Education

So many people lament the lost time in classrooms that kids have suffered through because of the pandemic and they focus on all the things kids have not learned and things that kids have not done. As a retired educator I’d like to change perspectives for a minute and think of this another way.

Families in 2020 were given a unique gift of bonding time that is generally unavailable in our busy society. They had time to talk, play, and work together. Children had time to spend with parents and parents had opportunities to spend real quality time with kids and spouses.

Learning opportunities were endless with computers or even without them. I know many parents who included kids in cooking, laundry, and other domestic chores, teaching them all manner of life skills that they may or may not have learned later. I am not surprised that many families embraced crafts, home improvement projects, gardening and other things they might never had time to try before.

Students may have missed reading, writing, and math but they gained something they can treasure for the whole of their lives, time with family. Now if family is dysfunctional and abusive, that could be a nightmare rather than a dream come true. But most families… you would think most families made the most of that time.