A bit of sunshine…

The kids had a great first day of hybrid in-person school!! (and so did I!) They were excited to go, and I was really hoping they’d love it. They NEED this so badly. Being in a classroom, away from home without mom, and actually seeing people face to face.

Brian and I were so happy to put the kids on the bus, and I didn’t even know what to do with my time. I had a dentist appointment smack dab in the middle of the day so I couldn’t really get sucked into any projects. So Brian ran out to Dunkin for coffees and breakfast. I enjoyed my latte, then folded some laundry, went to the dentist, and then drank a mimosa while I folded and put away more laundry. Before I knew it, the kids were getting off the bus.

As they ate lunch, I grilled them about how many kids they had in their class, what their names were, how did specials go, did they go outside for snack, etc. I also asked them their best and worst parts of the day. To sum it up, they didn’t really like wearing masks, but loved everything else. Well, three said that. The other two said they didn’t like learning but loved snack (Easton and Brody of course). But overall, they said that it was all worth it and they couldn’t wait to go back tomorrow.

It makes my heart so happy that they got this time in school. I wish it could be every day, or even 4 days a week, but I’ll take it. I’m hoping getting through the first three days of the week will be easier, knowing we get to go to school the next two days, and then it’s the weekend!

Hopefully this kinda boosts them up even a little, and brings up their moods a bit. Things have been so rough with school, that they really need their cups filled again.

After lunch we met up for “recess” at the playground with a bunch of friends, and that is another piece they really need. Free time to just play and be normal kids. Plus, it is nice for the moms to be able to sit and chat!!

Tomorrow Brian and I are going out to breakfast, which I’m looking forward to. It’s nice to get things done around the house while the kids are in school, but grownups need some “me time” too!!

Done

Tomorrow they go back to school in the hybrid model. It’s only 8 hours of in-person instruction, but they so badly need it. My kids are hanging every hope on going to school tomorrow. Virtual is just killing their spirit. Easton hates school. Brody hates school. I’m getting emails from teachers. I’m hearing teachers constantly telling them to pay attention and sit still. I’m hearing teachers warn kids they’ll have to work one-on-one after school if they don’t pay attention during their lesson.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. This isn’t working. Send them back full time. My kids don’t like school. My poor first graders barely know what school is. They had a partial year of half-day kindergarten last year and that’s it. For them to spend a majority of their schooling learning virtually is bullshit. How is this supposed to foster a love for learning? These are such impressionable years for them, where they are supposed to be developing a love for school and for learning. Yet we are just wasting months and months of valuable time, afraid of a virus with over a 99% survival rate.

I want to cry when my kids are upset over school. Deacon is getting lost so easily without in-person instruction. It breaks my heart. I get mad at my kids when they are acting out because they are bored or disinterested, but then I think, well can I really blame them? And I just feel sad for them. My kids are good students. They are well behaved in school. They are good kids. Virtual is just ruining them.

They are spending all these hours on computers, miserable, and doing an hour’s worth of work in a day. This is not a quality education. They are getting completely shortchanged, and I’m worried that without all those positive experiences being in the school building they will always feel disinterested about school and their education.

If we can go to movies, go to the gym, put kids in daycares, and all that other stuff, kids can go to school. It is VITAL. If the governor says schools can open up, they should open up. Plenty of schools around the country are opening up with minimal outbreaks. Parents should have the option to send their kids to school for a normal schedule, assuming the risks of COVID. If you aren’t comfortable with that, by all means keep your kids home. Schools, or even the state, should provide a virtual program independent of classroom teaching. Teachers should not have to teach synchronously. How much more can we pile on our teachers? And how much more can we deprive our children of?

Let’s worry more again about screen time. Let’s worry more again about mental health. Let’s worry more again about education. I have no idea why we put that all on the back burner.

I’m done.