There is no doubt the world is a little more stressful this week than last week. We’re quarantined to our homes with no escape from our children (or partner for some, too), and we have too much on our plates.
Many of us are also now juggling homeschooling our kids with little to no warning. On a regular good day, it can feel impossible to keep up with all we have to do and add on homeschooling — no wonder we’re all feeling frazzled.
For one funny mama, distancing and homeschooling are both going about as well as to be expected ...
Brandalyn Shropshire is a mom and comedian who took to Facebook to share her frustrations with the world of parenting right now. Titled “The Prayer of a Desperate Mother," Brandalyn turned to Facebook Video on March 18 to share how homeschooling her kids has been going.
It’s been a challenge for her. Her video is part stand-up comedy, part real prayer, and full honestly what life has been like for many of us. “I am a child of God,” she said in the video. “What I am not is a homeschool teacher."
“I’m at home, but Lord, ain’t no teaching going on ‘round here,” might be one of the realest lines ever about having our kids home right now.
Each line in the video is funnier than the next, and according to WDEF, the inspiration behind her "Desperate Mother" prayer is a real prayer, with new lyrics to highlight what so many mamas are feeling.
“I need her to understand, these times are tough right now,” she prayed, adding, “But I see the way things continue. Not only am I your child, but I’m going to be an inmate because I’m going to jail, Lord God, … and bless every teacher … ain’t no way I could do it.”
The video spread pretty quickly on Facebook, hitting 14 million views already.
What we could all use right now is some laughter, and Brandalyn gives it to us in this video that's less than 2 minutes long. Comments started pouring in, laughing along with the desperate mama and making jokes of their own.
“You are an awesome spirit of the common core,” one person wrote. “May Father God help you with the carry over and all other complicated processes of the CC.”
Another posted, “I feel for her and I want to hug her! But as a first grade teacher, I can’t help but laugh too!”
If the current homeschooling has a lasting legacy, it's that teachers deserve all the appreciation they can get.
“After 3 days of ‘homeschooling’ I'm truly debating if wearing orange permanently would be such a bad thing,” another person joked. “One thing is for sure, I have a renewed appreciation and am exponentially more grateful for all educators involved in my kids life.”
The video is everything we need to see more of right now. It’s a tough situation we’re all in, but the more we stick together and laugh when we can, the better.
