WATERVILLE, Ohio — My daughter Kennedy's day starts with a schedule. Staying organized is the key.
"Complete the pattern," I asked. "Does it go from here to here?"
"Yes, top to bottom," she quickly responded.
"That's what it's asking?"
"Yes."
We'll come back to that. Early on, the dogs are confused. They're not used to people being around all day. But hey, they love the extra attention!
This week at Anthony Wayne schools, they did spirit week. This day was bring your stuffed animal to class. Teddy and JoJo are very popular in our household.
"Is it a problem if daddy doesn't get it either?" I wondered.
"Uh, no?" Kennedy said almost as though she's trying comfort me.
"Alright, we're gonna figure it out," I explained.
Breaks are crucial. The kids have learned that they can chat with each other through their Google accounts. After being stuck in the house so much, away from friends, this has been an awesome tool for them to all stay connected.
Teachers also can use the chat feature. Mrs. Rosebrook is Kennedy's teacher. She's still adjusting to all of this as well. She said being away from the kids has been hard, and they're all trying their best to be understanding.
"(We're) trying to keep that open communications with families," Rosebrook said. "If they're feeling frustrated, or it's stressful, or they can't navigate something on technology, that there aren't any, for lack of a better term, stupid questions; you're not wasting my time at all. So, I want just those simple communications, if they're not understanding this, to just reach out, because these are uncharted waters for all of us, and we're all trying to navigate this together."
From the real teacher, to me, it's been an adjustment for everyone.
Alright, back to the work.
"Is daddy a good teacher?" I asked my wide-eyed 8-year-old.
"I think you're a good teacher, but you might not know all of it, because I might have to teach you some of it," she chimed back.
Some math, some vocabulary, some reading, Phys. Ed. - I got this!
"I have a college degree, together, we will figure this out," I said.
Good thing she can always video chat the teacher.