Being quarantined is not the same as being a SAHM or a homeschooler. Stop comparing the two.
It seems that many of these posts are referring to the fact that parents are finding themselves in the position of teaching their children from home and spending all day with them (something that is not normal to their social-distancing-free lives). These posts range from "See what's it's like to be a SAHM parent?" to "Now you get to see what homeschooling is like!".
I'd like to refute those posts. One, they are inaccurate, and two, I honestly think they are just a little bit snarky.
Moms (since mainly it tends to be mothers I will say "moms" from this point out) that choose to stay home with their children, either working from home or homeschooling them (or both) are not to be compared to parents that are isolated at home with their children during COVID-19.
Why? There are quite a few reasons.
Normally, parents that homeschool have had time to research, practice and adapt to teaching their children at home. Not only that, but they also get to choose their own curriculums and are not "teaching their children from home" as are parents with the workload of educational paraphilia that is sent to their children by their teachers.
Also, working from home, with or without children (my sister and I both work from home, me with kids and she without) are equally hard to get used to and schedule efficiently. I've worked from home since before I had children, and I've had time to get used to it and find what works for us. I didn't have to figure it out overnight. I've had to make changes and adjustments that have taken MONTHS to implement.
Let's not forget that most SAHM and homeschoolers spend time with others. They find support from other SAHMs and homeschool groups. Right now, nobody has those. With social distancing being enforced in most states everyone is isolated at home. This is not normal. I repeat-THIS IS NOT NORMAL.
Yes, being at home with your children while there is a global pandemic is hard. It's doesn't matter whether you are veteran homeschooler/SAHM or a quarantined SAHM/teach your children from home. However, the two are no even remotely comparable other than the fact that it's a time of uncertainty and strangeness for everyone.
So please, if you are currently working from home with your children, and teaching them from home, don't think for ONE MINUTE that this is what normal homeschooling or SAHM life is like. Because it's not.
That's not to say it's not a lot of hard work (it is), not to say that it can't be isolating, even without COVID-19 (because it can be) and it's not to say it's not also a dang lot of fun (it's awesome), but it's also not what you are doing right now.
Right now you are at home with your children during a period of abnormal isolation. This is due to something that is stressful, anxiety-inducing, financial draining and much, much more.
Whatever you are doing is great. But please, don't worry about comparing it to what other people have spent possibly YEARS doing.
They are not the same thing.
Everything you said is true! Also families who are having to do school at home with their kids are using curriculum that they didn’t chose, don’t get to go on field trips, gather with friends for an art class etc. In this pandemic know one got time to plan for sheltering at home, to think through their work schedule at home, either. We need to stop the need to always compare and judge everyone and everything.
ReplyDeleteSo true - and such wisdom.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!! I've been hearing things like "well, you have been working from home and home educating anyway, so it's not that much of an adjustment for you, right?" Wrong! I miss my friends and family, going to the library, taking my kids to their activities, and going on field trips. Homeschoolers often rely on social networks even more heavily.
ReplyDeleteHear, hear...so true!! And around these parts, no one is asking us who have successfully raised our homeschoolers into responsible, hard working adults either!! WHATEVER DO WE KNOW anyway huh?
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