Homeschool...discontinued

Crosby is going back to half-day school on Tuesday. A few things changed that make in person instruction a good choice for our family.

1. The Kitas are opening again. Hugo can be back for up to seven hours. Although, it is likely that we will have him there fewer hours to consolidate pick-ups / he would rather be at home.

2. I had a meeting with Crosby's math teacher and found out I wasn't teaching him the right material the last two weeks. I kept going with the time, days of the week, etc while the kids in school moved back to addition and subtraction.

Unfortunately, it turns out I was unrealistic with how much he should know about telling time. I was drilling him on hours, minutes, etc and it turns out first graders are only supposed to read the hour hand. Unsurprisingly, my not-age-appropriate expectations were frustrating for all parties involved.

3. The parenting book I'm reading right now - The Blessings of a Skinned Knee - reinforces that so much of learning is about character and attitude. It feels like a full time job building character; adding the academics instruction to my parental obligations is not ideal if there is another alternative ie in-person learning. 

4. As a bonus, this Tuesday Crosby's school timing shifted back an hour to start at 9 am instead of 8 am. Mornings are always a struggle; the later the better.

In wrapping up this homeschool chapter of our lives (hopefully), a few "Thank Yous" are in order.

Oma Friend Leanne; who made my life so much easier. She was unflappable in the antics these three threw at her on any given day. 

The writers of German text books; who kept me alert. Some days their illustrations me laugh by choosing to explain the Ö by teaching kids the word for bottle opener. Other days I cringed at their portrayals of Native Americans. There must be a different word to use to teach the letter 'I'.

Papa; for giving us these really cool Tiptoi books. I don't think this digital pen and book combination exist in any language other than German or Dutch. Kids get the entertainment of technology without the screen or required adult assistance. 

My neighbor Val; for giving us her Netflix password. Ok, half joking on this one. The boys watched educational programing - Story Bots and Magic School Bus when PB^2 had our usual "date mornings" on Mondays and Fridays.

Homeschooling for us was like most of this pandemic; 99 percent easier for us than the rest of the world. Our challenges are manageable because we live in Germany, have an abundance of snuggle opportunities, and are healthy. Especially in this Lenten season, we try not take our blessings for granted.