Mindy Carlson

Well, here we are. It’s the middle of August and school is threatening to start.

Or is it?

This time it’s weird.  My kids are going back to school, but at home, but they’ll be in school. Plus, they are both moving up into new schools (omg I have a middle schooler and a high schooler!).

I feel badly they aren’t getting that experience of walking through the doors of this huge brick building with hundreds of other children. I remember my first day of middle school (back when it was junior high). Butterflies were having a mosh pit in my stomach, but at the end of the day I survived and knew that I would continue to survive for the next 3 years. I want my kids to have that experience. To have those overwhelming emotions of fear and excitement and terror and joy and know that they will survive them by just putting one foot in front of the other.

But in 2020, they aren’t going to get that.

My oldest is excited to be having school at home. As he says, “I was born for this!” He is an introvert and loves to spend his time doing his own research.

My youngest is a little bummed. In 4th grade I asked him what he was looking forward to the most for the school year. “The bus ride to school.” He couldn’t wait to see his friends, his people. This year, he’s not going to be seeing his people.

So, what can I do to make sure that this year isn’t a total flop for them?

Well, first we are having a special first day of school breakfast. We’ll make either pancakes or waffles and cook up some breakfast sausages and possibly eggs. And of course there will be chocolate chips and sprinkles, because I want to make this *extra*.

I’m still going to take the first-day pictures. They hate them. I love them. They are a right of passage and we are doing it. If they want to wear their pajamas, fine. 2020 is breaking all the rules.

Each of them are going to have a workspace that is special for them. We are lucky to live in a larger house where we don’t need to be on top of each other as we all work, because all 4 of us will be working in this house during the year. Also, I got everyone new headphones with noise canceling capabilities in the headset and microphone.

I’m wrestling with how much structure they are going to need. Everyone likes freedom, but they also need to get their homework done. And a secret I’ve been keeping is my hatred of being a prison warden. I don’t want to be barking at them to get to lunch! get to work! finish that homework! So how do I balance these two needs? I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

But we’ve got this! Education is going to happen one way or the other. It’s going to be messy and there will be bedhead, but the learning is going to commence.