With the current health crisis, a lot of us parents are in new waters, working from home and schooling our children at the same time. Problem is, I’m already drowning. And will bet many of you feel the same. How many Moms and Dads spent the weekend planning how to alternate between the two, only to fail on the first day? I had my schedule all set, timers on the phone to go off hourly, educational websites bookmarked, and math problems written down ready for solving. What I didn’t factor in: my kid’s attention span nor my lack of enthusiasm for teaching.
That math worksheet that should have taken up an hour, done in 10 minutes. Her reading the book on her tablet while I type away on my laptop, no such luck. And my biggest MOM FAIL, enforcing that all-important two-hour video limit. What can I say? She was quiet and I was getting work done, win-win in my mind.
I’ve decided to cut myself a break and so should you. A better plan for balancing work and education will be casual and will fit in with our day, taking life as it comes. A lesson parents, especially parents of children with disabilities, know all too well.
So, instead of thinking of our first week as a fail, I’m reframing. Did it work out as I had planned? No. Are these unrealistic expectations for parents to maintain a job, while becoming a teacher, still being a parent, and caring for self and home? YES! We are all doing the best we can. When a plan doesn’t work as we intended, it’s not a fail, it’s a sign that we need to pivot. We are learning. Our kids are learning. Let’s do this together.
