How to Survive Homeschooling Your Kids

I respect the decision of parents to home school their kids but I have always known that it isn’t for me. I’m just not that patient. I’m not crafty at all. I also work. But for now, as with many other families, it’s home school by default.

My 14-year-old son’s private school is going virtual. So there’s not much for me to do. He will have classes online with his teachers according to his regular schedule. He will have homework and tests. He won’t be able to hit up the cafeteria for breakfast burritos. But he will have a daily routine and some regularity.

With my 12-year-old daughter, who attends a public charter school, it’s another story. My daughter was given a work packet. She will have no interaction with her teachers, at least not regularly. I know I shouldn’t be grumpy about this. The school and teachers had almost no time to prepare. But I am a little grumpy. A packet just isn’t enough to keep my daughter or any kid occupied and engaged for two weeks and quite possibly more: two weeks when my work doesn’t stop. And I don’t want her spending her days watching TikTok and playing Narwhale.io, although she probably wouldn’t mind. I fantasized about her auditing the online classes through one of the private schools or one of the more well-resourced public schools. Maybe she could go to a friend’s house and sit in on her classes? But knowing that was unlikely, I got to work.

On March 13, her last day of school, we hit up Sherman Oaks library. I tasked her with choosing 10 learning books in addition to her beloved graphic novels. She found about four, including one she deemed a jackpot: “The Story of My Life,” the autobiography of Helen Keller. That night, when I received an email from the Los Angeles Public Library that the libraries were closing, I admit I felt smug. I also admit to an impulsive purchase of three workbooks for her on Amazon.

On Facebook, I found I had plenty of company. I joined a group called Amazing Educational Resources and started to take notes. I downloaded a spreadsheet someone created with more than 100 free online resources, although it seemed more overwhelming than anything. I thought about reaching out to a math tutor in our neighborhood who had rave reviews. But would it be responsible of us to go to her home, even though we are healthy? Would she even want us there, especially since we aren’t existing clients? (For now, I have put that idea on hold.)

I was excited to learn that the Los Angeles Unified School District had forged an agreement with PBS SoCal to show educational programming from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. I imagined the best teachers in the district offering compelling lectures with parallel at-home activity suggestions. Instead it’s “Nova” and “History Detectives.” At least it’s something.

Then I remembered Outschool, a platform for small-group, online classes. I had received its emails for years but had never signed up for anything. I found a bunch of classes that I thought my kid might like and ran them by her. She chose beginning Spanish, animation and something called “Are You Ready to Be a Detective?” We’ll see how it goes. At least her schedule isn’t totally empty.

I know I shouldn’t be grumpy about this. The school and teachers had almost no time to prepare. But I am a little grumpy. A packet just isn’t enough to keep my daughter or any kid occupied and engaged for two weeks and quite possibly more.

Our favorite local improv studio, Studio LOL in Studio City, is posting a free improv class on YouTube every day. So she’ll do that. I think I’ll have her write a letter a day to a famous person, a favorite author, or maybe a friend or relative.  “Draw So Cute” on YouTube also looks promising and up her alley. Friends have recommended Khan Academy and ALEKS for math. (The former is free, the latter is not.) Supposedly Scholastic is offering free online classes as well.

In sum, I’m less despairing than I was a couple of days ago. I also am well aware we have our health, our family, our friends and neighbors, a roof over our heads and, oh yeah, let’s not forget that work packet.