Lately, I have been getting a lot of inquiries about what my plans are for my children this coming school year. Let me address you as a psycho-educator. Most of you may already be aware that I am a psychologist and an educator, as I also teach in the graduate level. My other mission is to educate and even so, I am not here to give you a step-by-step road map. I will instead provide areas of reflection that you may want to look into.
As parents, we need to re-school ourselves to better support our children during this tricky time. These kids are living in the digital age where education and recreation are linked to technology. Striking a balance is a perpetual goal. With this, I will give you the acronym SCHOOLING and hopefully, by the time we reach G, you’ve become more at peace with the decision you wish to take.
SITUATION: Know that your life is different from that of other people’s. Your priorities, routine, goals, personality, and the very details that makes your plate yours is unique. Your present situation is different from those of your neighbor’s and their realities are also uniquely theirs. Tailor fit your decisions according to your own life because what may work for other people may not necessarily work for you.
CHILD: Consider your own son or daughter. What are the needs of your child? What are their interests? Where will they thrive best? How can you help them reach their best developmental milestones? Which method will suit them best? As you find ways to make learning relevant to them, do not neglect your personal needs. Whatever changes you wish to implement can also directly affect you. Remember that even your entire home is also expected to adjust to the situation.
HOME LIFE: The emotional tone of your home life is critical in schooling your child and yourself. Are you anxious, burdened, or maybe thriving? The situation may be a challenge and it is affecting home life either to grow or to a fault. In this case, check your kids. Are they happy you are home? Or are they only too excited to get out?
OPPORTUNITY: What opportunities has the pandemic opened up for you? Seize these and take advantage! Open your eyes to the blessings that may have fallen on your lap. These may allow you to get to know your children or foster deeper relationships with family members. As difficult as it is to flow with change, life is still so full of opportunities. Know when to jump on them when you can!
OPEN: Be open to retooling and change. The world does not revolve around you so you cannot always have most things your way. That being said, give yourself a break from trying to micromanage everything and move according to the demands of your situation and present priorities. Do not fixate yourself to a certain plan and be open to edits, diversions, and Plan B, C, and D.
LIFE SKILLS: Did you know that not everything has to be taught and learned in school? No, I am not trying to say that I am for un-schooling but rather, I want to point out that the home presents so many opportunities for learning. The home is a place where your child can learn how to do household chores, look after other people, build good connections, and cultivate a sense of responsibility. Sometimes crucial lessons are not printed in textbooks. They’re learned and lived real-time.
IMPERFECTION: Embrace the very things you dread! Embrace the mishaps, mistakes, detours, and failures in between as you learn to navigate the new normal. These all present opportunities for growth and may bless you with wisdom. Remember that the happiest people are those who make the best out of everything. The home has so many avenues for growth. Children need to constantly be engaged and challenged. Engage them! Challenge them!
NON-NEGOTIABLES: What is important to you? What are your priorities? While homeschooling is beautiful, it is not for everyone. I see it as a calling. It requires time, money, and dedication to replicate the school set-up at home. It takes skill to be able to facilitate lessons. On the other hand, if you choose blended or distance learning, it, too, has its own ups and downs. Teachers are still going to be around to facilitate but since they’re navigating in a brand new platform, do not expect for it to mirror the pre-
pandemic style of learning. Expect a lot of changes and trust your school to be able to cope and make the best out of the opportunity and situation.
GROWTH: There is no perfect solution to schooling during the time of pandemic. Embrace all the bumps and rough edges. Make the perfect solution out of an imperfect situation. These all present opportunities for insight and growth that not only pushes our children to be better versions of themselves, it also forces us to look into ourselves to see which aspects of us need more focus.
I hope that whatever solution that you wish to choose, you will be at peace. You know yourself best. You know your children best. You are aware of your abilities, home situation, present realities, concerns, and goals better than anybody else. Try to align all these into a coherent whole and make the best decision for yourself and your family. Whatever decision you choose to make, do it with insight and love, and surely, your child’s growth and development will not be compromised.
I wish you the best in finding the perfect solution towards raising children who are developmentally healthy, happy, and equipped in this new normal.