I've been seeing on social media that people are struggling to get their children through the rest of the school year. I've read about friends with anxiety, friends who just don't see the benefit, and friends who simply don't know how. I've read a range of thoughts, opinions, and emotions about our children finishing their school work from home. I'm about to brag on mine.
I have two teenagers ages 13 and 14. One is in 8th grade and the other is in 9th. They are KILLING their online school work and I couldn't be more proud. I often sit and wonder how they are staying on track without me staying on them all day for every assignment. I am mostly hands-off unless they have a technical question about their connections or are truly stumped on an assignment. My son has a great aptitude for academic learning and the way it's presented through question and answer form. My daughter, the 8th grader, has pretty much struggled academically since she started at 5 years old. While she soaks in the information just fine, getting her to demonstrate her knowledge does not coincide with the way its often requested. If you give her questions and ask her to answer on paper, she usually fails. Matter of fact, she has failed almost every written test she's ever taken. But do you know what happens when she's asked to demonstrate hands-on? She knocks it out of the park.
While there haven't been any projects assigned to them to complete at home, they are both maintaining their grades and are completing their assignments 100% of the time. My daughter's grades have significantly improved since she's been learning at home and generally at her own pace. She has no distractions as she and her brother complete their work on opposite sides of the house. I'm watching closely to pinpoint the reasoning behind her success. For now, I'm guessing that the lack of distraction is the common factor. Her lowest grades use to come in math. Math is now her highest scoring subject.
I'm thinking of how I can bless these kids for their dedication to their school work. It's certainly made my life a lot easier as I continue to run my company from home. I'm just so proud of them and I surely don't take it for granted that they are doing so well. Other parents are still trying to figure it out and I don't have to. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't orchestrated perfectly...because it has. Our family has only had to make subtle changes and nothing that has completely disrupted our lives. My husband still goes to work, my company is still open. I get to be at home throughout the day with the kids. They are learning what it means to take initiative. We are truly blessed. If I've learned nothing else: A blessing ain't a blessing until you bless somebody else. And these kids deserve to be blessed for what they've been doing.
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