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F

The book is now closed on Day 2 of trying to replace Thelma as homeschooler, mother, confidant, chef, tear dryer, maintainer of sanity, chauffeur, coach...

I've earned an F for Failure to Perform, Forgetfulness and Lack of Fortitude.

This is hard work.  In years past I would whisk the children from the Woodland Park Zoo to the Ballard Locks to the Vancouver Aquarium to swimming with Grandpa to the library to McDonalds and Alfy's and teriyaki.  It was high energy, but not terribly difficult.  Thelma would come home mildly disappointed to find that life with Dad had been nothing but fun and none of the kids seemed to have missed her.

Things have changed.  Our children are older.  They have more commitments.  The school work is harder and can't be left for later.  I actually have to teach school instead of running a three-day stay-cation.  It's not that teaching the subjects is particularly hard.  I like doing math with Braeden and reading with Mark.  (Blessed Emma is so independent that I just push the on switch and let her run until her work is done.)  What I don't like and can't make sense of is all of the administrative components that come with the online school.  First, I have to make sense of the instructions-for-dummies that Thelma carefully crafted before she left.  I'm embarrassed to admit that she overestimated her audience.  Then, I have to mark online which assignments were completed and how much time was spent on each task.  The school software also tries to make it very easy, but I feel like I'm reading Finnish for the first time.  Sure I can pronounce all of the words, but what does it mean?

"Using the redacted Mortimer scale, how well did Emma complete subsection 47b of the amalgamated literature review while maintaining all standards of the cognitive response model?"

Huh.

It makes me appreciate Thelma all the more.  There is so much she has to go through to teach our kids above and beyond the actual teaching.  I don't envy all the work it requires.  Although, I am jealous that I miss out on moments like right now when Mark is downstairs reading riddles to the appreciative laughter of his brother and sister.

Q.  How does a monster count to sixteen?
A.  On his fingers.

Add to all of the homeschool headache the swimming lessons and shopping and chores and church callings.  I frankly don't know how Thelma does it.  I was a forgetful mess yesterday and just ready for the day to end.  I have an added sense of respect for mothers who are willing to take on the enormous task of being responsible for their children's education.  Running a homeschool for a few days should be a required activity for every adult.  Men might be less prone to talk about women who "just stay home".  Other mothers might complain less about how hard it is to have their children during vacation and how they can't wait for school to start again.  We all might blame school teachers a little less and put more effort into teaching our children to be patient and respectful.

So, as teacher for a day or two, I'm giving a gold star to Thelma and every other parent that sacrifices their time and talents beyond what is necessary, all for the benefit of their children.

Comments

Thelma said…
You are sweet and give me too much credit. I couldn't do an hour of your job...starting with finding a free place to park. I love you!
Marianne said…
It's nice that all the mothers are home. Yesterday, my children were especially glad I was home at meal times. "We're soo glad you're home. We're so sick of corndogs!" It's nice to be missed.

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