My homeschool friends, I want you to know, we’ve got this.
Life is Like a Unit Study Now
You are more prepared than you realize to cope with this strange situation. You read your child Little House on the Prairie, The Swiss Family Robinson, and other stories of families struggling together in the American West or the Australian outback. Now, you get to do a deep dive into what it would really be like to live alone with just your family for company!
We are going to sew, craft, cook, garden, and homeschool our way through this. And the best part? We still have wifi, Disney+, Netflix and the support of all our friends on the internet to get us through this. We aren’t alone the way the Robinson family was. Everyone we know and love is just a phone call or video chat away. It isn’t so bad.
I’m channeling the strength and patience of the mothers who came before me right now. I’m cooking more, and meal planning carefully. We are pulling out the science and art kits that were hidden in the back of closets for “someday when I have time.” That time is now. We are sprouting seeds in the house and planning a garden this spring.
There is No Wrong Way
It is okay if you are doing your curriculum as planned, or you haven’t touched it this month. It’s okay if you are using all the free materials everyone has put out there, or not. It is fine if you feel frustrated that the whole world is homeschooling, and yet they don’t know what you really do. There is no normal way to handle a crisis. There is no playbook for handling a global pandemic. You get to choose what you do each day.
If you’ve relied heavily on classes outside your home, you may need to make a new plan. Creating a pattern that you all follow may take some stress off of you. This new pattern could be centered around schoolwork, but it could also be centered around meals, walks, movies and/or board games. You get to decide. Don’t forget that there is no wrong way to do this.
About the Author
Laura Sowdon, OTR/L is an occupational therapist, writer, speaker, educator and creator of the Five Senses Literature Lessons homeschool curriculum. She has worked as an occupational therapist with children in public and private schools, as well as private practice. Laura has taught and managed homeschool co-ops as well as homeschooling her own three children. Laura is dedicated to the idea of educating children at a pace that aligns with brain and physical development milestones and respects neurodiversity in all its forms.