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Tag Archives: coronavirus

Back to School in the Time of Corona

7 / 20 / 207 / 20 / 20

Katie

So I officially registered my kids for our district’s virtual learning program for this school year.

Virginia

Congrats on making a decision! I think one hard part for me was just pulling the trigger.

Katie

Yes! I agonized about it, too! But once I actually made the decision, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.

Virginia

I’m happy you have peace about it. How’d you decide?

Katie

Lots of factors. I have the flexibility to make home instruction work, so I’d like to minimize my family’s exposure to COVID where possible. We also feel the necessary safety restrictions at school will take away our favorite social aspects of school. And with virtual learning, our kids will still be connected with great teachers.

Virginia

It’s good that you were able to hone in on your priorities. 

We decided to send our kids back to school. H will be in our church preschool and my son, C, will be in public school. It took me a while to get there, though. We all want to make the “right” decision.

Katie

I think there are many benefits to being in the school building, too! I don’t think there is a right or wrong decision about school this year. So many uncertainties and no easy solutions.

Virginia

Yeah, you and I are in the same circumstance in that we are fortunate to have the ability to stay home. But, my daughter (preschooler) needs the attention that she missed when I was hustling to homeschool back in the spring.

Katie

I can totally understand that!

Virginia

And on the flipside, since my schedule will involve driving her to and from her school that may conflict with a potential virtual school schedule for her older brother.

Katie

Each family’s circumstances are different, so it makes sense we sometimes make different choices. Once I made the decision to keep our kids home and stopped worrying about what other people might choose (or how they may feel about my decision), I’ve felt more free to get excited about this coming school year and focus on making the most of it.

Virginia

So I’m starting to imagine some very cute Pinterest-y work stations at your house….:)

Katie

Hahaha … or some humorous Pinterest fail moments to remember at least.?

Virginia

Lol! Please post pics. 

It’s impressive to me that you’re taking your child’s preferences into the equation. It can be easy to dismiss those. I remember you mentioning your two middles don’t want to go back to school.

Katie

Yes – and my oldest only wants to go back once he can play football with 30 of his classmates every day during lunch recess.??

Virginia

Well, I hope he doesn’t have to wait much longer for that.  

What I find funny is we’re both former teachers and I don’t want to homeschool and you do.

Katie

Yes! And that’s totally okay. You know, I never planned to homeschool. I’ve always been a public school advocate and active volunteer at my kids’ schools. So, I had to take a moment to grieve that “loss” as I made the decision to keep our kids home this year.

Virginia

And it’s okay to acknowledge that. God doesn’t expect us to instantly don a smile and prance around a flowery field when we learn that life isn’t meeting our expectations. We’re allowed our feelings.

Katie

Prance around a flowery field.???

Virginia

Remember when Lazarus was really sick and Mary and Martha sent for Jesus? He took his time to return and Lazarus died. Jesus didn’t pop in and say, “Why are you ladies so upset? I’m going to bring him back to life!” He wept with them because his friends were in pain.

Katie

Jesus knows our pain and grieves with us.

Virginia

Yes, and He also shows us another strategy to get through tough times. In Genesis 1, we see him creating, then stopping. Then some more creating, and then stopping. It’s not like He needed a chance to take a nap. He is showing us how to move forward, whether the road is rocky or smooth.

Katie

That is so true! God could have created everything in one instant, but instead He showed us how to take it slow and value the process. 

I’m praying God will give me the strength and patience and wisdom to make the most of this challenging year. And just to be faithful with what He wants me to do one day at a time.

Virginia

Perfectionism will try to get us to question ourselves and our choices if we don’t hit the ground running and have everything smooth sailing by day 2 of this school year….

Katie

Here’s to letting go of perfect and just pouring our hearts into whatever God lays in our paths this year!

Soaking in the Truth

Scripture to encourage you:

  • “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3:23, NIV)
  • “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5, NIV)
  • “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV).
  • “He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.” (Deuteronomy 32:4, NIV)
  • “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” (Genesis 1:3-5, NIV)
  • “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother (Lazarus) would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept.” (John 11:32-35, NIV)

Music to inspire you:

  • “He Knows” by Jeremy Camp
  • “Praise You in the Storm” by Casting Crowns
  • “There Was Jesus” by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton 

Readings and Resources to come alongside of you:

  • “3 Keys to Stress-Free Homeschooling” by Jon Acuff 
  • Peace in Uncertain Times (7-day devotional readings) by Sarah Young (email address required)
  • You Can Live in Peace: God’s Answer to Anxiety by Ray Pritchard
  • What Will School Look Like? 4 Ways to Pray by Family Life
  • For our Educator Readers… Flexible resilience: My manifesto for the coming school year from Angela Watson’s “The Cornerstone for Teachers” 

Related Posts on Texting The Truth:

  • Maternal Mental Health: A Conversation with Jenny Bowden
  • Bearing Much Fruit in Quarantine
  • Where do we go from here? What is saving you right now?  

Living Out the Truth 

Ideas to try:

  • Focus on the priorities of your family and move forward without guilt. Remember to take your own personality and desire into consideration as well. We’re not all cut out to be teachers and that’s okay too. Don’t try to keep up with anyone else. 
  • Please also remember that we may doubt our decisions from time to time and this is normal. Make sure you talk out loud to your trusted friends and family about these thoughts. Bottling the emotions up will not be helpful. 
  • Pray: Ask God for wisdom. Be honest with Him; He already knows what you’re feeling.
  • Ask Him to multiply your talents to give your children the best year possible. If He can feed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes, He can surely help you in any situation.
  • Whether learning at home or school, stay engaged with what your kids are learning. The partnership between home and school really makes kids feel important, and teachers love to know you are involved and willing to help. 
  • If your children are going to school, consider giving them a binder clip to attach their mask on their shirt during lunchtime so it does not sit on the desk or fall on the floor. 
  • If you send goodies to school, make sure they are pre packaged.  Also, include the front office, bus driver, custodians, and administration. 
  • If schooling at home this year, here are some trusted sources and ideas from the Spring: Generic “Just for Fun” Educational Ideas.

Treasured Products we love: 

  • For school at home, it might be helpful to have younger kids get a handwriting book.
  • Especially if they are riding a bus to school, students may benefit from K-N95 masks.
  • Students might like to have hand sanitizer they can attach to their backpacks. 
  • In place of using school water fountains, stock up on personal water bottles that close over the mouthpiece, like this one. 
  • You can spoil teachers even if they are virtual. The Teacher Care Crate is an easy monthly subscription for elementary age students who have one primary teacher. 

{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more.  In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}

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Finding Your Summer Rhythm

6 / 15 / 206 / 15 / 20

Michelle
Michelle

That was such a crazy two and half months of crisis-schooling. I still am trying to process all of it!

Michelle
Virginia

It was! I’m still catching my breath too. 

Michelle
Michelle

I honestly have never felt led to homeschool and then all of the sudden I was forced into it. ? Ready or not!

Michelle
Virginia

I know. In the beginning I felt like I was about to fall off of a balance beam. The funny video Anna made really showed what a stressful, weird, overwhelming time it was for kids and parents. It made me feel less alone.

Michelle
Michelle

For sure. I kinda felt like my life got hijacked if I’m honest. I had to let go of all of the things I wanted to do and realize I was suddenly a “homeschool” teacher.

Michelle
Virginia

Oh, I hear you. I was used to a routine that centered around my agenda. It was hard to let go of that at first. 

Michelle
Michelle

You’re so right. The funny thing is that now that school is done and summer is finally here, I have been thinking about adding a few parts of our schooling at home into our summer routine. Is that crazy?! ?

Michelle
Virginia

Well, if it was still April, I would say, yup, you’re crazy! It is weird going 90 MPH and now immediately down to 0. I feel like I’m always thinking, “Am I forgetting something?”

Michelle
Michelle

Haha.  I agree! Although it was so much every day, I did like the structure the school schedule gave us.  I’ve been thinking about how to add a little of that in without being too much. I still want the flexibility of summer.

Michelle
Virginia

Yes! Have you seen any ideas out there?

Michelle
Michelle

I read about something right before school was out that caught my attention. It talked about creating a basket of things to do with your kids — kinda like a morning meeting of sorts.

Michelle
Virginia

That’s cool. We are our freshest in the morning, after my coffee, of course. ?

Michelle
Michelle

Yes, coffee is definitely needed first so I can wrap my head around the day! I’ve been trying some stuff out from this basket idea with my girls the past couple of weeks and so far it’s been working pretty well.

Michelle
Virginia

What have you been doing?

Michelle
Michelle

Well, I should preface this because I haven’t been too strict about it all. I mostly want to connect with my girls and also grow in the process.

Michelle
Virginia

Agreed. The last thing we need is pressure and stress.

Michelle
Michelle

Yes, so that is how I came up with these ABC verse cards that we don’t use as much as I’d like. I decided that they would be an easy way to discuss a verse with my girls when we “meet” for our basket time.  I may change it up with other devotionals I put in the basket but this at least feels like a manageable start for now.

Michelle
Virginia

I think that also helps us get into a facilitator role versus dictator-homeschooling-mom mode. Might be a nice change for everyone. ?

Michelle
Michelle

Very true!! I also have been wanting to incorporate a read-aloud book because I haven’t been great at this in the past. I pulled out my old Ramona and Beezus book the other day to read to my girls. I’ll be honest, we haven’t even read a whole chapter yet but it’s in the basket when we get to it.

Michelle
Virginia

V: Congratulations, you’re normal. ? Take a breather!

Michelle
Michelle

Ha! Last thing I want to tackle with our basket time is for my girls to do an activity for math and language. They can pick whatever activity they want as long as they do something that checks the math and reading box. ?

Michelle
Virginia

I think that’s doable. While also remembering, we’re the boss of the basket. If it’s looking like one of “those” days, skip it . No mom guilt allowed here, especially when the sun is out and they’re getting along with their siblings. ?

Michelle
Michelle

Exactly. We skipped the first three days last week! No guilt in doing it each day but I like the idea of a rhythm of connecting together and building our brains and hearts.

Michelle
Virginia

Connecting together – exactly!  At summer’s end I most want to see that I made a stronger bond with each of my kids. That doesn’t happen automatically; I am easily swept into the busyness of chores. To be honest, sometimes I would rather do chores. There’s so much to do and I feel interrupted if I “have to” attend a fake tea party in the basement. Hence, the need for being intentional, because it doesn’t come naturally.  

Michelle
Michelle

I hear ya. I kinda think part of it is that the chores give us a bit of satisfaction with completing them- whereas sometimes playing babies for the 100th time isn’t as rewarding…even if we know in our hearts that time is more important than dishes. ?

Michelle
Virginia

Thanks for the empathy – it’s not pretty to admit.

Michelle
Michelle

Yes, but the honesty is what frees us from the mom guilt of not being enough. Speaking of mom guilt…

Michelle
Virginia

Yeah?

Michelle
Michelle

I’m thinking if I told some moms friends about this  morning basket idea, they would think I was way  over the top. ?

Michelle
Virginia

Ha. Well, the name is intimidating. It reminds me of my teaching days and the struggle of keeping 25 first graders in a quiet circle! Yikes… But isn’t this idea is much more low-key though?

Michelle
Michelle

Definitely. I’m just trying to find something that works for me and my girls and gives us somewhat of a balance of structure and connection. This may not work for everyone but maybe you could tweak it to work for you?

Michelle
Virginia

I think that’s something all moms can agree on. We want what’s best for our families. Whether that’s a morning basket or a nighttime tickle session or a weekly family movie night, it’s about building memories that add up to a stronger relationship. No one regrets that.

Michelle
Michelle

Yes and amen to that!

 

Michelle

Soaking in the Truth

 

Scripture to encourage you:

  • “Whatever you do, work at it with all your  heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV)
  • “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  (Psalm 90:12, NIV)

Music to inspire you:

  • “Slow Down” by Nichole Nordeman
  • “Becoming Me” by Matthew West feat. Lulu West 
  • “I Get To Be the One” by JJ Heller

Readings and Resources to come alongside of you:

  • Summer Checklist by Fresh Mommy Blog
  • Summer Schedule by The Happy Flammily
  • Morning Basket Printable by The Littles and Me

Related Posts on Texting The Truth:

  • Summer is Coming: New Routines, Renewed Attitudes
  • Summer Strong: Finding Balance

Living Out the Truth 

Ideas to try:

  • What does your family need? More structure? Less structure? Do what your family needs and not what someone else suggests. ?
  • What I currently have in my morning basket for my almost kindergartener and second grader: ABC verse cards, sight word cards, dominos, math games, math flash cards, weather chart, and dry erase ABC pages. We haven’t used all of these but they’re here as options. ~Michelle
  • For my morning basket, I am using some workbooks. My preschooler is working on phonics and my first grader is practicing some writing (because that was our biggest struggle in the spring) and some math practice. It’s mainly review and each child gets my undivided attention which also allows for some bonding. Win-win. (Each child’s work is only about 20 minutes total because that’s what momma thinks they need. I know friends who are doing more and that’s just fine for them.) ~Virginia

Treasured Products we love: 

  • ABC Cards 
  • Ramona Quimby Books 
  • Summer Bridge Books – if you’re looking for something like that! 

{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more. In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}

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