2020 has definitely been a year of uncertainty.
If you have kiddos in school (like me) that uncertainty is compounded with the pressure to make decisions based on little to no information.
Will our school be open this fall?
If it is open, will I feel comfortable sending my kids there?
If it is not open, what are my options?
Should I follow the school’s e-learning program or homeschool instead?
What happens if our school opens up mid-year?
I have always been a “just in case” kinda girl, so this fog of uncertainty is not easy for me to handle. Sure, a little spontaneity makes life fun in certain situations. But when it comes to important decisions that will seriously affect my family for an entire school year, I need the facts.
Unfortunately, right now . . . there are no facts.
There are plenty of opinions . . . and a few educated guesses . . . but nobody knows for sure how this unprecedented situation is going to play out. So, what do we do?
How do we prepare for school when the schools aren’t prepared for us?
I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do have FOUR SIMPLE ENCOURAGEMENTS that will help!
ENCOURAGEMENT #1: You are not alone.
The teachers, the principals, the other parents, are all yearning for that sense of clarity. In the past few months I have felt a distinct burst of community spirit!
When we started e-learning, the homeschooling moms reached out with coaching, advice, and even extra supplies, for all of us newbies.
Whatever happens with your school in the fall, you can take comfort in knowing that everyone will be in the same boat together!
ENCOURAGEMENT #2: Most kids are more resilient than we realize.
Before she finished kindergarten, my daughter had been a student at 7 different schools! (Did I mention we’re in the military?) Looking back, it is clear that those experiences gave her emotional flexibility. That little girl can roll with the unexpected better than most adults!
Of course, I would never have intentionally planned for her to say “goodbye” and “hello” that many times. But instead of fighting what I couldn’t control, I chose to take advantage of the teachable moments.
Let’s view this season of uncertainty as an opportunity to build resiliency in our kids!
ENCOURAGEMENT #3: We can still prepare for school in important ways!
I don’t know if I’ll be driving my kids to school or doing lessons at the kitchen table. But here’s what I do know . . .
Training my kids to follow a consistent morning routine, make their own breakfasts and lunches, and be in the habit of tidying up will make life easier no matter what style of schooling we use!
Let’s think about what would always make our homes run more smoothly and pour extra energy into that!
ENCOURAGEMENT #4: Uncertainty forces us to focus on the essential.
A friend of mine has been in the habit of buying each of her three kids a brand-new backpack every year. This year, since she doesn’t know whether they will be schooling outside the home, she found herself telling her kids, “Your old backpacks are fine.” To her surprise, letting go of the pressure to buy new things was so freeing!
The stores want to convince us that every kid needs a new everything every year . . . NOT TRUE! Most of us can get along just fine for quite a while with what we already have. This is the perfect opportunity to practice contentment!
We probably won’t have answers when we want them.
And even when we do start hearing rumors and tentative announcements, we know that circumstances can change at a moment’s notice. But even amid all the uncertainty, we can still look back on this season of uncertainty as a positive experience!
SNEAK PEEK . . .
A free series called Back to School Made Simple is coming up soon! It will be filled with positive encouragements, helpful freebies, and effective strategies for busy moms just like you. JOIN THE EMAIL LIST and keep your eyes open for announcements!
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