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Post by iamkristinl16 on Nov 10, 2020 17:06:41 GMT
My kids have been in a hybrid plan but are going to distance learning next week (only one day in school this week). I am feeling really flustered. Between stress from the election, work, and trying to help the kids with their learning, I feel like I am going crazy. My work has always been partially from home (paperwork, phone calls, etc and leaving to see clients). I am having a really hard time focusing with the kids here most of the time. Whether it is the noise, helping someone with their work, keeping them on task, people needing to eat, the mess, and so on, it is difficult.
I also just got an email from my supervisor saying that they are changing the pay structure as well as insurance eligibility. So, I assume that I will no longer have the option of health insurance since I am only 85% time at this job (I have another PT job as well). Ugh. I need to call him but am really stressed. My husband can get insurance through his employer but the premiums are quite a bit more expensive than our current plan.
How is everyone else holding up?
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Nov 10, 2020 17:10:06 GMT
Oh man that is a lot!
I know at my job as long are you are 80% you are eligible for the same benefits as full time.. so hopefully, you will still be eligible.
My daughter has been 100% online since March.. so its tough~ luckily she is a senior so doesn't need my help with school work.. though she often interrupts me for help with college applications!
Hang in there. I hope things get better.
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Post by busy on Nov 10, 2020 17:12:25 GMT
My son hates distance learning, has been 100% online since mid-March, and his anxiety is off the charts. It's a serious struggle for all of us and more of guiding him through it is falling to me because DS and DH just are not effective in working through this without sending them both off the deep end. I don't get it. They generally get along great. But there is something in the dynamic around distance learning that is setting them both off. I can't figure it out, and neither can they.
My husband hasn't worked since the end of February because of covid and it's looking like late December is the very soonest he may get back to work (but with the way things are trending now... no guarantees). We're fine financially, but he's gotten zero unemployment, etc. due to the nature of his work, which is annoying.
I've been working a huge project at work for the last four months, like 16 hour days, and then was supposed to be on vacation last week and back to a more normal schedule this week (the project launched). But due to a sudden death in the family of one of my key staff members, I ended up working much of last week and am absolutely buried this week. I am. so. tired.
And yet, we have it far better than many families.
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Post by bianca42 on Nov 10, 2020 17:15:36 GMT
DH and I are both primarily working at home. DS10 and DS15 are both 100% remote schooling. There is a lot of family togetherness in our house.
Our biggest issue is noise. DS10 is incapable of walking. He jumps, runs and skips his way around the house and up & down the stairs. DH works in the basement and it drives him nuts. I spend so much time whisper-yelling to be quiet. Often discipline waits until DH and I are both done working for the day.
For the most part, my boys have both settled into their school routines...and I check at the end of the day to make sure everything is done. Electronics are mine if work isn't done and they know the rules.
I'm crossing my fingers that the pay structure change doesn't mess with your insurance.
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Post by beaglemom on Nov 10, 2020 17:23:38 GMT
Hugs!
We ended up pulling the kids at the end of the first quarter (October 24th). They were going back full time in person this quarter and we didn't feel comfortable with it. But we have the advantage that I was already home. But now I am a full-time teacher/mom with 4 kids, this was supposed to be the first time since 2011 that I didn't have a kid at home for a couple of hours a week. I have taught the grades that my older 2 are in and my younger 2 are pre-school age. We have podded with a friend's family that has kids the same ages my middle 2 kids. We got over to their house M/W/F to do school together and then do our own things on T/TH. So far we are loving it. My kids are saying they don't want to go back to regular school when this is all over.
I am so sorry about your insurance situation. Is there any way you can switch to full time there and drop your other part time? I hope it works out!
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Post by huskermom98 on Nov 10, 2020 21:22:27 GMT
So far so good. DS15 just finished 1st term yesterday. He had 4 classes; AP History, Band, Intro to Wood Construction and AP Physics. He dropped physics because of a scheduling issue (long story) so really he only had one class (can't do much for band and a shop class online...) Term 2 started today--for most everyone else in the district it meant starting the hybrid schedule for High school students (lower grades starting going hybrid last month), but DS is still home with online classes because his 3 classes this term are all from a centralized school that agreed to be 100% online from the start (rather than bring kids in from 18+ schools whenever the district was in a hybrid mode). So he'll be home until at least mid-January. He'd rather be in school, but does just fine with online classes...he might change his mind this winter because his setup (with large monitor) is in the basement and it gets cold down here!) At least we know he'll be home until mid-January--just today the district was granted approval to move everyone online for 2 weeks starting on Monday; who knows how long those 2 weeks will last because not only are state cases out of control, but the Superintendent and the school board have been against in-person schooling since mid-summer (even though it was working for every other district in the state until the last week or so)...but that's another long story/rant...but the HS kids will get just 2 days of in-person school, potentially for the rest of the term.
Thankfully my 12yo's private school is doing great--no issues being in person 5 days a week with his class (possibly the whole school). He's the one I have to worry about/help/assist if he's not in school.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,379 
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Nov 10, 2020 21:39:15 GMT
We are still 100% virtual and since our cases are off the charts that is not changing any time soon... I have a 1st, 6th,8th and 10th grader. DH is also working from home (in our dining room) so sometimes with his work meetings and multiple Zoom meetings going it can get loud. I also have all the kids sitting with their backs to a wall in different corners so no one is walking behind them on camera during class and no one can see my messy house  We are dealing with it, it's not perfect. DS (11) has ADHD and a 504 plan and finally they have someone checking up with him once a week (it started today) so it's not all on DH and I. Thank God! This school year is definitely a challenge, that's for sure. Between the 4 kids I am getting emails from 4 different schools and 22 teachers, I cannot keep up with the emails. I am probably missing things because I'm so tired of the never ending emails... |
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 10, 2020 21:53:48 GMT
Hugs to everyone!
We've been fully virtual since March.
It's been hell. For them. For me. Probably for the teachers too.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 19:25:57 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2020 22:45:15 GMT
Dd (senior, aspergers, cvid, hEds) is doing quite well. She is way less stressed, gets more sleep, has an easier time making up missed work due to an appointment, has improved time management skills, is happier over all, and is getting straight As. This has also helped dd's medical conditions and her IgG us doing well with less stress and infusions.
Ds (8th, autism, learning disabilities) is homeschooled with a 1:1 sdc teacher and me. He has made huge gains since I pulled him from school. He is less anxious and happy.
Dh (teacher) is doing well. He is at a new site that is part of a college. He teaches honor accelerated math and is also a demo teacher and mentor. He just gave a virtual presentation at CMC Palm Springs on his unique grading practices. He is less stressed and happier. Meetings aren't as often and are shorter in time.
I am enjoying the slowed down life style. I also love that we have a lot more time together. Way less stressed as well.
Honestly, for us this has been a blessing.
Sure we have a sucky day here and there but over all, we are doing quite well.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 19:25:57 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2020 22:46:55 GMT
Dd does school in her room
Ds does school at the dinning room table
Dh is upstairs in my craft/photography nook
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Post by 1girlygirl on Nov 11, 2020 1:22:23 GMT
We’re managing here with the hybrid system that will undoubtably be switching to fully remote anytime. It’s difficult to keep DS on task, which means I need to be nearby and focused on him during Google meets and schoolwork, but otherwise he’s doing fine. DD is a college freshman and they will move back to fully remote next week. She’s doing just fine, but could be better with more support from TAs and professors.
Sorry about your work situation. This is why health insurance shouldn’t be tied to employment. We just received our open enrollment info, and our insurance premiums are going up 7% this year to $2300 per month for our family of four. It is insane, and that doesn’t even include vision or dental!
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Post by epeanymous on Nov 11, 2020 1:25:27 GMT
My oldest is in college, but the other five have all been online-only since early March. DH and I both work full-time. It's less than ideal. From March-June it was absolutely terrible because it was completely asynchronous and the teachers gave maybe an hour of work a week, so I literally was homeschooling. Now, the kids are in synchronous classes on and off over six hours four days a week and two hours the fifth day, and have more instruction and more direction, so it's better than it was. Almost all of the teachers are really, really trying.
That said, from a work perspective, this is a complete nightmare, made worse by the fact that I have had to completely redo my classes for my own online instruction, and have had to pick up a lot of other duties at my university. If I work at home, I can maybe get in a ten-minute block before I have to deal with either helping a kid or being disrupted by loud noise. I go physically into work two days a week to teach (our home internet crashes with all of us on it), and I usually work 11-12 hours at the office on those days and then one or both weekend days. At least my schedule is relatively flexible so I can do it.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Nov 11, 2020 1:40:01 GMT
Thanks, everyone. It is hard for everyone. I wish things would get back to normal!
Distance learning was easier in the spring because my work was also all online and hours were cut drastically. So the expectations there weren't nearly what they are now. Now they are expecting us to get the same number of billable hours but we have a lot of cancellations due to Covid, so that alone is stressful. I left a message for my supervisor but haven't heard back yet. I am nervous that they will make me hourly now and no longer eligible for insurance, but we will see. I don't think it would be possible for me to go back to FT right now because everyone's hours have been lower due to cancellations and changes in school (I work partially in a school program).
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Post by angel97701 on Nov 11, 2020 4:28:39 GMT
Several takes on distance learning from my corner of the world. During the first stint we had a crisis with our younger son, to the point where we stopped any online schooling because our son's mental health had deteriorated to the point where we needed to send him to Wilderness Therapy. Substance abuse, suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety. Interestingly enough the district still gave him grades EVEN though they stopped "Free and appropriate education". His case manager of his IEP was very slow on the uptake as to the true situation. We almost filed a state level complaint and considered suing the SD.
This fall we hired a SpEd attorney and had a total of 5 hours of IEP meetings to hammer out the best plan for our DS14 as he started HS. He is on the FAS spectrum, and his birth family caused extreme developmental trauma for both him and his older bio brother. (They are 6 1/2 years apart as siblings 2 and 3 did not survive the birth home.) We now have a great case manager, a modified diploma plan that may extend for 5 years, and a much more manageable situation. All of his teachers and educational assistants are stepping up and reaching out via email and WebEx to build relationships with him even through distance learning. I still feel like I nag him too much, but there are people on our team now that really have a much better understanding. But my DS is suffering from lack of socialization . . . which as now the only kid at home makes it tough. We are very careful about who we will allow him to spend time with as "substance abuse" was a part of the pattern that we are avoiding.
With that said, I am praying for the return to school for DS . . . but also dreading it. I'm a substitute teacher so I've not worked since March. Thankfully DH has been able to consult from home and take an occasional trip for work. So we still have income.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 11, 2020 7:02:10 GMT
DD has been 100% online since early March. Back then when the district was operating in crisis learning mode things were not ideal. Too much of what was assigned were choice boards and similar things that had too many variables to promote any actual learning. There was really not much (if any) real time instruction so the kids had essentially no contact with their teachers after the switch. This fall, things have been so much better! It has worked out very well for us overall. My kid has real time live Zoom meetings with her “homeroom” teacher for a good percentage of her day, or she is in breakout rooms doing group work with small groups of her classmates. When she isn’t in the online classroom, she works away from the screen independently doing independent reading, working on math or science assignments, or watching videos that support the virtual classroom learning. She also has her band lessons virtually once a week which is also a real time Zoom meeting with the band teacher and four students all playing the same instrument and that has worked out exceedingly well all things considered. We chose 100% virtual for several reasons, primarily because I didn’t like the idea of the constant chaotic switching back and forth between in person and virtual instruction and the possibility of needing to quickly switch to all virtual anyway which will probably happen at some point soon with the hybrid kids. I knew for my kid, the consistency of doing the same thing every day outweighed the small social advantage of being able to be in a physical classroom with other kids some of the time. I work from home part time with my DH and my work schedule is very flexible. I went into this fully expecting to have to help her a lot more than I’ve actually had to do. I am around in case she needs help, but her teacher is fully in charge and has done a really great job of keeping the kids on task all day, every day (M through Th, on F all the kids work independently). Aside from the very occasional technical difficulty, I haven’t had to do much more than just check in with my kid periodically to see what she is working on when she is working independently and to ask what she still needs to complete for that day. She does a pretty good job of staying self motivated because she knows that I will check on her and not let things slide. The quarter ends on Friday and one of her friends doing hybrid said she has something like 45 outstanding assignments that haven’t been done or turned in.   I think with so much switching between in person and at home work, it’s much easier for things to slip through the cracks. Tuesdays are the hardest for my kid because she is pulled out for her music lesson for 40 minutes while the rest of the class is working on math after lunch, so she has to make up that math work on her own time afterward, and by that time in the afternoon she is tired and ready to check out. Now things are a little more complicated because she was chosen to be on the Math League and one of those meetings is also on Tuesdays so to her it feels like a lot. |
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We are dealing with it, it's not perfect. 
I think with so much switching between in person and at home work, it’s much easier for things to slip through the cracks.