"LIFE OF A NEW HOMESCHOOLING MOM IN TIME OF CoViD"

I thought about homeschooling our son way before he was even ready for school, but the thought of putting his education in my own hands unnerved me. I do not feel capable enough to do it. Then Coronavirus invaded our quiet life and both parents are forced to face this new challenge in parenting called HOME SCHOOLING.

Okay let us do this again, I stand corrected, we are doing DISTANCE LEARNING instead of saying HOME SCHOOLING. The difference? I am not really sure. One thing is sure, we didn’t choose to teach the school curriculum at home but rather brought forth by the current situation. Therefore, our kids will be instructed by their school teachers in the home setting, with parents to supervise for accountability...and so they are learning from a distance. I think Home Schooling is a totally different set-up for both kids and parents. Well, anybody out there please shed a light on us regarding this...

teachers rock!

As I have mentioned, our current Coronavirus pandemic has pushed us to make decisions for the greater good. Looking at both side of things I've always had the highest respect for teachers, but now in this altered present time it has elevated all the more, I salute you all for your patience (I mean I only have one in my classroom now 😜; imagine having 33 different personalities and emotions); your enthusiasm radiates in your students; your creativity to put all these and plan new ways of teaching and learning all in a blink of an eye. I highly commend my son's teacher, you are a rock star Ms. Solnok! She is on a roll with preparing the students for this distance learning. I like her energy, her lively attitude and her very long patience with the kids. She is a ray of sunshine for the kids when they do their Zoom Meet-Up and she has this drive to purposely motivate these 9 and 10 year old's to follow through and deliver!

moms' challenge...

Growing up, I had this dream of teaching. Being an only child, I am used to solitary play. I would usually play teacher with an imaginary class with board and stick and all. I never thought that it would come to reality, teaching and getting my own son through to finish fourth grade with flying colors (I hope!).

My son clamors for attention from dad and mom, and one of his goal is to get an award from school so we can be proud of him (Oooh, I feel like a bad mom now). Just before spring break we received an e-mail from teacher saying he will be accepting an award for the trimester. Two days to awarding it was cancelled, and now with the Coronavirus pandemic it is not even a reality. I am not sure whether it was for the better that we didn’t tell him about his award or not.

The INDUCTA Kids

This distance learning is putting a lot more stress on moms than anybody else. As you must have read my previous blog, I work in the healthcare and that means I don’t get to be counted to “Stay Home”. I still need to go to work and serve the sick and the vulnerable. I feel for all those parents that have more than one child and a working mom too who are part of the essential work force or still have to work while at home. Juggling these two things on a daily basis can get a little bit crazy. Of course, we want our kids to learn and develop according to standards and more so excel in their craft. I honestly do not know how some Moms like Leah can handle more than one child (not to say her youngest are twins!) and still have structure and organization in their life is simply saying - You are GREAT at this thing called “Motherhood”. She’s not just a mom of multi-grade kids, she’s also an active parent in her kids’ school, and at times a student herself trying to build her own career. Mind you, they still have time for fun! Let us ask her how she does it. Take a peak her kids life (on the picture above: The INDUCTA Kids).

Well, how about we add this stay home situation to the equation? I think we can rightfully say Moms are gifted. Moms are just one of a kind, aren’t we?

A new friend of mine through our online Bible Study with Proverbs 31 Ministries shared her thoughts on home schooling and touched on three things she learned from an unexpected decision too. Her experience happened during a personal crisis but it is so close to what we are all forced to be in today you can clearly relate. I learned a lot from the three things she mentioned on her blog, I am sure you will too. Click HERE to read more.

"Hang in there! Give yourself some grace and those kids of yours lots of love and just enough freedom." -by Jennifer Hernandez

As a home schooling parent for the meantime, I needed structure for both of us, that is, a schedule to run our lives; a lot of patience to get us through the day, the week, this month and I feel like for the rest of this school year; I need to call my creativity back so that we can learn in different ways, not bore each other and be able to get out there for a bit. I have to compromise with my Little Man too. We have to play together for his PE credits because teacher said so! Ugh!!! You know what, mothers as we are, we will do anything for our child, right? So we played ‘HORSE‘ one time, it's a basketball thing he learned from YouTube (I didn't just say that he learned something from YouTube, did I?) and mind you it was fun and a good physical activity.

Our Little Man

moms new normal...

On the brighter side of life, I get to spend more time with my Little Man; he gets more cuddles from dad; doing more things together and seeing him grow and mature in strides right in front of our very own eyes. We are just making the most of the time we have and the moments we can spend with him.  It is not the length of time but the quality of the time we spend with him that matters (though most of the time he complains it is not enough...plus Mommy is working way too much hours now...wrong combination of pandemic and distance learning!!!)

But hey! We did not choose to be in this situation but we do not have much choice at the moment...so what do we do? We endure, we move on. We go on. We make the most of what we have. And we do what we do as parents. This pandemic has shown me what I already know that on my own I can not do much..but if I rely on my Sovereign God "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) This is one of the things this crisis is teaching me that I need to rely more on GOD. We get down on our knees to pray more. We read and study GOD's word. And with a lot more time in our hands, we are forced to be quiet and to rest, reflect and recharge. I have always believed that through all these, God will be glorified!

Whether it is home schooling or distance learning, it is a challenge right in front of many parents nowadays as we face this pandemic. Let us take on the challenge, spend our quarantine days more productively with our kids; and maybe we can start learning something new too, whether on our own or with our children. That'll be fun! We can also find ways to have fun with the family - like dancing, singing, watching movies together, baking, cooking, starting a new hobby, starting a "New Normal" in the midst of this present reality.

What do you say? Are you on for the challenge? Ready to be your child/children's teacher for a long while? Ready to take on the challenge of a "new normal" and a life of a home schooling mom?

#LifeintimeofCoViD #Homeschooling #DistanceLearning #NewChallenge #NewNormal

"LIFE OF A HEALTHCARE WORKER IN TIME OF COVID-19"

Called FRONTLINERS, that is exactly where doctors and nurses and other healthcare workers are situated during our present crisis.

Never thought in my lifetime that all of a sudden our worlds will be turned upside down by a virus. I have heard a lot of people randomly asking each other the question: "Have you ever thought six months ago that THIS thing would happen to us?". And it is our present reality, not a single clue that just like that ... our reality will be altered temporarily.

These past few days have been really crazy especially if you like tuning in to the news. You can even have a 24/7 coverage of the Coronavirus and the same headlines come up from every single corner of the world: the number of people infected by CoViD-19, and the number of death. On the other side of these news feeds are those essential workers facing the virus right in their faces, exposed right down to their very soul but still giving their time, effort, skill and energy to save mankind. These essential workers comprise mainly of doctors and nurses and all those who work in the healthcare. There are also those in the sidelines- the police, hospital maintenance and housekeeping, truck drivers, government officials, those who work in the food and pharmaceuticals, those who were called to work in their factories to make hand sanitizers, masks, face shields and even ventilators.

I am a nurse myself, no longer working in the acute side, but I can see and feel for my brothers and sisters that are out there risking their own lives for the lives of many. We are shocked by updates on the news when numbers are shown by the thousands and tens of thousands infected by the Coronavirus and a few more thousands dying from it.

The critical time for America is NOW! The whole world is also on its verge of collapsing economy. We have to help our essential health workers (that includes all of us in direct contact with patients whether acute or not) to control the spread of this virus and therefore stop the infection and hopefully the staggering number of deaths.

I am not sure if you are into social media, the outpouring of love for our health workers and front liners, most of all, is just outstanding. Thank you for all the love you are sending our way. In the background I have many friends and colleagues currently exposed to this deadly CoViD-19 trying to do what they do best. Their emotions and feelings are very raw and vulnerable. I wanted to share with you some of those words written and spoken; anecdotal in remembrance of those health workers who died in the front lines; and even eulogies spoken by friends and families in their very somber and private funeral. Some of them outside the US are just known as "Patient XXX".

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I broke down a few minutes ago. I couldn’t help it anymore. My level of anxiety has gone up to a level that is uncontrollable and uncomfortable. I’ve felt that I’ve been carrying something heavy for quite some time now. I was talking to my boyfriend an hour ago via video call when I started crying. I always update him about work and how my anxiety is starting to consume me. I’ve felt the weight of carrying a big responsibility of being a nurse constantly showing up to work especially at this time.

I told him that I even practice social distancing at home. I don’t play with my younger brother anymore. I even told my younger brother not to go near me or to avoid going to my room. When my younger brother asked me why, all I could say to him was “Ate is protecting you.” It broke my heart. I found myself in tears after my younger brother left my room. I miss him already. I don’t even eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with my family anymore. I just get own my own food and eat alone in my room. I even use plastic utensils and paper plate now.

My mom heard me sobbing in my room. She opened the door and talked to me. She knows exactly how I feel since she is an ICU nurse. She told me that it is a “war zone” now at her work. My mom asked me why I was crying. Tears started flowing again. I told her that I’m scared. There are a lot of things that I’m scared of.

I’m not sure until when will I be able to go home. Will I still be able to see them? Will I still be able to do the things that I planned years from now? Until when would I be able to breathe using my own lungs? What are the other extra precautions that I can take to avoid getting sick?

My mom and I both cried. It is our reality now. She told me that at this time; we just have to pray harder, take good care of ourselves, have presence of mind and do the best that we can. She told me that she can’t hug me since she was also exposed. I just want this to be over. I want to hug them and be with them. I just want everything to go back to normal. I haven’t felt “normal” for a long time now.

---- A Registered Nurse from New York

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FRONT LINERS

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines would like to express our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and church mates of Dr. Israel Bactol who had been in the frontline in the battle against COVID19. Dr. Bactol is a son of Pastor Romy and Deaconess Cely Bactol of the IEMELIF Church, an NCCP member church. The Bactol family are leaders in Penaranda IEMELIF Church in Nueva Ecija. Dr. IB, as he is fondly called, was 34 years old. He was a bright and dedicated student and he graduated on a scholarship. He finished college and medical school at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. As a pastor’s kid, Dr. B has accompanied his parents to the congregations that their Bishop has assigned them. Church members attest to his helpful presence and support to the congregations where his parents were assigned. We mourn his untimely demise, and accord him the honor that befits a martyr. We can only imagine the number of lives he could have made better with his talent and dedication. His body was cremated and the ashes were brought to their home in Penaranda, Nueva Ecija. We also mourn the lives of other frontliners like Dr. Greg Macasaet, Dr. Rose Pulido and Dr. Raul Diaz Jara, and we offer this prayer to them and other doctors, nurses and medical staff who are doing their best to contain this pandemic.

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Same with stories from nurses all over the world. Here in New Jersey is a nurse who started nurses like her to share and tell their "Coronavirus Stories" through a google portal she created. SO far she has received about 1,253 respondents from all over the US sharing their bravest and scariest moments being a nurse in the war front. Sonja, our New Jersey nurse, called a Google document entitled "CoViD-19: Mission for Masks" and encouraged other nurses like her fighting Coronavirus in the frontline to release and unload their frustrations, fears, feelings and complaints in a very confidential way as they do not need to put their NAMES on their answers.

Here are some very vivid pictures from the stories shared by nurses and doctors from the frontline in Italy, which was particularly hit hard just very recently. This article shows the reality inside the battle field- bruised nursed and doctors; collapsed team member due to exhaustion; huddled together to console and emotionally support each other.

It is quite sad to read this article as they are mostly complaints (about the hospitals and encounters with other healthcare workers with them). Some of the nurses do not even get to go home to their families for days on or the doctors for weeks as going home would endanger their own loved ones and families. Just so sad what we are going through but with GOD's providence and His great love, we will be able to pull through with this ... and stronger!

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And just now as I am finishing this to share it with the world I saw an old colleague from England post a eulogy for one of our Care of the Elderly Consultants that passed away caring for CoViD-19 patients. I have worked with Dr. Saadu and have argued many times with him regarding discharge planning, but he is a disciplined man, a passionate doctor and always in service of the sick and the vulnerable. Dr. Saadu, working part time, apparently came back from retirement to answer the call of his revered profession to help out fight this outbreak in England. Unfortunately becoming infected himself, he succumbed to this virus fighting to save others until the very day he couldn't fight it anymore. He was dearly loved not just in England but in Africa where he did a lot of charitable work. At the age of 68, he will be sorely missed and well remembered by every single person he encountered and that's including me! Goodbye Dr. Alfa Saadu. To read more about this story, click HERE.

Are you a healthcare worker? Are you fighting this pandemic in the frontline? Do you have your own Coronavirus Story? Maybe you want to try and share it through Sonja's survey or if you are brave enough you can comment down below and share it to the world. All our stories, testimonies and frustrations can be a source of encouragement for others and further improvement in our world of medicine in the very near future.

Do not forget to thank an essential worker in your own town whenever you see one, they do so much more than they are signed in for.

To end this I would like to share this video with you THANKING all our healthcare workers putting their own lives at risk to keep you and me safe, so let us do our part and "STAY HOME".

Life is rapidly changing before our eyes. The healthcare system was overwhelmed and will need time to get back into its natural rhythm. Our lives will never be the same again. There are a lot to think about, a lot needed to be changed and a bleak future for our health if nothing is done now. We can all pitch in, we are all part of the solution for this problem called Coronavirus Pandemic. Together, we can fight this.

#AloneTogether #NurseOnDuty #CoViD19 #CoronaVirusPandemic #ThankYouFrontliners