I Wore This Yesterday

Well. It happened. We knew it was coming, but it still feels shocking.

We are in Ohio.

Yesterday, Governor Mike DeWine announced that schools will stay closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

In my own situation, I am really OK with it. I’m a stay-at-home parent already and we are finally getting used to distance learning. I have no doubt that my children and I can successfully complete this year’s school work at home.

But, here’s what’s making me sad:

My babies still can’t see their friends.

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My daughter is in Kindergarten. This is a really important year for her. Structure and social interaction is EVERYTHING at her age.

Her teacher, Miss S, has gone above and beyond these past few weeks. She is in constant contact with families and she hosts two Zoom meetings per week for the class. My daughter lives for seeing Miss S and her buddies those two days.

But, the fact remains: it’s all virtual.

Kids need to play. And they need to play TOGETHER. They need to learn the social cues of others. Learn self-discipline, self-esteem, empathy…

Yeah, I can teach my kids that stuff at home. But for a child, doing is the best learning.

It breaks my heart that my 6-year-old social butterfly is missing out on her first real, full-time experience of school. The playgrounds are empty. Gym classes aren’t full of excited little ones, learning to throw and catch balls with oneanother. My girl isn’t sitting on a carpet every morning with 20 of her best buds, hearing a story and singing songs.

My daughter isn’t making new friends. She isn’t having arguments with current friends and learning to resolve them on her own. She isn’t learning how every family is different by seeing and interacting with kids from other backgrounds.

She is missing out on some pretty basic, but SUCH important, stuff!

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My son…He is in second grade. I do worry about him, but not in the same ways.

What was true, even before schools closed, is that he is currently enthralled in the virtual world of video games. He plays Fortnite. ALL. THE. TIME. He is all about YouTube. He prays for the day we let him have his own YouTube channel.

My son has been able to connect with his school buddies over the internet, while playing games. This was his fun, months before things went to shit in Ohio – so it doesn’t worry me, really.

My main concern with my boy is this: I am incredibly concerned that my inability to teach him Common Core Math is going to eff up the future of his career as a student.

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Dear Common Core Math,

EFF YOU and all your comparison bars, dots, sticks, hundred boxes, and whatever the hell else you are doing that makes my kid incapable of carrying the motherf***ing 1.

And, by the way, screw you for making me use Google every time we do math, thus revealing to my kid that I am NOT the know-all he has always believed in.

I hope you die.

Sincerely,

That Bitch Who is Changing Up Math At Home

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Yeah, yeah.

I keep saying it:

It’s OK.

We are OK.

It’s going to be OK.

But, today…

Just let me be sad for what my kids are missing out on and the subjects I struggle to teach.

It’s gonna be OK….But, today, let me mourn what we have lost.