After living in Abu Dhabi for 10 years, we had planned to move back to the US in April. But the Corona virus has put a bit of a kink in those plans. For now, we are hunkered down. The three older kids are using this time to try to get their school year done early so we can focus on the move whenever this crisis passes. And the little one is spending a lot of time in our backyard pool.
For most of the 10 years we have been here, this time of year has been stressful. It’s like the homeschool community suddenly realizes the school year is ending and everyone tries to get their favorite field trip or camping trip going. And people remember ideas they’ve been mulling over all year, like science fairs and academic fairs. All while my teens are madly trying to finish school so they can be free for the summer months.
This year, though, the coronavirus-induced social distancing means that all of that has come to a crashing halt. Proms all over the city were canceled, which is sad for both my Senior and Junior, since this may have been their only prom. And all other planned events have just stopped.
I keep thinking about how so many families are referring to this social distancing time as “home schooling.” If you take the words at face value, then I suppose it is. But for us, this is not what our normal homeschool looks like. We have never spent this much time sitting at home, separated from friends and family, and unable to do all the things we do in a typical week. If this is what people think homeschooling is like, it’s no wonder people are afraid to try it.