutor to help from time
to time, a girl from the local high school. "I also have to buy all
our own art supplies and other stuff," she continued. "We're
going to go bankrupt just to supplement our home schooling."
Sensing her exasperation, I tried to turn the conversation
positive. "Is there anything good that can come out of this?" I
asked. "Maybe added bonding or something?"
She thought about it for a few seconds and then replied.
"The only good thing I can think of is that every kid is in the same
situation. So every kid, not just mine, is going to be a year
dumber."
Well, that's something. I thanked her for her comments, and
ended the call. I thought about whether I could handle home schooling any
of my four children, and could only shudder. I've never been so grateful
to have them grown and out of the house.
To be fair, I called my other niece who had school age
children, just to make sure she was as miserable as her sister. She didn't
scream when I broached the subject of how she would handle home-schooling,
but she did impress me with her colorful (to put it mildly) description of
what she was in for. She said she's considering taking a "gap
year" and chucking the whole thing. I think she was kidding.
So when things are getting you down, think about those
mothers and/or fathers sitting with their children staring at a computer
screen (if they're fortunate enough to have one) and trying to get them to
maintain their focus for hours on end. Five year olds, eight year olds, 12
year olds, or their 40 year old parents--it's not going to be easy for
anyone.
They're all going back to school, and I'm delighted I'm not
joining them. I did fine in second grade---I'm just glad I don't have to
do it again. |
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