School’s done for the summer, and I missed your teachers. So much.

Dear Son #1 & #2,  

We did it. We finished school. And we’re all still alive to talk about it.  

H-A-L-L-E-L-U-J-A-H! 

We just finished three months of non-voluntary homeschooling and not only did the experience confirm my decision not to homeschool you on a permanent basis, but it gave me an even greater appreciation for your teachers.  

Some days were good and we had some fun and some days were bad and we had some meltdowns, shouting matches and crying fits. Yup, all of us. We learned a lot during our journey. About reading, writing, art and math. About worms, robots, the moon and volcanoes. About how Mommy is not a born teacher and how much she misses your teachers.  

While I have always loved and appreciated your teachers, after doing a half-assed version of their job for three months I came to respect and understand them even more… 

1. How teachers teach you for over six hours a day, five days a week is beyond me. I taught you an hour a day, four days a week and that was more than enough for my brain, my patience and my sanity. 

2. 29. There were 29 kids in your class. 29 kids that had to be educated, entertained and exercised. Not to mention fed, watered and basically kept alive. Three kids was my max, and as long as I kept throwing Cheerios at the one, he was good to go. 

3. If – actually when – you were being a turd, I had no problem telling you so and sending you to your room. No such luxury for your teachers as sadly this isn’t the 70s anymore.   

4. There’s nothing harder than trying to keep the attention of children ages four to six. Let alone trying to teach them how to read, write, add, subtract, not pick their nose and act like respectable citizens versus cavemen. It’s like herding blind sheep with an attention span of an Oreo.  

5. If you’re a kindergarten teacher, there’s a lot of pressure to do all this with a smile on your face, a spring in your step, and laughter in your voice. All. Day. Every. Day. Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t miserable all day and every day; but there were days when smiles didn’t come as easy, feet were dragged and laughter was harder to come by.  

I don’t know what will happen in September but I hope at least some of it will involve your amazing teachers. I’ve always said it takes a village, boys, and I’ll say it again.  

It takes a village.  

And we lost our village these last few months, our friends, our family, our neighbours, our librarians and our teachers. So, when we do get them back once we can go back to school, let’s respect them and remember that by all rights they should be raging alcoholics with a slight twitching problem.  

And never forget that it could be worse.  

I could be your teacher permanently.  

Love Mommy,  

xox 

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