They Are Learning

I am not a teacher. I give all the credit in the WORLD to teachers. They are amazing, devoted and committed to their students in a way I could never replicate.

I did, at one point consider being a teacher… I shadowed my sister in law for a day while she taught her second grade class, to see if I had possibly found my calling. The only “calling” I heard was the one in the back of my mind urging me to get out the classroom as quickly as I had gone in! I realized almost immediately that teaching was not for me. I have a great respect for the people who dedicate their lives to teaching. Not only their time, but also their own hard-earned money and most importantly, their heart. I can see it the faces of nearly all the teachers I know. A HUGE shout out to you for your hard work, and big hearts.

I have realized these last few days, while stuck in this house, that even though I’m not teaching them per se, they are still learning. I have seen growth in my children in way that both warms my heart and breaks it all at once. I see them flourish before my eyes. I see them truly understanding that family matters most, above everything else. That siblings are a gift. That there are ways to make the best of a crummy situation. That being kind to one another is not that hard. That being stuck within the same 4 walls for several weeks at a time, sucks. That COVID-19 sucks. That Mama and Dad work a lot. That we go through a lot of food. Like A LOT of food. That doing school work at home takes barely any time at all (compared to 8 hours at school)! That playing with your siblings can actually be tons of fun. That sleeping in a tent, in the house is almost as much fun as sleeping outside. That you can learn science while making cookies, rock candy and dinner. That if you become part of the “clean plate club” at lunchtime, you get candy. That if you help out Mama around the house, you get extra screen time. That using your imagination is actually fun. That getting outside can feel like recess… They learn at school, of course, in a way that I cannot replicate at home. But what I can offer is real life lessons, snuggles, cookies and my love. I’ve watched them learn, in this short time, that life is precious and at any moment, things can be drastically changed before we even realize it has happened. They have learned to take things for granted a little less and to be a little more kind, and in this moment, I’ll take that as a win.

Slow down, love your babies, snuggle more. Learn some lessons.