We are now entering week three of self-isolation here in Ontario, Canada and I must say that despite all the insecurity and fear surrounding the pandemic, for the first time in a long time I feel peace.
I feel peace away from the traffic.
I feel peace in the neighbourhoods and in the streets.
I feel energized.
For the first time in a long time, I don’t have to worry about rushing home from work to get supper ready on time. I don’t have to worry about planning my day around the kids’ activities and worrying if I’ll be on time or not because of the traffic. I am no longer exhausted from staying up late at night to finish chores as I have a bit more extra time during the day. I can finally enjoy that cup of coffee warm in my own home, in my pyjamas while cuddling with one of the kids. It’s great. Although the implications of the pandemic are scary, I feel somewhat at peace knowing I am at home, safe, with my little ones. My anxiety levels have definitely decreased knowing that we don’t have to rush to go anywhere. It’s a welcoming break.
I must say, its not perfect: homeschooling the boys has not been easy; we have meltdowns and we have tantrums. Sometimes they just aren’t that into it. I am currently in the process of trying to get set-up to work from home. Like everything though, I’ll figure it out. With that being said, the kids’ bedtime routines have been a bit off, and I am working on creating some type of routine. But overall, the big reward to all this is that we are spending more time together. We are doing things that we would not otherwise have had the time to do and we are starting to get creative. We spend time exploring the backyard in search for nature’s treasures. We started baking almost everyday and it’s been a delight and sense of pride for the kids. I made bread for the first time and a decent Croatian apple strudel. Not bad for a novice baker.
In an odd way, the pandemic has taught me a bit more about myself and how stressed I really was. Trying to balance a career and motherhood is exhausting. But for the first time in a long time, I feel as if I am finally in tune with myself. I adapted a more gentler and slower lifestyle, which is the complete 360 to the life that I was used to. I found that since the pandemic started, I am exercising even more, despite the fact that the gym is closed. The fact that I am getting an extra hour or two of sleep as well is another added benefit. In addition, with malls being closed and whatnot, I found that I am less tempted to shop and waste money unnecessarily. Since being at home, I’ve adapted a minimalist wardrobe and I actually think its suitable for me and my taste. Perhaps living simply is the way to go.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we in Canada are basically adjusting to a new way of life as we navigate through self-isolation. Because of the pandemic, most non-essential services are closed, including schools and day cares. In Ontario, school is currently postponed until April 5th (although this is subject to change) and now parents are left with the seemingly daunting task of home schooling their kids. Last week was a bit of an experiment in terms of home schooling the boys as I tried out different methods to see what works best for them. I was pretty relaxed considering I don’t believe in forcing kids to do something when they really don’t want to. Furthermore, as it was technically their March break, I didn’t want to push them too much with home schooling.
What I learned from that first week is that my boys need structure and simply put, thrive under a structured day. I also learned that I have to tailor their learning based on their age and needs: T, my oldest, is in senior kindergarten and can start to recognize words , read books for his age and is really good at math. Whereas, my youngest I, is 3 and a half; he knows his 123s and ABCs and loves to draw.
Here is a little glimpse of our homeschooling routine.
Please note, what works for my kids does not necessarily mean it will work for you as every child is different. In addition, I am not an educator (although I did get into teacher’s college but rejected the offer because I got my first job in Toronto and went there instead) so I am basically putting together what works for my kids from the resources I have available to me. My educational background is in Political Science (I have an MA and a BA) in case you are wondering (and no I won’t be teaching them public policy or the foundations of classical political thought yet!)
The key is being in tune with
their needs and following their cues.
The first thing I did was create a schedule for the boys and placed in on the fridge directly across the island where we eat so its in plain view. I figure the island is the best place to conduct our home school as they can enjoy a snack while learning plus we have a lot of space. With that being said, the schedule is in no way strict, its more of a guideline for me and if they aren’t into it, we move on to the next activity or have some free play time instead.
Play is so important for kids as it promotes their development and sense of imagination.
Based on my research, preschoolers and kindergarteners only require 1-2 hours of learning a day. I also learned early on that you can’t force them to learn as you do not want to create a negative association with learning. At this age learning just needs to be fun!
We typically start our day like we would on a normal school day: we get dressed, we brush our teeth and we eat breakfast and get started with our day. Usually I will start Kumon first as my oldest is in Kumon and his teacher gave him work sheets until the end of April. For my youngest, I found a Kumon workbook at Costco called Are You Ready for Kindergarten? so that he too can try out Kumon.
My biggest challenge is since I am at home while M works, I have to home school them at different times.
This can be challenging homeschooling two kids who are at different levels. What I started doing is that I’ll focus one activity with one child and then switch. So far this method has been working for me, although some days it can be challenging as one may be more interested in his toys for instance.
I also found that there are a lot of great resources available online for children, such as the Scholastic Remote Learning and the School Age Program with TVO. I really like the Scholastic Remote Learning because every day there is a new lesson theme (i.e. bears) and comes with free printable worksheets. There is a quiz at the end of each lesson so it gives us time to recap what we learned for that day. Both my boys seem to enjoy this program the most. My cousin, who happens to be a teacher, set my kids up with a Raz-Kids account to get them ahead with reading. She tailored the program to each of their levels. I also downloaded the Math Story Time App and Go Noodle on the iPad.
With that being said, I try to stick to the guidelines surrounding screen time as set out by the Canadian Pediatric Society as much as possible. I also find that if my kids have too much screen time, they become really wired (as do we when we spend too much time in front of a screen!) This is where free play and going outside comes in handy.
Our kids need a break from all this stimulation (be it from technology and what not) and sometimes we just need to let kids be kids!
…so we go outside, be it in the backyard to run around and play soccer, or to take the scooters out for a scooter ride (since parks are off limits due to the pandemic). Fresh air is good for everyone and getting my boys moving makes for a much happier day. Going outside promotes both physical activity and wellness in children.
I decided to create an arts & crafts board on Pinterest to get ideas on how to help the boys with their fine-motor skills. For instance, tomorrow we will make crocodiles out of green popsicle sticks. Considering that Easter is around the corner, we’ll make some Easter-themed art such as paper plate bunny masks. I also love to get my kids involved with baking. It’s a good opportunity for them to learn basics such as measuring and counting. Last week we baked muffins and earlier this week we made Croatian crepes (palačinke). I happened to have a gingerbread cookie set left over from Christmas so we spent one morning decorating gingerbread men. The kids are always so proud with how tasty their creations turn out!
Luckily, I stocked up on flash cards and workbooks from Costco last summer so we can work on different things such as basic math, counting, alphabets and sight words. My oldest can read and is slowly starting to write words, but my youngest still knows only his 123s and ABCs, so I would sit specifically with him and go through each flash card together.
Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com
My oldest son’s kindergarten teacher also posts different activities to do at home on the classroom Twitter account, so I get both my boys involved. Today’s activity was to take out utensils and create patters and do some basic addition and subtraction. Tomorrow we will have an alphabet scavenger hunt where we will look for letters and then put together to create words.
By that point, it brings us to about noon (keep in mind I throw a snack or two in during the morning learning fun). After lunch I basically just let them unwind or play. My youngest still naps so I try to get him to sleep while the other will watch a show or play quietly. The afternoon is also a good time to read a book or two. Fortunately, my boys love being read to so every day we pick a different book to read. Other than that, the afternoon is pretty open and I basically let them control what they want to do for that part of the day.
As each day passes, I find that I am learning more and more about them; what their likes and dislikes are; what their strengths are and what skills we need to work on. I also have a new-found appreciation for teachers and early childhood educators.
Overall, I learned the key is to have fun otherwise it won’t work. Home schooling, when done right, can be a great experience for everyone.
Since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 virus a pandemic, I was silent. I did not know how to process this information. A few of my close friends described this as a real-life “Contagion.” I am not a medical expert, but what I do know is that the worst here in Canada is yet to come. I also know that it will be a very long time until things are back to “normal” again. Like many of us, I entered a state of shock.
Photo by YURI MANEI on Pexels.com
The hardest thing for me to process was watching my husband’s demeanor change over a course of a few days. My husband is a respirologist and like his colleagues, has been monitoring the situation quite closely. When I asked him what this all meant, he looked at me and said that life will be different for a very long time. The events happening throughout China and Italy paint a grim picture of what could happen if we don’t act fast to “flatten the curve.” Within a week the number of positive cases in Canada have jumped to just over 1000.
Not only are there an array of health issues and questions surrounding the management of the virus itself, but it touches upon so many other facets of life: the economy, the workforce, the way government works, education and overall, our lifestyle. Schools across the country and around the world have closed down. Employers are asking their employees to work from home if at all possible. Places of worship have asked their membership to pray/reflect at home; restaurants and bars have closed down, although some are remaining open for take out or curb-side pick-up just to keep afloat. People are asked to self-isolate and keep their distance until medical professionals and governments can come up with a solution. Life as we know it has stopped for a while so we can self-isolate in hopes of containing the virus and give the medical system some more time.
Probably the hardest thing society will face is not just the virus itself, but the financial implications that come with it. In addition to that, I fear a mental health crisis is to follow.
Humans are social beings and I know from experience that being on lock down is difficult. I’ve had some experience on being on some sort of lock down: my oldest son was born prematurely and the first winter home we could not leave the house (except for medical appointments) as his immunity was compromised. I remember screening all visitors for colds because a common cold could harm his premature lungs. He obtained an antibody shot called Synagis every month during cold and flu season to protect him against RSV. As parents, our goal was to keep him safe.
When I was pregnant with my youngest child, I experienced a form of isolation again. I was considered high risk due to my history of preterm labour. This meant extra medical appointments and physical restrictions. I was placed on strict bed-rest for 2 months following a one-week hospital stay for short cervix. I remember how difficult those times were- not being able to go out, not being able to go to work, to pick up my toddler son, I couldn’t do anything….it was hard, but I had one goal in mind: to keep my pregnancy safe and deliver to my baby to full-term.
You see, there is a common theme here with this isolation- being safe. In this present moment, our duty is to keep our loved ones safe; to protect our grandparents, our parents and our children. It’s our duty to stay home and to protect the elderly and the vulnerable. Our governments are asking us to do this and our medical professionals implore us to do it. I don’t have a crystal ball, nor will I speculate on what is to come, but I do have hope that we can get through this. It won’t be easy, but we have to stay positive.
It is clear, the effects of this pandemic will last years to come. I’m sure our children and our children’s children will be learning about it in their history classes. But as history has shown us, humans are resilient, time and time again. We will grow strong and learn from this experience. I am sure the best and the brightest are working on different treatments and solutions to bring this pandemic to an end, because there is hope.
We all have a role to play in this, by self-isolating, by helping the elderly, by being connected with our loved ones virtually, by staying home when you are sick and by washing our hands. In the meantime, lets show our gratitude to all of those on the front lines: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, hospital staff, custodians, grocery store workers, delivery drivers and so on. Together we can overcome this virus. Together we are stronger, for our future depends on it.
Although the implications of the pandemic are scary, I feel somewhat at peace knowing I am at home, safe, with my little ones. My anxiety levels have definitely decreased knowing that we don’t have to rush to go anywhere. It’s a welcoming break.
Stilettos and Espressos 