Slice of Life: Dear Parents ... #SOL20 #TWTBlog

Dear Parents,

First of all – You’ve got this!

Now that I have your attention, here’s one thing I have learned as a teacher over the years --  if you are a planner, you need to slow down and plan for the long haul.  If you are not a planner then you have a little time, but you still need to plan for the long haul.  So that means in our current situation, we have a little wiggle room!

The first thing we all need to do is breathe.  You need to breathe.  Your kids need to breathe.  Your family unit needs to breathe. There is a LOT of change happening.  Our kids are watching.  Our kids are listening.  Our kids are trying to process all of our emotions.  This is real.  This is happening.  We all need time to find our way into this, although temporary, new normal.  What kids need more than anything right now is you.  Just you.

Educators and authors, including myself, have been sharing plans, ideas, and resources for online learning.  The creativity and generosity are amazing.  It can also be overwhelming.  Remember, we are planning for the long-haul.  Right now, you are being inundated with “what” to do, but “how” you do it might be more essential.  I think we need to bookmark and organize all of these resources and first develop a learning, living, home community. 

As teachers, this is what we do at the beginning of the year.  We develop our systems and structures with our students.  We get to know them as students and let them know us.  We decide how we are going to learn together, be together, and support one another in our learning community.  We also organize our learning space with our students.  Where will the supplies be? How will we organize the books/magazines/text in our community?  How will we rotate jobs so we are all contributing members of our community? Where will we work? What will we do when problems arise?

I think this is the work we need to do in this first week home.  Give yourself time to create your learning, living home community.

Here are some things to consider :

1)     Play together – play is the motor of learning for young children – board games, dramatic play, building, puzzles, etc.   Let them create games. Give them time to play and join them as you can – it will reduce stress for everyone.

2)     Get outside – go for walks, notice nature, notice parts of your city or neighborhood you have missed in the past, build a fort, create scavenger hunts for objects or pieces of information.

3)     Watch TV together – let’s face it there will be some screen time coming your way.  When you are able, watch, respond and relax with them.

4)     Problem-solve together – if you are working from home then you will need time to do that work.  Talk to your kids and let them know what you need. Ask them what they need and work it out together.  Plan the time you will work and ask them to help out by planning what they will do during this time. How can they be a part of the solution? Everyone loves being helpful, let them be a contributing member.

5)     Family meals – plan, cook and eat together.  I remember doing this with my parents and with my kids when they were young. Your kids will also remember.

6)     Keep it real – don’t try to be perfect and don’t try to keep up with what others post online. 

7)     Listen – so often we are in a rush – we are moving on to the next thing on our list while still involved in the previous thing on our list.  Slow down, listen, talk, question, linger, and appreciate the time we have to connect with our kids.

8)     Journal – create a journal for drawing and writing.  A historian on-line yesterday recommended that everyone keep a journal.  This is a significant moment in history and your children will someday be a primary source of this event.

9)     Investigate together – kids have a million questions, and now you have time to answer them WITH them.  Join your kids in curiosity and learning for the pure joy of learning.

10) READ – read to them, with them, and next to them.  It doesn’t matter what it is or how many times you reread it.  Read together!

Kids are going to be okay.  You don’t have to have a home-school up and running by Monday. Take this first week to be together. Stay in your PJs all day, have breakfast for dinner, go on long walks, laugh until it hurts, and don’t feel guilty when you need to take time to do your job or just have a moment to yourself.  Change takes time, take the time to help your kids through this change. 

Breathe – you’ve got this.

Clare

 Thank you, Stacey, Beth, Betsy, Kathleen, Melanie, Lanny, Kelsey, Marina, Amy, and Therapi for hosting this weekly forum and the March Challenge. Check out the writers, readers, and teachers here.