Let's Move On

I am tired of the way things are. I know it is necessary to keep us healthy, but I would like to adjust a few things. I want to change the words "Socially Distant" to "Socially Conscious Spacing". I think that we are moving away from the horror of the last few weeks and need to distant ourselves from negative language. The time we are spending apart is the right thing to do, but as human beings we need to have something positive in our future. The schools in this area are closed until the end of the term. With the numbers declining, I feel that adding another 60 days onto home schooling is a bit rash. That is more time than it took to treat the most devastating part of the pandemic. There is a lot we can safely do for our children from 6 feet apart. In my opinion, while home schooling is the law, there are ways to add humanity to it. With spring and summer on the way, why can't we have some creativity thrown into the mix? Here is my plan and some of you might totally disagree, but in America I have the right to voice my opinion. If a school class has 25 children, divide it up into 5 sub groups. Each day of the week, in good weather, that sub group goes to someone's backyard for one hour. The children can sit 6 feet apart in a semi circle and the "house mother”  can teach a lesson. For elementary school, the mothers are capable of that. Teach ten spelling words, read a book, teach a math problem, teach a social studies lesson. Do that for 30 minutes. For the next 10 minutes, do exercises.  Run in place, stretch and do a few jumping jacks. Another ten minutes for juice and cookies. The last ten is for a group discussion. Kids love to talk. Have a topic that would spark a discussion. This plan would be structured in a socially conscious spaced environment. Mental health is also important and by separating our children for an additional 60 days, you are continuing to instill fear and isolation. It is time to be creative in a safe way.