The end of school is finally here, but it has felt like summer break for the last 2.5 months. Just like everyone else around the globe, our school year came to an abrupt end during spring break mid-March and we transitioned to homeschooling due to the pandemic. Hindsight is always 20/20, and looking back the whole experience doesn't feel as anxiety-ridden as it did while we were first adjusting. I learned a lot about education, my children, and myself during this time and I hope to carry the lessons with me into the future.
We recently had a "goodbye" day for the kids at our beloved MCDS, and it was a great opportunity to see their teachers in-person. Hudson missed his teachers and his friends terribly and became quickly frustrated with "Zoom school" because he wanted in-person interaction. However, I think being able to see his school friends and his teachers on a regular basis helped form a routine and normalcy that we (all) desperately needed. Both of his teachers are incredibly tender-hearted and have been exactly what Hudson has needed over the past two years. He has been reading up a storm at home and continuing to work on his two-digit addition and subtraction. He is more than ready for Kindergarten in the fall, and the looming question is whether or not I will be.
I realized that even though I'd love to be a full-time homeschool mom, Hudson just wouldn't flourish the same. All kids are unique and need different environments to grow to their full potential, and Hudson just needs a level of social interaction and challenges that I cannot fully provide while also caring for a toddler. However, I am grateful for the opportunity that we had to grow together and for the ways God used the time to stretch and change me. Who knows? Maybe I'll find myself homeschooling down the road, but for now, I think Hudson and Eleanor would greatly enjoy returning to school.
Ellie also had a “goodbye day” at school. She LOVED attending school with Hudson two mornings a week at MCDS, and I can tell she will be a social butterfly. When we pulled in to the parking lot she told me “ok, goodbye mama!” After I explained we couldn’t get out she said “but mama, my friends are in there!”, which was heartbreaking - she adored both of her teachers and all of her friends. Eleanor loved "Zoom school" so she could sing and dance along with her teachers and friends. She is very outgoing and social, so I know that she missed school, but I think she also enjoyed having Hudson home all day every day with her. She has grown up much since last August and has become fiercely independent like her brother (and maybe her mom and dad too).
Predicting the future right now feels like looking through a wobbly telescope (and hey, we should be relying on God and not our own plans right?), but I sure hope that they can both attend some semblance of school in the fall. Until then, we will continue to move through the summer with hope and measured expectations.
Yours, because we are His,
Jenna
Comments