I had a papier mâché incident recently - as in, I tried to make papier mâché balloons with my children as part of their homeschooling - and reaped the whirlwind. I got a lot of sympathy from teachers after I posted about the incident on social media. But as they commiserated - sharing tales of similar projects from which their classroom furniture had yet to recover, or equally ambitious yet imprudent undertakings (apparently making pom-poms is a nightmare and not to be attempted) - I was acutely aware that, of course, their circumstances had been far more challenging. I was dealing with two children and they with 30.
Still, this sharing of crafting lessons gone wrong changed my perspective on my morning: it made something that was, in the immediate aftermath, draining and frustrating, ultimately just plain funny.
Since schools closed on 20 March, they have quite rightly been attempting to support families by encouraging them to share the learning and activities they are undertaking at home. And what is happening in many homes is hugely impressive. One post I saw was from a family who, at dinner time, had turned their kitchen into a café and allowed their children to design the menu, make the food, take the orders and serve. I’ve also read of parents who have dipped their toe in the water and attempted a bit of science, technology, engineering and maths by making giant bubbles - but also those who have jumped in with both feet and made their own “blood” (I kid you not).
But the pitfalls of engaging with what people post on social media remain the same as ever. Understandably, we always want to present our best selves and show the world how well we are doing, which explains why, at the moment, school Facebook pages and Twitter feeds are chock-full of parents sharing their success stories.
However, while some parents will be able to hoover up these ideas and be inspired by them - which is, of course, the idea - for others they will simply be confirmation that their attempts to educate their children are not up to scratch and they are failing.
We can assume that the number of parents feeling this way will be higher than usual given the abnormal circumstances we are all living in, when concerns abound about the impact that the coronavirus and the accompanying lockdown is having on people’s mental health.
It was suggested on BBC Radio 4 last week that “one thing that the coronavirus has given us is more time” - an observation that prompted an exasperated colleague to point out that a lot of families have never been busier as they battle to juggle work and childcare. And then there is, of course, another group just trying to get through the day.
In the latest Tes Scotland podcast, Carrie Lindsay, the director of education and children’s services in Fife, said that one of the things that has kept her awake at night is the thought of how large families living in flats with no outdoor space and struggling to afford food are coping.
So, I’d like to make a suggestion. As well as sharing what has worked, let’s balance that with sharing some of our homeschooling disasters. Maybe we could use the three-stars-and-a-wish format that teachers sometimes follow when feeding back to children - three things that went well and something we would do differently.
Because, as I learned recently, an epic fail can teach you a lot, and it can - after you have put some distance between you and your decimated kitchen - be the source of a lot of laughter.
Our papier mâché balloons have now become a family joke. The stuff of legend. A tale that will be told many times in the years to come.
If the professionals can admit that they do not always ace it, then let’s encourage parents to do the same. Take it from someone who knows: it’s really cathartic.
This article originally appeared in the 17 April 2020 issue under the headline “If we share our homeschooling disasters, we’ll all feel better”
