2020 has been anything but predictable and expected so far, and we’re not even halfway through the year yet! I feel like this year is one big meme, or a fat joke. It’s ridiculous how the whole world needed to shift its life and adapt to what everyone is calling the new normal, which I never will – nope, I refuse that this is normal!

However, it’s in my nature to focus on the positive side – the beautiful glass half full. Quarantine brought out a different side of me – of all moms, too, I’m sure – that I never thought I’d see. I mean, I would have never imagined myself to be homeschooling 2 children, but I did it, and today was the last day of distance learning for this school year, and I’m so proud of myself for keeping homeschooling a top priority throughout this period!

Below I will share with you 5 things that homeschooling taught me:

1- Patience is a virtue

I hold a Bachelor’s Teaching Degree in translation, which means I can practically be a teacher. I’ve been a private tutor in my old days, and ever since, I swore I’d never work as a teacher because I just don’t have that kind of patience. Don’t get me wrong; I’m pretty good at it, but it just consumes me and my sanity, and my nerves. So pulling off this homeschooling for 2 boys required a whole lot of patience from my end, and I’m surprised because I didn’t think I had it in me!

2- Teachers are God sent

I’ve always appreciated teachers, not just for all the cliché reasons, but also because they have that patience I thought I didn’t. I mean by the end of the day I’d be exhausted after teaching 2 kids. I can’t imagine how a teacher feels teaching a class of at least 15 kids! Teachers truly deserve a whole lot more respect and appreciation.

3- Technology is indispensable

How amazing is it that kids around the world were still able to mark off attendance, go to different classrooms, go live with their teachers, watch lesson videos, and do homework all from the comfort of their home? Distance learning was time consuming to say the least, but in all honesty, it was easy because all was done online using different devices (smartphone. tablet, computer, laptop, etc.). For instance, my first born struggles with essay writing because he hates writing in itself. He excelled in his essay writing when it was to be typed out, and I am all for embracing technology! It’s there to make your life easier, so why not make good use of it?

4- Being computer literate and speaking English are crucial

I can’t imagine how hard it was for parents who don’t do well around computers, let alone those who can’t speak English at all. I also can’t imagine how hard it must be for these parents’ children to have to do everything on their own with no help or guidance whatsoever. I consider myself lucky to be able to be there for my kids and be 100% engaged and understanding every aspect of this journey.

5- What we all had before the pandemic should not be taken for granted

I can’t wait to go back to my old routine, where I wake up in the morning and get the kids ready for school before I can start my day and have some me time before they come back home in the afternoon. This normal routine that parents around the world shared pre-Covid19 should not be taken for granted. It was stripped away from us for the remainder of this school year, and hopefully we’ll be able to take it back in a few months, but nothing is for sure. So until then, we should not take for granted the “privilege” we once had of sending our children to school every day. I know it’s a right, but so many children don’t go to school, and they consider that as a privilege. Therefore, homeschooling is definitely a blessing, and so is regular learning.

If you’re a homeschooling parent, I’d love to know what you learned from your experience!