Home Schooling (Home Skilling) Reality

The initial COVID isolation period with my two girls at home with me, has been an absolute jumble of sadness, confusion, anxiousness, stress, and joy.

Sadness for all the missed opportunities over the coming months. A Christening that would have seen my husband Danny and I named Godparents to our wonderful friend’s beautiful baby girl. We had a long-awaited weekend away planned to see our favourite band from our teenage years and that we would be missing the hugely over-the-top family Easter celebrations that always ends in a competitive Easter egg hunt for young and old. Whilst we know these things are hopefully only delayed, we can’t help but feel sad that we aren’t able to enjoy them in the natural rhythm of family life.

Confusion about the rapid changing rules and regulations, as it is for everyone, what is OK one day might not be the next.

Anxious about whether we’re doing the right thing, am I staying home enough? too much? did I wash my hands for long enough?

Stress about our new embarkment into home schooling. When I kissed goodbye my bright eyed big girl on her first day of school as she skipped off to join her class, the last thing I thought I would be doing was turning our dining room table into a classroom only two years later. The walls now adorned with spelling words and phonic flash cards. We have whiteboards, pens and pencils at the ready and let’s not mention an abundance of printed off worksheets!

We’ve tried to embrace technology and all it has to offer, staying in touch with class teachers as they try to guide us through this process as best they can.

There have been tears… from all of us. As we struggle to adapt to this new system with some days doing it being better than others.

Some days here’s how we get through…

Just one more coffee or maybe this cooking chocolate might do the trick??

We also try to see the joy. I now have the fabulous opportunity to get an insight into Clara and Libby’s learning. They amaze me every day at what they can achieve, with their resilience, at times their defiance but also their humour. We are trying to enjoy together the little things like blowing dandelions and painting each other’s faces or simply just being outside.

That’s basically where we are sitting at this point in time, so I haven’t been particularly productive with any other work but I’m hoping with each day things may get a little easier and before we know it the world will be a much safer place for everyone.

Samantha Neall
Little Kidlets Playgroup Coordinator

Header Photo: Peter Smith TCC