03/26/2020
Here’s what a homeschooling mom wants other parents to know about coronavirus isolation…
I didn’t want this for you. I love homeschooling my children. I was homeschooled K-12. I even wrote a book about homeschooling best practices. But I didn’t want school suddenly canceled. I didn't want you forced into this. It’s unfair. It’s difficult. And I’ll bet you’re scared.
But here’s what I do want for you. I want you to know that you’ve got this—even though you have no clue what you’re doing yet. I want you to know that you are not “less than” me because it looks like I have everything pulled together. (That facade is a product of my book launch photoshoot and your imagination.) And I want you to know that your kids are going to be ok. So are mine. They are going to be better than ok because they’re doing life beside us. Plus, I know if you’ve read this far you love your kids in all their brilliant, annoying, and, possibly destructive, glory.
You were made for this job as a parent—even if it doesn’t feel like it—because these kids are yours in every way. They are so like you—and different from you— in all the right and wrong ways to make this a challenge. But you have more than a surface deep stake in this battle. These kids are part of you. (Whether or not they have your genes—they have your heart.)
Right now they’re scared. You might not see that, but look again. Your kids are smart, but there’s a chance they’re hiding how they feel as well as you think you are. Right now they need a hero. That’s you.
They need three things from you:
1) They need you to know them.
Your children desperately need you to be a protective authority figure over them—and, even more importantly, they need you to be an authority on them. Your child needs to be known. You can do this. All it takes is asking questions and listening. Mostly listening. (Grab a conversation guide here if you feel stuck: https://tericapshaw.ck.page/a47bc661b7)
2) They need you to inspire them.
You can’t give your kids enough worksheets to fix this. You can’t make things normal enough to make Covid-19 go away. No matter the outcome, this situation is going to be in our history books. They need to believe they were put on this planet for a reason. Diamonds are formed under pressure. You are shaping your family’s legacy. Discover the hero in yourself, so you can call out the hero in your child.
3) They need you to believe in them.
Do you remember that fearless toddler who went from living as a completely incapable infant to walking and talking in less than two years? How about that incorrigible three-year-old who had a will of steel and the bearing of a Fortune 500 CEO? That child was wired for greatness—and obviously wired to learn. You didn’t have to teach, correct, and test your child’s ability to walk. If you had it would have made the process slower. Trust that your child was born to learn.
You will use many tools to help your child learn. But remember to never allow those tools to become the master. Instead allow your child to learn to master those tools.
Also, please know you don’t have to do this alone. When you need some serious encouragement, an ear to listen, and practical advice, come join me and a group of fellow parents and educators ready to take this challenge on together: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2648360832066549/
