By Krystle J. Bailey
As the sun begins to set earlier in the day and we experience some cooler days, the end of summer brings a bittersweet feeling for Jersey Shore families. Summer is my family’s favorite season. Our days are filled with sand between our toes and sun-kissed skin. Nightfall brings evening walks with the family, freshly grilled dinners, and later than usual bedtimes.
Knowing that our 2020 summer is ending in the next few weeks brings brief sadness but also great hope. One of our favorite things about living in New Jersey is that we get to experience all four seasons in full bloom. The changing season brings a spirit of renewal and an opportunity to hit the refresh button. It’s a time to slow down, regroup, and get into a routine at home. Of course, we still have “locals summer” left to enjoy as out-of-town guests begin to travel back home. The shift from summer to fall is a slow page turn, as we try to make the most of the remaining warm weather while also preparing for what is ahead. I find it to be a delicate balance of change.
Of course, this year is different than most with many families adjusting to some form of school-at-home. Whether you’re preparing to send kids back to school for a hybrid model, preparing for virtual school, or creating lesson plans of your own, this year is sure to be different than years past.
So how do we make the most of it all? I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve been doing with my family during this shifting season.
As summer comes to a slow close and cooler weather is on the horizon, we are trying to be outside as much as possible. The beach, for us, has felt like a slice of our normal life. We are able to be outside and socially distant while enjoying the sun and sea. I have been known to make the executive decision that our family needs the day off and you can find us “knee-deep in the water somewhere.” We recently picked up fishing as a family, which is a perfect way for us to be outside enjoying a family activity together while being conscious of health and safety. Parks, bike rides on local paths, and games of tennis or basketball have also offered safe, health, fun for my family this summer.
When we aren’t out enjoying the sun, we are inside testing the waters for our upcoming homeschool adventure. My two children and I spend a lot of time talking about how the upcoming year might look including things we are hopeful for, specific things they would like to see happen, and even things we are worried about. We talk about it all and put our ideas on paper so that as we create our version of a “new normal”, everyone has put their two cents in.
We’ve revamped chore charts and incentives, as we are all going to be in the house together this fall and winter. We took a trip to the library and updated our library cards, worked together to decorate and organize the in-home classroom setting, and came up with what we think our days should look like.
In planning for the fall, we’ve created “flow charts,” which are essentially a schedule but without specific times. Rather than having breakfast scheduled from 9-9:30 am, we have just scheduled breakfast and morning conversation as the first thing that happens in the morning. If the conversation is flowing and we need to eat until 10:00, then we will. Some days language arts may take longer than others so we have our days laid out in a free-flow, that way we all can feel a little more at ease if the schedule changes. Obviously, every child and family has different needs but this works well for all of us, as we tend to be a little free-spirited and less regimented..
In an effort to create a sense of back-to-school normal, even though my kids will be home, we went out and bought new sneakers and some new fall clothes. We loaded up on school supplies and things we think will make this 2020 version of school enjoyable. In a world that is so out of the ordinary, it’s important that the kids feel encouraged and empowered going into this new school year.
Life as we know it has changed dramatically this year, but we are in this together. When we first started quarantine back in March and the schools closed, I read an article that stated something along the lines that this will already be a traumatic experience for our children – it’s up to us to not make it more traumatic than it needs to be. With that in my mind daily, I can not stress enough how much I have tried to include my kids in the decision making processes. Talking about what we are doing, why we are doing it, and asking their opinions has made this new life much smoother than I think it could have been if I had not held onto that piece of wisdom. So, I pass it onto you as we embark on a new school year. I hope that whatever your new world looks like, that you will find some comfort and peace in it as a family unit. All we’ve got is each other!
Until next time,
Krystle
Krystle J Bailey. Multimedia journalist, Author, Poet
