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SALT LAKE CITY — Earlier this week I had a rather unpleasant conversation with my 13-year-old son, which may or may not have had us exchanging choice words that I am not proud of and have since apologized for.
The argument? Well, I didn't like that he was slacking on his public school-directed home school, and he was saying it was pointless.
A heat wave began to make its way into our front room, brought in by rising tempers that would take a 4.1 magnitude aftershock to disrupt.
Thankfully, the aftershock did take place, and when the dust settled we were able to have a civil conversation (that had my son winning by a landslide). One look at his "Reality Town" pamphlet and shapes-mixed-with-letters-and-numbers homework, and I was like, "Yeah, this can wait until another day in August."
Spare me your, "Oh, but he needs to fill out that pamphlet that tells him that the job he wants won't pay the bills" mumbo-jumbo. I don't care that your opinion slathers parents like me who believe that working through a single geometry problem for hours on end is a total waste of brain space and time.
What my son needs right now is to stay home and stay safe. In other words, he needs to feel like he is safe and loved, and smart and loved, and happy and loved while riding out this strange world we live in right now. What I need is peace in my home during these uncertain times, and "Reality Town" can wait because what's happening right now is a reality that none of us were fully prepared for.
Related:
Arianne Brown: I am not smarter than a kindergartner (and other things I've learned this school year)
The learning curve of online school is real, and I'm officially bringing down the average as I die a slow death by public school-directed home school.The next day, rather than logging on to Canvas to stare at another assignment and the prospect of failure and frustration, I gave my son one simple task: Read to your brothers.
I handed him "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," a classic that fits well with our Cream of Wheat (porridge) breakfast of choice. He, in his monotone teenage voice, drew in a captive audience. Why? Because it was a unique moment and his little brothers could feel it. This was different. It was special.
Soon, the reading of the classic fairytale had my teenage son covered head-to-toe in little boys all wanting to experience this moment. While I knew it would be etched in their brains for years to come, I snapped a picture for it to last even longer.
This worldwide pandemic ... is bringing out the best, worst and downright middle-of-the-roadness in all of us. Your best may be all your kids getting all their work done with no fights. My best is not letting obscenities fly and land where they shouldn't.
This worldwide pandemic is affecting us all in different ways. It is bringing out the best, worst, and downright middle-of-the-roadness in all of us. Your best may be all your kids getting all their work done with no fights. My best is not letting obscenities fly and land where they shouldn't. My very best is when there is peace in my home — which, at this moment in time, means saying no to shapes mixed with letters and words until August.
Let this serve as my official resignation from public school-directed home school for middle school, and let the high school chips fall where they may.
Have you submitted your resignation, or are you still going strong? Somewhere in between? Let us know in the comments.
More from Arianne Brown:
How true medical professionals calmed an injured toddler — despite their 'scary' suits and masks
Judging from our last visit, I knew this trip to the in InstaCare would not be fun. Then my toddler and I were met by workers wearing hazmat suits and windshield masks — game over, or so I thought.
