Oh, ‘rona. How you have turned the world upside down.

You’ve made it weird time to be a parent. And even weirder time to be a school aged kid.

After 7 months of being a part time working mom, I am once again a stay at home + a new home school mom. After 7 months as 1st graders in a public school, my children are now students of Mrs. Fry’s First Grade class.

There is so much that I am not sure of at this scary time in our lives. I do know, though, at my parenting has most definitely changed…and stayed the same too.

Here’s how I am parenting in the time of Coronavirus.

No Sugarcoating

While I am reminding my kids over and over and over…and over again the importance of washing our hands during a time like this, I am also reminding them (and myself) that this virus is real. In the past, I’ve hid the ugly truths about our world. In the last couple of weeks, though, I decided to just let them know, to answer their questions, to not hide anything about this virus that they ask. They’re seven. They see the news. They know there is a serious reason that is keeping them from school. They ask (and they have almost every day), I answer with the facts – no sugarcoating.

Does it scare them. Yes, a bit. But I assure them that we are taking every precaution possible to keep our family healthy. And because we are staying home we are taking every precaution possible to keep our family and friends healthy too.

Are you? #stayhome #hometogether

Home-School Hot Mess

I never saw myself as a home-school mom, but here I am…killin’ it. Kidding. I am totally kidding. The Coronavirus has forced me into a position that I never saw coming. I thought my crazy organized, list making, schedule freak self would love teaching my three 1st graders. I do not.

It’s day 14 and it feels like day 114. Therefore, my “teaching” has become very lax. Learning doesn’t always come from the worksheets I downloaded the minute I heard the kids would be out of school for 2 weeks (now longer) and anally put together in hopes that my business degree would somehow magically turn me into the world’s greatest home-school mom.

My children are also learning by taking walks around town, playing in the dirt, and jumping on their trampoline. They may whine when it comes to completing math problems and spelling words, but in the last couple of weeks they have become more curious about bugs and birds, about learning about our 50 states, and creating the most fantastic art.

We don’t have a schedule. I’m letting them decide what they want to learn and how they want to learn each day. Mrs. Fry’s First grade isn’t what has been prescribed.

I Appreciate Them More

COVID-19 has made me more mindful of their needs – both physical and mental. While living life before quarantine, it was just so easy to just flow through the days without remembering that each one of my children, are different. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. Being home with them has called to mind that I have not appreciated them as the individuals they are. They may be triplets, but they are nothing alike.

Life After COVID-19

When this pandemic is long gone, the world may be different, but my love for these kiddos of mine will remain the same – strong, unending, and ever-lasting. Unchanged.