Remote learning for 9 weeks…. 9 whole weeks… at least! That’s the news we got last month about the re-opening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, I know it’s safer for our awesome teachers and families, especially those that are at risk. Yes, I know that bringing the kids into school would both cost a lot more for cleaning and possibly put the kids at risk. Yes, I want to be a good citizen and protect others. However… NINE. WHOLE. WEEKS. TEACHING. AT. HOME. I was terrified. I AM TERRIFIED.

I have an almost 6 year old with special needs that is entering public school for the first time without an individualized education plan (IEP). Now, I started my quest for an IEP back in December 2019. That’s right, more than eight months ago. We were just about to get the final piece done, educational testing, when COVID happened and shut everything down.

And here we are, with more answers than last week, but still so much unknown. I’ve had a bad attitude about all of this because I don’t see how I can possibly home school my kid with three younger kids in tow while also working remotely in an attempt to keep myself employed. It gives me so much anxiety because I have no idea what school is going to look like. Am I going to have to chase him around the house for the Zoom meetings with his virtual classmates? Am I going to be able to get him to focus on his assignments? I mean, some days I can’t even get him to get dressed by himself. These fears have been the driver of my bad attitude.

That was until last week.

We went back to my son’s occupational therapist this last and I expressed my fears and attitude about virtual school. She hadn’t seen Gardner in about a month and was blown away at the progress we had made with him after taking a break from therapy. She didn’t even recognize this kid.

After talking through my fears she said, “Yeah, but look at how much progress he’s made in the last month. These are now strategies and tools that you have that will help get him through this difficult transition.” She was right. I have been so focused on the unknown and the struggle that I had forgotten that this kid I’m supposed to support at home is MY KID. The same kid that bathed himself last week, which was something that we had been working on for the last six months. It is the same kid that asked for a break when a task was too hard. The one that is now using a visual checklist to get through tasks.

She was right, this is not the same kid and I’m not the same parent. I am armed with more tools than ever before. While I still have the opinion that I’m not going to let virtual school and desire to complete or not complete assignments ruin our relationship, I know that I have what I need to be able to support him through this new venture.

I’m not going to let my bad attitude about school affect his experience and his schoolwork. I still plan to work on obtaining an IEP when the time is right, but overall, I know I have a smart kid, that might need some accommodations from time to time. I’m more ready than ever, with my tools to get through what might be nine weeks, or an entire year of virtual learning.

Either way, the only way out is through, and now I’m ready.