A headline on TODAY Parents’ Facebook page caught my eye this afternoon (April 30. 2020):
“As frustration grows, some parents are giving up on home schooling.”
The story focused on parents who tried to keep their children’s online lessons in check while working full-time and managing the household. The article told the story of a mom who declared that the homeschooling setup “isn’t working.” With that, she emailed her 7-year-old son’s “wonderful and compassionate first-grade teacher” and told the instructor that her son was done with virtual classes.
The woman and her husband work full time and split household duties in addition to parenting and, then schooling, their son. She posted on Twitter about the matter, and other parents commented. A Boston mom whose family lacks a computer printer to print out assignments, which were quite detailed, commented, “We quit,” according to the article.
Who else would like to throw in the towel and give up? I’m sure many. But what about the kids? Yes, they can continue to learn life lessons at home through cooking, cleaning, educational videos and exercises, but this is their education, or at least it’s trying to be despite the situation.
Schooling at home, distance learning, virtual schooling — call it what you will — wasn’t in most of our plans. Ever. It’s not for everybody. In some cases, it can be daunting.
I work full time, raise my children full time and tend to household duties full time. When the need for cyber learning took hold, we just rolled with it. I obtained a hot spot offered by my children’s school district, as well as a laptop, for my son. My son and my daughter got to work completing review and enrichment activities before the final marking period picked up the Monday after Easter.
Thankfully, both kids do fairly well with technology. They sign on to their classrooms and do their thing daily. Their teachers post assignments each Monday. Unless indicated, most assignments need to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday. Some teachers hold Zoom meetings weekly with additional instruction and time to answer any questions pertaining to assignments.
As for my involvement, I talk with my children daily about their assignments and meetings and assist them where needed. For the most part, it’s just as if school is in session — just online.
Thankfully, it works. We just do it.
The mom of a dancing teen and a tween who enjoys scouting and hockey, Katie Campomizzi-Clews is a copy editor at The Republican-Herald. She began her career at The RH as a staff writer following graduation from Lycoming College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a minor in psychology. She shares her experiences of balancing work and parenting and takes a look at issues, events and trends concerning parents and children.
