Covid-19: The Day to Day

When we got the announcement that schools were closed, I knew immediately that we needed a schedule, as much for my boys' sake and for my own. So for the first two weeks when Chuck wasn't working, we had a great schedule. Mornings were for chores, outdoor play, indoor play, hiking, Scouts and German for Everett, and recorder practice for Oliver. Next up was lunch. After lunch was screen time, giving everyone much needed rest time. Following screen time was time for more outdoor play. Then dinner, scriptures, journals, and maybe a family show (Malcolm in the Middle, mostly). It was great. The weather was (mostly) great, so we were able to get out on most days which helped everyone's mental and physical health. Every day was pretty much the same, with the exception of Tuesdays and Thursdays when I had to work (from home, of course). The days were loosely scheduled, but enough that my kids knew what to expect and I didn't have to hear, "Can we have screen" fifty times a day. I felt like I could keep this up for a long time. Well, some time. Well, a few weeks...maybe.

But then. School started. Remotely. On the plus side, the school system did as best as they could given the situation. Schedules were distributed, expectations were communicated. Elementary kids were to do math and english in the mornings, and secondary kids did all subjects in the afternoons (to lessen demands on electronicals within a household). But after two or so weeks I just couldn't make it work. We tried to get some schedules and routines incorporated with the schooling, but just couldn't do it.

Why? The big problem was that while Oliver's schedule was pretty set (MWF at 10 was math, TTh was reading), Everett's changed. He didn't have any classes on Mondays; Tuesdays and Thursdays are odd periods; Wednesdays and Fridays are even. BUT the teachers aren't required to hold actual classes; they're only holding "check ins" or just office hours. So he could have 1st period at 12:45 but then no 3rd and maybe 5th at 2:35. It was just so piecemeal and really hard to work around. I needed the boys to get out and have "recess" (what I started calling outdoor play once school was back in session), but it was harder and harder to squeeze it in because we just never knew if he'd have to get to class or not. And when Oliver went to math class, it was 20 minutes going over topics they covered months ago. (Apparently the county wanted everyone in the same place and his class was ahead.) It just didn't feel worth it. And if the boys don't have schedules and I don't know how long things are going to take, then I feel like *I* can't do anything. If I wanted to sit down and read for 30 minutes, I didn't know if I really had 30 minutes or just three because class wasn't class it was only a check in. And if was only three minutes, immediately the boys were asking if they could have screens. It was simply not sustainable.

So Sunday night I reached out to Oliver's math teacher to tell her he would not be joining her class. He would do the assignments, but just not log on to Zoom at 10 each MWF. What a load off my shoulders. Doing this completely freed up our mornings and put some routines back in. Now, MWF mornings are chores, recess, indoor play and then we go to lunch. After lunch both boys work on homework. It is so much better. The boys will be able to get outside more, something they desperately need. I will be able to know how much time I have to do stuff for me. (And by "stuff for me" I mean chores.)