Sara Sandstrom-Kobi, Peak to Peak. At Home Learning for the 2019-2020 school year is coming to a close. Parents, students, teachers be proud of your accomplishments and breathe a sigh of relief. This has not been easy for anyone. 

The schedules, learning the technology, motivating the kids and being with your kids all day every day are challenges many of us have faced. 

How have you gotten through? 

I certainly struggled some days more than others. There were times I have felt so worn down and desperate for time alone. I have played and passionately sang along to I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor on more than one occasion during the last two and a half months. 

I have called the hotline with Mountain Strong Families and Teens, Inc and had a very supportive and understanding conversation. That support is truly grassroots. I was not calling a number in New Jersey. I was talking to locals who know how to listen and know exactly what is happening in our community. 

What I thought was going to be a month at most turned into what felt like a year. I have a few more gray hairs, or that is what my children tell me. I snapped at my kids more than I should have. My kids snapped at me more than they should have. It happens when people are constantly together in the same place day after day. 

I am a firm believer in learning from any situation. The lessons you learn, on your journey towards a destination, will always be more valuable than the destination itself. So, what have I learned?

I have learned that my parenting skills suffer, and my work suffers if I do not have time alone to recharge or reset. I have learned that I much prefer teaching and having meetings in person. I have learned that my kids hurt when they do not get to see and play with their friends in person. I have learned that is it always a good idea to have an extra pack of toilet paper in the house. I was reminded that I have awesome neighbors, who gave us toilet paper. I have learned not to take traveling for granted. I have learned to play tag a couple days a week without complaining too much. I have, however, encouraged the kids to play tag with Dad because he is much faster than I am.   

I hope that we all learn to show more gratitude for each other. I hope we value and support our education and healthcare systems more after this. I hope that people see that everyone deserves equality in education and healthcare. Some kids have flourished with At Home Learning and I hope that school districts see that and make changes that benefit all kids.

This has not been easy on my kids and I am very proud of them for never giving up. They are the real heroes. They are so young, and their world was turned upside down. They have been scared, angry, confused and sad. They will be going on to the next grade without the closure they expect and crave. 

We will celebrate their advancing to the next grade level, at home. We will celebrate our adaptability and resilience to make At Home Learning work for us. I will clear off the school-office table and we will eat together at the table. My daughter will insist that we make a beautifully decorated cake together for the occasion. Among the cheers and congratulations, I will add that the fourth grader will continue to work on multiplication facts and the first grader on reading throughout the summer. I can already hear the groans.

(Originally published in the May 21, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)