It has been 2 weeks of “spring break” here on our little island. There has been a strange need to want to give our kids a “break” but knowing that there would be no return to normal after it was over…. It was a pause, not a vacation. An underlying anxiety of HOW do we move ahead when spring break is over, when nothing really changes.
The last few days we have seen the kids motivations change. I won’t be so dramatic as to say they “spiralled” but… attitudes definitely deteriorated. The “purpose” was gone. There was no urgency, to responsibility to anything or anyone. Every day was wide open, and self directed.
To some, this is beautiful and freeing. To others, it is frustrating and depressing.
We have 3 kids, and while one of them adapting well to this new existence, the other two did not. So, last night I got out my trusty farm stand chalkboard, and we started to create our new normal.
For us, “normal” is an early wake up, and getting ready for the day. For us, a normal is sweating, learning and exploring. For us, this normal creates a sense of purpose to the day, a “REASON” to wake up in the morning, which some of us absolutely need.
Today we hope to hear from our teachers with plans for the kids learning, and I for one am grateful for this. For the chance to give our kids the chance to learn, and the independence to be involved in driving that forward. I will never consider myself a “homeschool teacher”, but I will do everything I can to support our teachers and facilitate a learning space for my kids.
And yes, there is a lot of pressure to manage all the things right now. To work from home, to help with computer logins, to source additional education opportunities. There is pressure to sacrifice MY schedule to adapt it to 4 other family members, but we are all sacrificing and our objective is to come out of this better than when we went in.
For me, this is extra work. For the teachers who had routines and patterns established and were walking into that sweet spring of the school year, this is extra work. For all of us, this is extra work, and for all of us that is stressful and honestly, it sucks.
But, it is worth it friends, or it will be. The chance to reconnect with our kids, teach them what we know (baking, gardening, building) and get a taste of their learning. A chance for our kids to witness US at work, how we adapt to stress and pivot as needed. This moment is a chance for us to lead our families, and a chance for us to be there as a unit, loving them, supporting them and growing with them.
So yes, today we are back on schedule. We are working. The kids are learning. We are all going to sweat. It is not going to be perfect, and each day is going to have challenges, but I have always loved a challenge… it is just another chance to thrive.