By Kristina Conner, Gulf Coast Mom contributor
As a mom, we never want to be in a position where we have to make the tough decisions about our children. Like many of you, I was faced with making the decision of putting my children back in school or keeping them home during the pandemic.
In the beginning, it was a no-brainer concerning our children and school. I didn’t quite know how it would all work out, but I knew my babies would not be starting the school year as usual.
I prayed and prayed, and God spoke to me one day. I would not be returning to work. Fear and doubt started setting in.
I experienced all the emotions a mom could feel at once. Would we be financially able to do this? How would the kids adjust? What about my career as a teacher?
All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind. I knew I had to step out on faith and trust God, and that is exactly what I did.
I began to prep and transform our dining room into our classroom. Each child had a corner. I even decorated a bit to give it more of a classroom atmosphere.
I had no clue how this would work out, but I was excited to see. Makenzie, my youngest, was excited — as this is her kindergarten year. Melody, who is in fifth grade, was relieved that she didn’t have to physically go to school. Marcus (MJ) was totally disappointed because this was his first year in middle school. He is our social child.
The first month and a half was a struggle. Well, I guess I should say the entire nine weeks was a struggle. For the first few weeks, I got absolutely nothing done around the house.
Additionally, I was having to spend about 10 hours or more seven days a week in our “classroom” with our beloved Melody. I tried everything to help her stay on track with completing her assignments. I would write out each class and each assignment so she could see and check off what she needed to accomplish. However, that didn’t work. She had to realize that no one in our house would do her work for her.
Then, we ran into another problem.
Any time I would spend helping our youngest with her work and checking her assignments, Melody would begin pretending she could not do her work.
I was very frustrated as a teacher mommy. We tried punishment, rewards and incentives, but nothing seemed to help. We knew she would not have any problems if she were in her classroom.
The deeper we were into the nine weeks, the more she struggled with homeschooling. The mental toll this was taking on her, and the stressful mode I caught myself slipping into, was not healthy. When her grades began to spiral downward, I knew we had to do something. I just struggled with making that final decision.
My husband had no problem making this decision, however; they needed to return to school. I first dealt with the emotions as a mom that I wasn’t able to make this work for the safety of our children. I had to realize that every child is different and will not thrive how I feel they should.
I had to do what I knew deep down worked for our children. So, I prayed again for guidance over them, as I do each morning before they load the bus.
We take many safety precautions upon their return from school, which I will be happy to share later. But for now, I can say that everyone is happy and stress free — and most of all, the kids are thriving being back in school.