The thought that we are only potentially half way (half way!!!) through homeschooling has filled me with a strange dread. Like so many people, I'm not cut out for it. I'm not a teacher. I'm not made for educating small people. I'm not even sure I completely understand everything I'm being asked to teach (I'm looking at you Shakespeare's The Tempest). I'm trying but I'm fully aware I'm just muddling my way along. Waking at 7am with the whole day stretched out ahead and very few ideas of home to fill it, is quite frankly pretty daunting. And yes I know I'm lucky to be at home and to have this time with the boys and whilst there have been lovely family times over the last few months, I'm not sure I can add homeschooling to the happy lockdown memory bank. It's safe to say everyone is finding lockdown difficult. Whether you are working from home, not working, shielding, at home with the kids 24/7 or alone 24/7, it isn't the norm and that's going to take it's toll. And I say this as someone that is a complete homebird and also used to fantasise I was in a zombie apocalypse whenever I happened upon a quiet street.
This week the news that most primary aged children won't be returning before September was announced and while I'm not entirely surprised nor was I sure that mine would definitely be returning, it still left me feeling a bit flat. So whereas pubs and non-essential shops can reopen, schools will remain shut to most children. I know we need to control the virus and very importantly protect vulnerable and at-risk people and so I don't have the answers for what the 'right' thing to do is.
I don't work in education so don't feel qualified to provide an opinion on how or even if schools should open but I can say that (completely taking my homeschooling feelings out the picture) my kids are missing other children and the structure of school and the thought of them not returning to this for some time yet is sad. I consider this a happy home and it's heartbreaking that there are many children out there who don't have home as a safe place.
I guess, a lot can change in a short space of time so, as was the advice at the start of lockdown, we can only take it one day at a time. Keep social distancing and keep rolling (just don't roll 60 miles with your kids in the car to test your eyesight).
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