remote learning demands unreasonable for families

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neither of us can afford to pause our careers (and we live in a 2br apartment - haha!), so we are trying to do the mininum with our preschooler and taking reading breaks with our toddler. We tell ourselves that we are lucky to have jobs and thus the childcare/work conflict problem.

It appears that society's priorities in all of this were: 1) bail out large corporations, 2) take halfhearted measures and then close schools to keep people healthy, 3) try to fix the economy by opening restaurants and bars so that more people can have jobs and afford to eat, 4) LAST ON THE LIST: the education and socialization of small children and the preservation of their parents' sanity.

OMG did I write this. Minus the second child (I feel for you PP). I understand it is a pandemic and we all need to make some changes/sacrifices, but it feels like no one is really considering how hard and unsustainable this is for families with young kids. There just seems to be this broad assumption that all families have: a SAH parent, tons of space, money to hire additional help and/or family who can help, endless patience.

I realized this week I'm going to have to figure out how to get some form of therapy through our insurance this fall because otherwise I don't know how I'm going to do it. My work was a little slow earlier in the summer so I had convinced myself it wasn't going to be that bad, but it's back up to normal levels now and I feel like a bull rider just barely hanging on for dear life. And it's August. The thought of this lasting until next year, at least, is almost more than I can take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither of us can afford to pause our careers (and we live in a 2br apartment - haha!), so we are trying to do the mininum with our preschooler and taking reading breaks with our toddler. We tell ourselves that we are lucky to have jobs and thus the childcare/work conflict problem.

It appears that society's priorities in all of this were: 1) bail out large corporations, 2) take halfhearted measures and then close schools to keep people healthy, 3) try to fix the economy by opening restaurants and bars so that more people can have jobs and afford to eat, 4) LAST ON THE LIST: the education and socialization of small children and the preservation of their parents' sanity.

OMG did I write this. Minus the second child (I feel for you PP). I understand it is a pandemic and we all need to make some changes/sacrifices, but it feels like no one is really considering how hard and unsustainable this is for families with young kids. There just seems to be this broad assumption that all families have: a SAH parent, tons of space, money to hire additional help and/or family who can help, endless patience.

I realized this week I'm going to have to figure out how to get some form of therapy through our insurance this fall because otherwise I don't know how I'm going to do it. My work was a little slow earlier in the summer so I had convinced myself it wasn't going to be that bad, but it's back up to normal levels now and I feel like a bull rider just barely hanging on for dear life. And it's August. The thought of this lasting until next year, at least, is almost more than I can take.

OP here. This is exactly how I feel. Teachers will be working one job. They will not lose their jobs over this, even if it's a mess on their ends.

There is little flexibility, little creative thinking, little care that parents will be picking up the bulk of the teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our kids are in kindergarten and third grade. The remote learning schedule outlined by their teachers is unbelievable. I don't understand how even the teachers can agree with doing this to small children. It's torture.

I know, it's hard, we all have to do this somehow but please, within reason. Why are iPads and Chromebooks the only option? I get it, they need to learn technology. But how about they use their iPads and Chromebooks for an hour rather than on and off all day long. How about workbooks? Storytime on the radio for the little ones? Phonics lessons on PBS? I don't know how we're supposed to make this work for possibly even the entire year if virus case numbers don't decrease significantly. Trying to execute this plan for even one child, let alone, 2, 3 or more, while working, is not realistic. We got through last spring, but that was with the expectation that it was temporary. This isn't good for small children. Their doctors insist we cut the time with devices and the schools have ramped it up even more.

This whole situation is sickening.

My third grader is totally independent academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither of us can afford to pause our careers (and we live in a 2br apartment - haha!), so we are trying to do the mininum with our preschooler and taking reading breaks with our toddler. We tell ourselves that we are lucky to have jobs and thus the childcare/work conflict problem.

It appears that society's priorities in all of this were: 1) bail out large corporations, 2) take halfhearted measures and then close schools to keep people healthy, 3) try to fix the economy by opening restaurants and bars so that more people can have jobs and afford to eat, 4) LAST ON THE LIST: the education and socialization of small children and the preservation of their parents' sanity.

OMG did I write this. Minus the second child (I feel for you PP). I understand it is a pandemic and we all need to make some changes/sacrifices, but it feels like no one is really considering how hard and unsustainable this is for families with young kids. There just seems to be this broad assumption that all families have: a SAH parent, tons of space, money to hire additional help and/or family who can help, endless patience.

I realized this week I'm going to have to figure out how to get some form of therapy through our insurance this fall because otherwise I don't know how I'm going to do it. My work was a little slow earlier in the summer so I had convinced myself it wasn't going to be that bad, but it's back up to normal levels now and I feel like a bull rider just barely hanging on for dear life. And it's August. The thought of this lasting until next year, at least, is almost more than I can take.

OP here. This is exactly how I feel. Teachers will be working one job. They will not lose their jobs over this, even if it's a mess on their ends.

There is little flexibility, little creative thinking, little care that parents will be picking up the bulk of the teaching.

Not this teacher, OP, or any teacher at my school. We will not be working one job since we have our own kids to help/teach in DL. Do you think teachers are all childfree?!

I teach high school Spanish and have a first grader and a fourth grader - my fourth grader has dyslexia and is in LD school while my first grader is in public school.

Teachers will absolutely lose their jobs if they don’t fulfill the requirements set by the principal or school district.

[Anonymous]

How would they even get workbooks to the families? Through the USPS? Bwahaha

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither of us can afford to pause our careers (and we live in a 2br apartment - haha!), so we are trying to do the mininum with our preschooler and taking reading breaks with our toddler. We tell ourselves that we are lucky to have jobs and thus the childcare/work conflict problem.

It appears that society's priorities in all of this were: 1) bail out large corporations, 2) take halfhearted measures and then close schools to keep people healthy, 3) try to fix the economy by opening restaurants and bars so that more people can have jobs and afford to eat, 4) LAST ON THE LIST: the education and socialization of small children and the preservation of their parents' sanity.

OMG did I write this. Minus the second child (I feel for you PP). I understand it is a pandemic and we all need to make some changes/sacrifices, but it feels like no one is really considering how hard and unsustainable this is for families with young kids. There just seems to be this broad assumption that all families have: a SAH parent, tons of space, money to hire additional help and/or family who can help, endless patience.

I realized this week I'm going to have to figure out how to get some form of therapy through our insurance this fall because otherwise I don't know how I'm going to do it. My work was a little slow earlier in the summer so I had convinced myself it wasn't going to be that bad, but it's back up to normal levels now and I feel like a bull rider just barely hanging on for dear life. And it's August. The thought of this lasting until next year, at least, is almost more than I can take.

OP here. This is exactly how I feel. Teachers will be working one job. They will not lose their jobs over this, even if it's a mess on their ends.

There is little flexibility, little creative thinking, little care that parents will be picking up the bulk of the teaching.

Not this teacher, OP, or any teacher at my school. We will not be working one job since we have our own kids to help/teach in DL. Do you think teachers are all childfree?!

I teach high school Spanish and have a first grader and a fourth grader - my fourth grader has dyslexia and is in LD school while my first grader is in public school.

Teachers will absolutely lose their jobs if they don’t fulfill the requirements set by the principal or school district.

If it gets bad, please strike. That's the only way things will improve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids are in kindergarten and third grade. The remote learning schedule outlined by their teachers is unbelievable. I don't understand how even the teachers can agree with doing this to small children. It's torture.

I know, it's hard, we all have to do this somehow but please, within reason. Why are iPads and Chromebooks the only option? I get it, they need to learn technology. But how about they use their iPads and Chromebooks for an hour rather than on and off all day long. How about workbooks? Storytime on the radio for the little ones? Phonics lessons on PBS? I don't know how we're supposed to make this work for possibly even the entire year if virus case numbers don't decrease significantly. Trying to execute this plan for even one child, let alone, 2, 3 or more, while working, is not realistic. We got through last spring, but that was with the expectation that it was temporary. This isn't good for small children. Their doctors insist we cut the time with devices and the schools have ramped it up even more.

This whole situation is sickening.

Long time homeschooler here. I'm amazed that parents with children so young can believe that any of this is worth it. Buy some workbooks, art supplies, get books from the library about anything and everything, make a reading corner, use the internet for the amazing educational opportunities that abound, and your kid may end up ahead of those that are spending hours spinning their wheels with DL through the public school system. Let them write, draw, read, learn about science and history and the entire world and at those ages it is absolutely easy.

Disclaimer: I have the utmost sympathy and empathy for those that have young children and are working from home or leaving for work. But as far as academics go, your child CAN be much further ahead and have a wonderful creative learning experience very easily. I wish I could empower those of you that doubt that. I have homeschooled 2 through high school, and my other 2 are still at home. The older 2 have been extremely successful and they learned internal self motivation, self discipline, and an uncanny ability to think of themselves as their best teachers, knowing that with the availability of the internet, they can learn almost anything they so desire. These traits have served them very very well.

NP. I taught both of my kids to read at 4 and taught them handwriting, manuscript and cursive. I send them to elementary school for the social learning. I have no interest in homeschooling a 2nd grader or a 5th grader. The 5th grader will do the DL, the 2nd grader will be unschooled until teachers go back into the building.

It is what it is. We are all doing what works for us. But homeschooling is not the right answer for all families. It's not for us.

You are missing my point. Of course, most people choose school for the social learning, and that is great. I'm talking about DURING the pandemic, with the schools closed and only using DL, the posters saying that the screen time is too much, would do better, ESPECIALLY for a kindergartner for god's sake, to skip it altogether rather than think that the only way for a 5 year old to learn is to sit at the computer for hours a day.

[Anonymous]

It’s not unreasonable but you prefer not to have to deal with it so you call it unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not unreasonable but you prefer not to have to deal with it so you call it unreasonable.

NP. No, it's unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither of us can afford to pause our careers (and we live in a 2br apartment - haha!), so we are trying to do the mininum with our preschooler and taking reading breaks with our toddler. We tell ourselves that we are lucky to have jobs and thus the childcare/work conflict problem.

It appears that society's priorities in all of this were: 1) bail out large corporations, 2) take halfhearted measures and then close schools to keep people healthy, 3) try to fix the economy by opening restaurants and bars so that more people can have jobs and afford to eat, 4) LAST ON THE LIST: the education and socialization of small children and the preservation of their parents' sanity.

Well in your situation this is actually top of list since daycares are open again. You’re not having to educate school aged children. You have childcare options.

Np, But are daycare centers going to facilitate the distance learning education? How will they do this with multiple different children from different schools?

New poster here

PPs kids are preschooler and toddler. "Education" can be handled at daycare.

I'm sick of all these whiny parents complaining that their toddlers are going to fall behind academically and saying that older kids can just suck it.

I'm the whiny PP. I didn't say that anyone should suck it. I do think it's harder for parents of elementary schoolers and below than for parents of high schoolers. Our daycare is still closed and PK4 will be virtual. It's actually really tough to get into daycare and preschool in DC, so it's not practical to jump ship if there's a chance that schools will reopen.

Most parents are capable of doing elementary level math. If my 3rd grader needed help with their school work, I could do that. Not all parents are capable of doing the higher level high school math. If my 11th grader needs help, he's out of luck.

If you are a parent that is capable of doing calculus but not basic addition and subtraction, then I don't know what to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not unreasonable but you prefer not to have to deal with it so you call it unreasonable.

You think working a full-time job while teaching small children and having to follow the demands of a school teacher and principal is reasonable? Should all working parents quit their day jobs, find gigs, work the night-shifts, whatever? The teachers are worried about their health? Sounds like districts think all parents should run themselves into the ground to accommodate the situation so no one has to even entertain the hybrid model?

[Anonymous]

Yes, most parents can teach elementary school kids the basics if they have time. It is unreasonable for working parents to have to manage multiple kids logging on to different school schedules throughout the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, most parents can teach elementary school kids the basics if they have time. It is unreasonable for working parents to have to manage multiple kids logging on to different school schedules throughout the day.

Let's put it this way. For many working parents, their kids must report for duty at 8 am via ipad every day. Even kindergartners. Some parents have conference calls every day at 8 am. Teacher doesn't care they have to work. Boss will tolerate parents' absences for only so long. Parents have to pay the mortgage because the kids need this thing called a home.

Boss wins.

[Anonymous]

“Teacher doesn’t care...”. “teacher won’t lose her job...”.


Enough! Teachers are parents too with bosses and jobs they need as well as children at home! Teachers doing DL don’t set the agenda or curriculum and they have to find childcare and assist their own kids.

This teacher-bashing is completely ridiculous. You don’t blame the lack of government leadership, the Secretary of Education, your school district or private school administration or address any of those people. You just come here and bash other working mothers who are teachers.

STFU.

[Anonymous]

Snowflakes having snowflakes!