Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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A Year Later

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It’s been an entire calendar year since the USA began lockdown to eradicate COVID-19.

Over 500,000 in the USA dead from a virus because we couldn’t care about people over profits.

What have we learned?

We’ve seen an awful lot of uncaring people who fight mask mandates and argue with store employees.

We’ve seen retail stores and restaurants struggle to remain open. Some do a better job than others following recommended CDC guidelines, protecting their employees and customers.

We’ve see the breakdown of government leadership with an insurrection and failed coup.

We’ve seen local leaders torn between maintaining curfews and reopening the economy.

We’ve seen greedy corporations and wealthy individuals demanding more, more, more while so many are without the assistance they need to survive. Deregulation, privatization, and government bailouts make the rich richer.

We have seen vast discrepancies between the rich and poor, white and BIPOC, liberal and conservative, young and old.

We’ve seen our youth turn into zombies before the screen with so many hours of Zoom schooling. We have seen disparity with schooling for children of color and different socio-economic classes. What are we gonna do about it?

We’re in a housing crisis as so many are laid off and unable to work and therefore unable to pay rent.

Massive financial debt paralyzes a great percentage of our “first world” population – as poverty rates climb everywhere and there is no aid or end in sight.

Who are essential workers and why don’t we value them?

Climate chaos is here – vast fires and extreme cold and bizarre weather patterns.

The vaccine rollout is just a mess.

But go on, insensitive people, sure, go on that fancy vacation to imperil more lives who are dependent on your tourist dollars and have little choice but to serve you.

We have at this moment the chance to change our trajectory.

I am so thankful that my husband, eldest child, and I were able to be vaccinated.

My husband works in the WPAFB epidemiology lab. My daughter is a care worker for disabled adults. I was scheduled because I am a teacher. We file as an 08 school in Ohio and I received a message from the county that I qualified.

Our family has not dined in a restaurant in over a year. I haven’t gotten my hair done in over a year.

When did we stop caring about our neighbors?

Is it the rise of social media that gives us a false sense of community while erasing real empathy?

Why are politicians and those brainwashed by the “news” so concerned with avoiding socialism while maintaining American evangelicalism, racism, sexism, and capitalism, widening the vast abyss separating the haves with the have-nots?

We have seen how broken our health care system is and how so many people suffer trying to juggle their physical and mental health with keeping their jobs and paying rent. We can afford to care for people properly.

We now know how many jobs can be done virtually. We can abolish the rat race of 40+ hours a week. We can prioritize rest and relationships over profit. Will we do this?

What is the cult of self-care anyway? It’s doing all the unnoticed, tiny, deliberate, thankless tasks that keep us from falling downward into the spiral.

 Self-care should not be something we resort to because we are so absolutely exhausted that we need some reprieve from our own relentless internal pressure.

Brianna Wiest

If you’re thinking that the pandemic hasn’t really affected you and your family, then you’re not thinking far enough ahead nor about the bigger picture.

What is the effect this year of isolation will have on our children? And I’m not saying that our kids are gonna be behind in school. The psychological effects of watching our world burn this last year will be long-lasting.

What is the cost of a year without friends? Most of my kids’ acquaintances continued socializing all through this last year, oblivious to CDC guidelines. We are left behind, forgotten, dismissed. It will be difficult to reintegrate socially and do we even want to – with such callous people?

All the togetherness is trying for some families who are used to going their separate ways every morning – to day care, school, work. Our lifestyle hasn’t greatly changed. We’ve seen lots of complaining and comments from many families online. The lockdown provided children and parents time to learn they like one another. Or not. We have seen some issues with families who have to learn how to actually live together.

Why are so many yearning to “go back to normal” when it’s so obvious that normal isn’t working?

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Linking up: Grammy’s Grid, Suburbia, Marilyn’s Treats, Pam’s Party, Random Musings, Anita Ojeda, April Harris, Create with Joy, InstaEncouragements, LouLou Girls, Our Three Peas, Anchored Abode, Grandma’s Ideas, Soaring with Him, Ridge Haven, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap, Penny’s Passion, Katherine’s Corner, OMHG, Imparting Grace, Try it Like it, Debbie Kitterman, Crystal Storms, Slices of Life, Answer is Choco, Wordsmith, Momfessionals, CWJ, Simply Sweet Home, Life on Oak Hill,

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Pandemic Holiday Tips

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For many people, life as they knew it has been put on hold due to the restrictions we all must adhere to with COVID-19. The days of waiting patiently for life to return to “normal” have passed. In fact, there has been enough time that has passed since the virus hit in early 2020, that we can confidently say, we have developed a new normal. 

At first, this new normal was odd. Anything new is going to be strange to our human brain. We like consistency, predictability, and familiarity. It is what helps us to feel safe and secure, the most basic of our human needs.

We are now about to embark on another adventure in experiencing something new – The Holidays.

This is a time of year that we typically would travel, visit family, go to parties at friends’ homes and restaurants, as well as within our workplaces. We typically deliver presents to share holiday cheer with others. Perhaps your family spends time in service for organizations or with individuals who need extra help and extra support during this time.

While these traditions were part of the bedrock of the holidays, they are most likely not available to us this year. Although this season will look quite different than years past, we may be able to find some hidden treasures in our new “holiday normal.”

Here are a few suggestions to help you get through this new “holiday normal” that are based on the science of how our human brain is wired with a sprinkling of strategies to improve your relationships and boost your resilience. So, in other words, these may be things you choose to add to your life, regardless of whether or not we are in the middle of a pandemic.

  1. Set the Tone: You set the tone of what this holiday will feel like for your children. They certainly will get messages from your community, their peer group, and the news, however, how you feel and talk about the holiday in your home will have the greatest influence on how they feel. Start by asking yourself, am I already setting myself and my children up for being disappointed? Boost your awareness by noticing how you are talking about the holidays with others, especially when your children are present. When you listen to the things that you say, do you feel uplifted or upset? When your children talk about the holidays do you feel your own body get tense or weak? Although you think your children can not sense this inner state, they can, and it greatly affects how they will feel. You can also use a mindfulness platform like Ninja Focus that can be a great companion for your children to check in on “how they are feeling” and listen to guided tracks from wellness experts.
  2. Make a List of Things You Do Not Have to Do: Rather than focus on what has been lost by listing all of the things that you cannot do this holiday season make a list of all of the things that you DO NOT HAVE TO DO because of the pandemic. Having worked with families for over 2 decades, I have found that many of them become overly burdened this time of year because of all of the obligatory things that they must do either personally or professionally. Start this list by titling your paper, “All of the things I do not have to do, and I never enjoyed doing anyway.” After you create that list, how does it feel when you read it?
  3. Focus on What Truly Matters: Without all of those obligations, you now have a lot more time to focus your energy on what truly has meaning to you and your family. Time for another list. What are some things that you wished you could have had more time to enjoy if you were not running all over the place during the holidays? How many times have you purchased gifts for your children, but then not have time to actually play with them? Focus on those things.
  4. Make New Traditions: It is a great opportunity to make some new traditions and get your children involved in it. Whether you are celebrating a specific holiday or simply taking some time off of work because school is closed, now is the time to collectively decide what family or individual things your children would like to explore during this time and perhaps share with you. Plan ahead, and yes, create another list by asking your children about things they are really interested in doing or learning and find creative ways to explore these things together.
  5. Spend Quality Time and Bond as a Family: Last but not least, remember that this is the perfect “storm” for you to actually BE together, as a family to talk and connect. Ask any child psychologist and they will tell you that the best way to raise children to be self-confident, respectful, happy, and secure, is to give them THIS most important present — YOUR PRESENCE. Simply being side by side, listening to each other without being rushed, speaking honestly about their dreams, fears, desires, challenges, and joys. This is what cultivates a happy home and healthy relationships.

Remember the most important thing is to spend a few moments each day enjoying the company of your children this holiday season. It can bring your family closer and boost your mood. If you think it helps, include yoga and mindfulness exercises into your daily routine. 

Ninja Focus is a great resource with short and easy to follow mindfulness exercises and meditations that you can practice as a family with your children.

We’re enjoying winter walks, exercise videos, arts and crafts, kitchen creations, holiday movies and music, and lots of reading. We’re enjoying Advent devotions every night with dinner and a Tomte story after our homeschool read alouds.

Happy holidays!

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Maybe We’re Not Lost

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I think many of us have felt lost this year.

So many changes thrust upon us and we are not in control.

Plans canceled.

An entire year that feels missing.

Many of us stay home from school and work and most other activities. I realize for many this has been a very difficult transition.

We’ve isolated ourselves and quarantine inside our houses with our family bubble.

We also realized that many people are not capable of caring for others or following science and health safety guidelines.

I really just don’t have a lot of sympathy for people crying they can’t go to Target without a mask or needing to eat dinner out in a restaurant.

We’ve lived through many crises this year – a pandemic, forest fires, political upheaval, natural disasters.

What will we do next year? Do we really want to “go back to normal” when normal wasn’t really working?

What if we’re not lost?

What if we’re right where we ought to be?

What if we’re…found?

While our homeschooling lifestyle hasn’t much changed with the quarantine, we do miss the freedom of extracurricular activities.

(For people confused about what freedom, liberty, rights, and privilege mean – I spell it out in my Independence Day Unit.)

We narrowed our focus even more.

Perhaps we would have missed opportunities for blessings if we were distracted by other things.

We explore our backyard nature – the woods and nearby pond. We hike when it was safe at local parks.

We bought a house. We probably would have even under other circumstances. We cleaned our new house top to bottom, inside and out. We certainly had time. We did some repairs and updates. We organized and purged clothes, books, toys and more. We donated items when thrift shops reopened. We’re streamlining our possessions to what is best needed and used well and beautiful.

We’re certainly on screens a lot – social media, Netflix, games, etc. But the kids decide to play board and card games or D&D or draw or paint or bake cakes or skate quite often. They have natural cycles and their own needs and desires and balance their time pretty well. They have no schedules.

We’re continuing our regular studies, relaxed and unhurried. We read lots of books and research our interests.

I had surgery – laparoscopic myomectomy. I’ve working hard on myself – healing and growing.

My eldest daughter decided not to return to college this year. Online school was difficult for her last semester and she didn’t feel she could continue for this whole year. She wanted to explore other options. She is focusing on her mental health.

Then she decided to move out the first week in November. At first I was heartbroken and hurt. I felt betrayed. Why would she do this when she has freedom and security and no worries? At least it’s not with a toxic, abusive boyfriend. Then after two weeks, she was laid off from her new job. She went on numerous interviews and has a few offers.

Parenting young adults is hard but I’m learning.

What blessings will these sudden changes bring?

So, even though we’re existing in a liminal space, an in-between, unknown realm of possibilities…we are learning to recognize what is important right now.

Maybe we can use this time for rediscovery. We can reconnect.

We could examine ourselves and our values. What do we want our future to be? What do we want our society and our country and government to look like? What will we tell our children and grandchildren about this year and how we changed for the better?

It sometimes feels that we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. There are moments and days of darkness when we’re sad and angry and just feel hopeless. I know I’m tired.

These are the times when we shed a few needed tears, hug our families close, snuggle our pets, water our houseplants, make a warm cuppa, look out the window, and dream of a better tomorrow.

We must stop telling ourselves that we’re lost.

We might be on a road with no discernable destination. We’re just rolling along with hope that we might find a place we like, to stay.

I’m not lost. I’m on my way.

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Linking up: Suburbia, Random Musings, Anita Ojeda, Marilyn’s Treats, April Harris, Little Cottage, Mostly Blogging, InstaEncouragements, LouLou Girls, Welcome Heart, Our Three Peas, Anchored Abode, Grandma’s Ideas, Soaring with Him, Ridge Haven Homestead, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap Crafts, Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, Debbie Kitterman, Creative Kids, Imparting Grace, Being a Wordsmith, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, Simply Sweet Home, Grammy’s Grid, Embracing Unexpected, CWJ, Slices of Life, OMHG, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Everyday Farmhouse, Create with Joy,

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Quarantine Schooling

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I taught school for about ten years, and always homeschooled my four kids, so I have a bit of a different philosophy towards education than many.

Around March 2020, may families found themselves in awkward situations. Many parents worked from home while children completed their school year online. Teachers scrambled to prepare online lessons for hundreds of students. It was stressful.

Many families and the media call this homeschooling.

Narrator: “This was not, in fact, homeschooling.”

Now the word “homeschooling” has evolved over the years and used to have different connotations than it now does. It’s not such a weighted or negative word as it used to be.

The word often conjured images of denim jumper dress-wearing evangelical fundamentalist Christian families. And that certainly is still a subculture within homeschooling communities.

While it is still difficult to find secular and liberal homeschoolers in many areas, it is becoming more widely acceptable for many families to home educate their children in different ways.

Homeschool choices are almost limitless. Many states and school districts provide online or video lessons. There are secular and Christian curriculum options. Parents can create an eclectic mix of academics and hobbies for kids to explore.

Many families are concerned about safety, continuity, and consistency for this next school year.

Some schools are closed, some offer part time or staggered attendance, some are going completely online. I am not here to judge parents whose choices are impossible during these circumstances. I realize many parents must work outside the home and need childcare. Our society expects schools to provide education and care during working hours.

Teachers are facing impossible situations. Required to teach in person or prepare and teach engaging lessons online, risking their health or their careers. I can’t imagine making these hard choice if I were still a classroom teacher.

I understand that it’s overwhelming to suddenly homeschool kids who expect to attend school. It’s a completely different lifestyle for many families and the unknown is scary.

It took me a few years to adjust as a reluctant homeschooler.

For first time homeschoolers, pandemic/quarantine/crisis homeschoolers, reluctant homeschoolers, even veteran homeschoolers:

Some things to think about school at home:

What is your focus?

Search your heart for what you want this school year to look like for your family. Use this time to learn about your children – their hopes, dreams, preferences. Don’t just think this is about academics. This is about relationship. This is about making memories. What do you want your family to look back on during this time and remember fondly?

Ease into it.

It’s often best to start with the bare bones. Fun, fun, fun. Outside time. Hiking. Nature exploration. Learn about your backyard nature. Fall in love with learning. Maybe just begin with reading, writing, arithmetic. Have story time and talk about the book afterwards or make art. Do kitchen math with delicious recipes. You don’t have to recreate a classroom school environment in your kitchen, dining room, living room, or basement. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on curriculum, books, computer programs.

Keep records.

Records, portfolio, book lists, field trips are handy to have if you plan to send kids back into public or private school attendance at any point. It’s also nice to look back over what was accomplished on the days when you feel like nothing ever got done. I often enlist the kids to help make their notebooks or portfolios. It’s a great family project! Many homeschoolers must submit curriculum lists at the beginning of each school year with their intent letter and provide a portfolio or test score at the end of the year. Keeping records as you go makes this easier than scrambling last minute. It’s good to have a scrapbook or journals for kids to look back on too.

Take it slow.

You will have bad days. Keep your cool as the adult when things fall apart. Don’t think of it as a failure. Think of the unpleasant moments as opportunities to learn how to do better. No one is falling behind. You’re not competing with anyone. You don’t need a strict color-coded schedule for every minute of every day. You don’t have to know how to do everything, teach every subject, or complete every lesson. There is a plethora of resources out there to help. Screentime is ok. Sleeping in is ok. Meal times are arbitrary. Later bedtimes are ok. I realize this is a stressful time for everyone, even veteran homeschoolers who usually participate in lots of activities with others.

Keep in touch.

It’s important to allow kids to keep in touch with friends until it’s safer for in person meetups and play dates and group activities. We live in a brave new world with so much technology allowing us to communicate any time, anywhere, with almost anyone. My kids have iPads and/or smartphones with Discord, messenger apps, social media. We find it difficult to find other kids whose parents trust them to use these services. It makes it more difficult for my kids to keep in touch with their friends.

Start a new tradition.

Breakfast announcements. Morning message before beginning seatwork. Weekly tea time (it doesn’t even have to include tea!) with fun snacks and music or poetry. Friday free days (or afternoons) for playing outside. Friday pizza nights with movies. Saturday dance parties. Sunday hiking.

Resources:

What does this school year look like for your family?

Linking up: Random Musings, April Harris, Marilyn’s Treats, Little Cottage, Kippi at Home, Create with Joy, Mostly Blogging, OMHG, Home Stories, Purposeful Faith, InstaEncouragements, LouLou Girls, Grandma’s Ideas, Welcome Heart, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster Ginger Snap Crafts, Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, Debbie Kitterman, Slices of Life, CKK, Imparting Grace, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Ridge Haven Homestead, Simply Sweet Home, Momfessionals, Answer is Choco, Embracing Unexpected, CWJ, Serenity and Harmony, Grammy’s Grid, Anita Ojeda,

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Not Back to School

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Homeschoolers often celebrate “back to school” with fun and different traditions than other families whose children attend school.

Homeschoolers also do many of the same things as school families. We buy new supplies and clothes with all the sales, tax-free days, and coupons. We like the first day photos.

Homeschoolers look forward to the day when school kids go back to classrooms and all the fun places we love to frequent aren’t busy with summer crowds anymore. But even homeschoolers aren’t gathering or doing co-ops or meeting up this fall.

My kids used to wave goodbye to their neighborhood friends who rode the bus to school while we began our homeschool day. They often waited for their bus at the end of the day to greet their friends again.

This school year looks very different for many families. Some school districts are offering options for in person full or part time attendance, or online remote classes.

No matter what kind of school year our kids are beginning, making the first day of the new school year a special day may help ease jitters or disappointments. We need to make great memories with our kids.

Celebrating Not Back to School

  • Night before school party
  • Special breakfast or dinner night before
  • Pictures to commemorate the new year (preferably with their consent to post online)
  • Memory board or interview page
  • Gifts or treats
  • Look through new school materials and books together to get familiar.
  • Set up a work area for each child to complete assignments.
  • Special back to school books. It’s hard to find books celebrating homeschool.
  • New clothes fashion show. It could be new loungewear or pajamas!
  • Schultüte – traditional school cones for 1st graders in Germany. Another Schulüte DIY idea here. DIY auf Deutsch hier.
  • Ice cream!!!
  • Chalk drawings in the driveway or sidewalk
  • Fresh flowers, especially roses for new schoolers! I love the Waldorf rose ceremony.
  • Discuss plans, desires, and dreams for the year
  • Make calm jars with glitter, oil, food coloring, and water.
  • Make tie-dye shirts or bags.
  • Go hiking or do a nature scavenger hunt.
  • Picnic lunch
  • Bowling
  • Pool or lake party
  • Parties with a fun theme, even if it’s just immediate family
  • Movie night

My kids are older now and we still try to do fun things, but we don’t even really have one single official back to school day. We just kind of ease into it sometime the end of August, transferring from one history cycle to the next and new math books and maybe new science and foreign language.

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How do you make the first day of school special?

Linking up: Grammys Grid, Pinch of Joy, Eclectic Red Barn, House on Silverado, Jenerally Informed, Stroll Thru Life, OMHG, CWJ, Shelbee on Edge, LouLou Girls, April Harris, Suburbia, Random Musings, Anita Ojeda, Jeanne Takenaka, InstaEncouragements, Blue Sky at Home, Soaring with Him, Anchored Abode, Ducks in a Row, Fluster Buster, Ridge Haven, Ginger Snap, Try it Like it, Artful Mom, Penny’s Passion, Slices of Life, Simply Beautiful, Modern on Monticello, Everything, Create with Joy, Books and More, Simply Sweet Home, Answer is Choco, Being a Wordsmith, Cottage Market, Oak Hill,

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Quarantine with Kids

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Why are so many of the neighborhood kids playing together like it’s a holiday?

Why is that child down the street having a lemonade stand?

Why is this neighbor’s sister’s family visiting them?

Why is that neighbor’s out of state family here celebrating his birthday?

Why are the pet owners, walkers, and runners at the neighborhood park not wearing masks or social distancing?

Too many people believe the government and news media, instead of medical professionals. Or maybe they just don’t care?

While there are low-contact activities like tennis, biking, or hide and seek for children to play together, it’s unreasonable to expect children to self-regulate during play time with others outside their household.

Parks and playgrounds and schools are closed. This isn’t to say that kids can just play together in each other’s yards and houses. Many experts in health care warn families to keep their kids safe by not allowing play dates with others outside the household.

Exhibiting no symptoms doesn’t mean we aren’t carries who can potentially infect others. We don’t know where you’ve been and who you have interacted with, potentially spreading the virus exponentially.

I realize America and most of Western society is very individualistic, but maybe we could look to more collectivism and expand our views to care for others as a whole rather than just think about ourselves.

Many families did these last few weeks of school at home, online or by distance learning. This is not homeschooling! Homeschoolers don’t isolate ourselves in our homes and we’re suffering too with cancellations of activities, park closures, and libraries closed.

It’s true I don’t know everyone’s situation. It’s also true that it’s very hard for many be shut up together in a house all the time when they’re not at all used to that schedule.

Yes, I know it must be hard. This is not normal for anybody.

What narrative are we telling our children about this virus and quarantine? What can we do?

We can be honest with our children.

It seems that lots of parents just aren’t even telling their kids what’s going on.

Trust me, they can handle it. They want Truth. They want Respect.

We need to give kids more credit for their natural intelligence and empathy.

We don’t have to give them more info than they can handle for their age and mental capability, but we shouldn’t just pretend they shouldn’t know what’s going on in the world. We don’t have to incite fear.

They surely have noticed things are different. Schools are closed and activities are canceled. Parents are out of work or working from home. Restaurants are closed or takeout/delivery only. Schedules are surely different.

Tell the children why. Discuss. Listen to what they have to say. Answer their questions. What are the lessons we can learn?

We can model appropriate social distancing when we leave the house.

Social distancing means

  • not going out unless it is necessary. Necessary reasons to go out include buying food, getting medical care, or going for a walk or a bike ride alone or with members of the household.
  • closing schools, restaurants, shops, movie theaters, and other places where people gather
  • not getting together in person with friends
  • working from home if possible
  • not taking public transportation, including buses, subways, taxis, and rideshares

My children have not visited a store since our Ohio stay-at-home order the end of March.

My husband and daughter are essential workers and their work hours haven’t changed.

I do grocery shopping weekly alone or with my husband. My husband occasionally grabs something we need or forgot on his way home from work.

We can practice safe practices like hand washing and mask wearing.

Better safe than sorry:

  • Keep your family home and away from others as much as possible. Don’t have friends and extended family over, and don’t go to their homes. People who look healthy still can be infected and can spread the virus. That’s why it’s important to stay away from everyone, even if they don’t seem sick.
  • If you have to go out, make sure you are at least 6 feet (2 meters) away from other people. Viruses can spread when someone sneezes or coughs out tiny droplets. They may even spread when people talk. These droplets don’t usually travel more than 6 feet before falling to the ground. Also, follow the CDC’s advice and info on wearing a cloth face covering (or a face mask, if you have one).
  • If you’re caring for someone who is sick, take all recommended precautions. It’s important to keep that person away from others.

We wash our hands regularly and especially after returning home from the store.

My husband wears a mask at work and when he shops. The kids remind him to wash his hands when he enters the house at the end of every day.

My teen daughter wears a mask at work. She washes her hands when she returns home.

I wear and mask when I shop. I wash my hands when I return home.

We also have moved our shoe bench into the garage and remove our shoes there.

We wash work clothes more frequently.

We can limit our exposure to others by staying home or in our own backyards.

Yes, it’s really hard to have all extracurricular activities canceled. My kids miss it very much. It’s normal to be sad about this and I sit with them in their disappointment.

It’s hard when the neighborhood kids ask my son to play and we have to say no. It’s not my place to explain why to those kids. My children ask me why they’re all playing together when they shouldn’t. It’s a hard circumstance.

I know we all miss our friends and family members. Trips, events, celebrations have been canceled. Grandparents are cooped up and miss their grandkids.

Kids who are used to having their schedules and activities dictated and planned for them need some adjustment time.

Parents can provide a list of appropriate and safe activities that kids can do alone, with siblings, pets, or parents. Set aside blocks of time for kids to do independent work, chores, play and other time blocks for sibling or parent time.

Scavenger hunts are fun activities to keep friends connected without touching and exposing each other. Lots of groups, cities, neighborhoods have planned fun hunts.

Write letters. This is an important, almost lost skill. It’s fun to send and receive mail!

Online games, facetime, and video activities are great ways to keep in touch and interact.

Have movie night each week and read together.

Play board games, do puzzles, draw or crafts.

Spend time outdoors as a family, safely distancing from others. Go fishing, biking, fly kites, skate or roller blade, hike the woods where spaces are open to the public.

I am saddened by so many kids who have never experienced these activities because families never had the time or interest.

Invite fun new hobbies into your lives: like bird watching or gardening.

Get to know your kids and spend time more wisely.

Live more simply.

We can monitor the media we view and believe.

We have media overload.

We may need to turn off the TV, radio, social media.

This includes family and friends who think this virus is a hoax or protest stay-at-home orders.

We may want to set boundaries with those friends and family members.

Human lives are more important than a haircut or restaurant food.

I’m tired of the “What if…” games.

I’m tired of people thinking they’re the exception.

I’m tired of everyone not helping to flatten the curve.

Restaurants, stores, specialist medical offices, personal care shops reopen amidst protests to save the economy…is it worth it to get our hair cut and munch on fresh eggrolls and go to bars for live music? Even schools are reopen, risking the health of so many children.

It is right to risk the lives of a few hundred or thousand individuals? Are they expendable for the economy? Is it right to sacrifice a few for the many to be more comfortable?

I pray for all of us who are affected (or seemingly unaffected) by the virus. We are all connected.

Our children are watching us and how we react to this crisis. What do we want them to remember?

Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because you’re aren’t affected personally.

L.R. Knost
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Homeschooling During Quarantine

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Ohio has been in quarantine lockdown since April 1.

Many parents are working from home and school are closed so life looks a little different.

But many families are in crisis, wondering how they will pay their bills. Those stimulus checks won’t last long.

The families forced into quarantine when the schools closed are not homeschooling.

It’s crisis schooling. It wasn’t a decision. It was forced. Most are miserable, confused, scared.

My parents live in Georgia and they were only on lockdown for a couple weeks and it’s worrisome.

Stores and services are reopening, but not schools. Maybe next fall. And it’s probably too soon. Many families are planning to keep their kids home and accept the offer for online options from the public schools. They may find that successful, preferable, or they may realize there are other ways to learn.

I know our friend down the street loved completing his lessons super fast online and having free time.

Being a homeschool family doesn’t mean this isn’t hard.

Being introverted doesn’t mean this isn’t hard.

Even though our lifestyles don’t look that much different at this time, it’s still stressful.

We’re used to having the freedom to do what we want, when we want. We used to go where we want, not relying on traditional school schedules. We like to avoid crowds.

Libraries are closed and we miss it.

Local parks and playgrounds are closed and we miss it.

Sports and extra activities are canceled and we miss it.

We missed Easter. We had just started attending a new church.

My college daughter’s classes all went online. It’s hard because the professors aren’t used to that so they simplified the assignments and made grades easier. She misses her friends and freedom. We worry about fall semester and are noticing some small colleges are closing forever. She works part time at a bank and only their drive-thru is open. She realizes she is fortunate to be an essential employee.

The lovely spring weather beckons and we play in the yard and driveway. We explore our backyard woods and creek. My son rides his bike or scooter. The girls rollerblade and skate.

We’ve quietly celebrated four birthdays – mine and three of the kids. Homemade cake, favorite breakfasts and dinners, presents and movies. We don’t do big parties, so this is just our normal.

We’re finishing up our books and regular curriculum and we are getting bored.

There’s nothing to look forward to.

If it were winter, we probably wouldn’t do much different. Since we’re finishing up our formal lessons for the year and heading towards summer, we have to find creative ways to occupy our time. We used to do formal school year-round, but the kids like to have a month or so of a break these last few years. It’s becoming very hard with everything canceling through summer now.

I’ve never liked the word “homeschooling” because how we learn and live looks so little like school.

We just live life, learn what’s interesting, focus on fun activities and skills. We can do and learn the things we’ve only talked about and never found the time.

Academics are not as important as relationship.

We’re disappointed with all the neighborhood kids playing together like they’re on holiday. We wonder what their family’s narrative is for why school and work are canceled, stores are closed, people wearing masks. Do they think this is a hoax? Those public and private school kids and parents are exposing all those families while we the homeschoolers are following the rules and social distancing from everyone who doesn’t live in our house. It’s very frustrating.

My kids haven’t been out since March. I see lots of children in stores with their parents and while I realize child care is often an issue, I worry they’re being exposed or exposing others to illness.

Homeschooling during Quarantine

  • Learning new recipes
  • Playing games – online, board and card, video. We have a Wii and Switch.
  • Watching movies and shows on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu.
  • Arts and crafts
  • Deep cleaning each room
  • Painting or refinishing furniture
  • Organizing and minimizing – although we can’t donate anything right now.
  • Getting outside as much as possible while keeping social distance from other families and individuals
  • Nature study
  • Gardening
  • Yard work
  • Exercise
  • Online classes
  • Bible study
  • Literature unit
  • Foreign language study
  • Electives
  • Read, READ, read

Is there a lesson in quarantine? What is the lesson in all this?

Also, we’re bingeing apocalyptic media. Because that’s our style of humor and memes are therapy.

How is your schedule or lifestyle different during quarantine?

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Prayer for Quarantine

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For all those who think they’re unaffected by a virus.

Insulated in a bubble of wealth without reason.

Dark hair roots show when they remove their red hats.

We can all see who you really are now.

Thinking the economy is more important than a soul.

Confused by authority, leadership, contradictions.

Crying over puppy videos while calling the police on black and brown people.

Who are you to deny that we are all connected?

Medical professionals who cry in the hallways like hysterical Cassandra and her unheard prophecies.

Giving birth alone, hearing ecstatic or dire medical news alone, attending medical appointments and procedures alone.

Being too scared to go to the ER with heart attack or stroke symptoms or an injury.

Immunocompromised or disabled and invisible.

The individuals who die alone in silence, forgotten, mere statistics.

Who is essential?

The lack of paper products and cleaning supplies.

Crying over restaurant closures and having to make food for oneself.

The leavening disappeared from store shelves and now swamps the news.

Scarcity doesn’t affect everyone equally.

What is necessary?

The celebrations passed over.

Coming together with online streaming.

Dates that were looked forward to, milestones that meant so much.

The teens crying over missed prom, sports, graduation, college orientation.

The parents whose hopes are locked away in their bedrooms playing video games.

The kids watching their friends from windows, online, social media.

Abusers locked away with their victims.

Who are the helpers?

The privileged ones who fight for their right to party while starving beggars sit at the grocery store door palms up.

They had a secure job a month ago. They were living the American dream with all their expensive toys and debt, keeping up with the Joneses.

Sheep led to the slaughter with jeers and cheers.

Maskless protesters demand rights, but not for all.

We need more than a hug and a Snickers bar.

Who is expendable?

Even those who long to just go back to normal know in the corner of their minds that it wasn’t a good normal.

Desire to create a better simpler normal, including all, loving all, welcoming all, protecting all.

Let us pray.

Let us act.

Let us love.

Let us change.

Let us heal.

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Lessons from Quarantine

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I didn’t even realize my normal introverted stay-at-home-homeschooling lifestyle was called “quarantine” until people started having real meltdowns on social media about being forced to stay home, work from home, not eat out, not socializing with friends at bars, restaurants, parties, etc.

People seem to really not like their kids, cooking at home, staying home, or walking in nature.

For years, everyone has underestimated my desire to stay home. I’m an introvert and I’m tired of apologizing for my simple lifestyle.

Schools are canceled. College classes are canceled. Churches are closed. Restaurants and stores are closed. Sports are canceled. Libraries and other fun places we would occasionally go to are closed. The kids’ gymnastics and ice skating lessons are canceled.

Very little of this really affects me but I’m trying so hard to empathize with people who are upset about it all. I am amazed at how well my kids handle disappointment and I’m sometimes struggling.

While I understand these times are hard for extroverts like my teen daughter, we can adjust and help each other through this.

What can we learn from quarantine?

Let us live in hope of a better day.

Lessons from Quarantine

Love Your Neighbor.

I’m very concerned by people who are living in denial that this virus is dangerous and deadly. I’m concerned about people who are still traveling and vacationing.

I’m worried about the people who can’t get their needs met – the people laid off, unable to work, immunocompromised, starving children, abusive families, those with mental illness.

The economy is surely hurting and will take a while to recover. Perhaps this is the time our leaders can rethink how wealth is distributed and what programs should be in place as societal safety nets.

I love seeing people offering to help others – by picking up groceries or however people need help. All the online threads with GoFundMe and payment apps to help pay bills. As long as it’s not caremongering – posturing and flashy “look at me and all the good I’m doing!” Performance-based-Christianity is a virus itself.

But it’s sad we weren’t more prepared as a nation and world. May we come out on the other side of this with new perspective in how to serve others.

Many church leaders are posting mini services and prayer chains on social media. They offer hope and connection to those who are anxious and scared.

We’re all learning how to love and it’s so, so sad to still see hate, exclusion, blame, and negativity out there.

Boundaries.

While I’m used to being at home with my kids all day, every day…the mental load of realizing that we shouldn’t go out and all our extracurricular courses are cancelled and no one can play or socialize with friends is still very hard.

I’m not really much of a rule maker, but I have to institute some boundaries to make sure we don’t regress into chaos since weekends aren’t anything anymore. I’ve never really stressed about screentime, but I will not have disrespectful attitudes.

My almost twenty year old daughter is struggling with having her freedom sucked away. I do get it. It’s difficult for a fledgling adult to have her wings clipped and it’s not her fault. Her anxiety is running rampant. Her college classes were canceled for the whole semester and everything is online and she doesn’t do well with that education model. She has a part-time job at a local bank and she’s at least able to work a few days a week at their drive-thru (the inside bank is closed) when many cannot work. It hurts me that she would prefer greasy fast food instead of our home cooked meals. I will not have her treating her young siblings like her peers, showing them inappropriate Tik Tok videos, Instagram, or Snapchat, and wanting to watch unsuitable films and shows with them.

There have been lectures, slamming doors, angry texts, and rolling eyes. It’s really hard to be a gentle parent sometimes. I’m not sure what to do or say since it all seems wrong.

My husband works from home most evenings and weekends while still going to work Monday-Friday 7-5. He’s a military medical lab manager and it’s stressful everywhere in the medical communities right now. I’m feeling sometimes like I did when he was deployed. He’s here, but he’s not really here.

Sometimes, I really just want to be alone for an hour – in my home office, on the deck, in the bathroom. In silence.

Simplicity.

I like the simple life.

We cook all our meals at home. Restaurant closures don’t affect us at all since we rarely dine out and rarely get takeout and never delivery. I’ve never used a meal delivery service and I don’t plan to start. I’m concerned for food service industry and their jobs and well-being more than my lack of ability to get prepared or precooked food.

We’ve been striving to get debt-free for years and we are getting pretty close. Our investments took a hit as I’m sure many others have noticed. We’re not especially worried since we’re in that for the long haul.

I’m not much of a shopper. I mean I order tons of things online for our homeschool and when the kids ask for something (and they rarely ask for anything!). But I really loathe going inside stores. I don’t care about fashion or accessories or jewelry or makeup. I love seeing the beautiful regular people using this time to show us their tutorials online though.

Of course it’s easier not to spend money and pay off debts when there’s nowhere to go and no one to visit. There’s no point in buying anything.

We read Deuteronomy 15 along with history read aloud of the 2008-09 housing crash and that really was interesting in light of current events. Perhaps we really need a Jubilee?

We’ve been cleaning and purging for spring. Making much needed updates and repairs that have been on our list for ages. We just bought our house!

We read lots. That doesn’t change. We’re bingeing dystopian film and books too!

We do lots of creative things like art, crafts, jewelry…

We play Legos, board games, Switch and Wii, iPads…

We evaluate our priorities and lifestyle all the time and continue to simplify.

Going Outside.

I’m seeing so many more people outside – walking, running, skating, biking, with dogs. They mostly keep a good distance and wave or call hello. It’s pleasant and I hope it continues.

The outdoors aren’t closed or canceled except when they’re getting swamped with people not following the distancing rules.

We love nature and the outdoors and we still do our almost daily walks around our pond and hike off in the woods in our backyard. We play in our driveway and yard.

We love seeing the blossoms and buds that are new each day as the seasons change. We watch the birds and squirrels. We await the new babies.

The warmer weather and sunshine are very welcome.

Making Memories.

We’re pretty doing the same things we’ve always done.

Our life is mostly unchanged.

I wonder what memories we will have of this time in the years to come… What will our kids tell their children? What will history say of us?

We baked brownies and breads, learned how to perfect homemade pasta, had more meals with our families, bought bidets during the great tissue shortage, and shared more of our lives online with our neighbors, friends, and family.

Sometimes, we have to go offline and protect our anxious minds. Perhaps we can grow from this time of rest.

Maybe we’re understanding what community means.

We’re learning what love means in a time of crisis.

How are you passing the time?

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Apocalyptic Media to Binge

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We’ve been quarantined only a week or so and so many of us are unironically binge watching and reading apocalyptic movies and literature.

It brings a weird comfort. Maybe some how-to manuals. Sometimes a laugh at how unrealistic it is.

Apocalyptic Media to Binge

Movies

My kids couldn’t finish Outbreak, they said it was too real. We’ve watched lots of these end of the world movies. We love aliens, zombies, sci-fi, and fantasy.

Books

We do read alouds in our homeschool every weekday morning.

We’re reading We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren. We’re finishing up our Year 4 history with the last 25 years and it’s so hard, y’all.

Many of these selections are also on my Dystopian Book List.

What are you reading and watching these days?

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