Here I am, still home-as you probably are- coming to you from my dining room.–War Room. Little S is coloring by numbers and Lady Bug is reading. So, I wanted to share with you some of my latest observations/ponderings:
1- As the wife of a truck driver, I’m happy to see some recognition and love for truckers. Truck drivers are hardworking and very dedicated employees–yes I know there are some bad eggs out there, but show me one industry that doesn’t have those! Recently, my husband took a time lapse video of himself delivering food to a local restaurant.
My hope is that when things go back to normal (as I believe they will, eventually), that truck drivers/delivery drivers aren’t again thought of as second class citizens, and that all American’s understand that every single thing we have has at least once been on a truck.
2- Teachers are awesome! I mean, I may joke that I am overwhelmed but really I am not. In my experience, Little S’s teacher has created a private Facebook Group to share videos, lessons and coordinating lessons via Zoom for sight words and such. Lady Bug’s teacher is using Google Classroom where the kids talk to one another, lessons are shared, and Ms. P interacts with her students.
I know that this isn’t the case for all parents. I spoke with a friend of mine who is a teacher and she know parents are frustrated. School being virtual until the end of April is straining many, many people. Parents are still having to work, so the oldest child is watching younger siblings–which means keeping everyone fed and safe is primary and lessons are secondary. There are also parents who aren’t strong readers or those whose first language is not English. This leaves students to work on their assignments by themselves, which can lead to student frustration and burn out. But I DO know that schools aren’t leaving everyone to fend for themselves. Parents (or older students) can call or email their schools for assignment assistance. I mean, I barely passed Geometry (I had lots of tutoring). I don’t know what I’d do now if my children were in one of those classes!!
3- If you have internet access (which you obviously do if you are reading this 😁) there are SO many resources! I personally use the Kahn Academy to bolster learning and a quick search for online learning yields tons of suggestions. **Please sit with your kids and monitor where they go! The internet can be a dark hole to fall into, if we–as parents and guardians–don’t ensure digital safety!
4- We are quarantined but are not prisoners. Yes, we all need to keep distance from each other, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go outside! Go for a walk, read a book, do assignments on the porch, or take a drive to somewhere you haven’t been. Obviously, you can’t stop in shops or restaurants but you can still DO things. These two links are a great resource for things to do in our area: 👇👇
Or, you could be this guy:
5- You might be wondering what we are doing at the Upstate Family Resource Center. Well, we are staying busy! I am at home with the munchkins, but working on reports, bookkeeping, marketing, and this blog. The rest of the staff are also working to meet the needs of our community!
Stay safe, Stay sane, and Show some love. Share us with others!
