This part venting, part advice request. My kids, 2.5 and 5, were in a montessori preschool 3 full time days per week. My daughter will be returning in the fall and my son will be headed to public K. Their school is doing distance learning via daily work plans and zoom meetings. They were doing daily circle time and stepped it up to 3-4 subject specific lessons daily which seems crazy to me! I feel for the teachers trying to do this with kids at home but I do know they are trying to keep paying as many teachers as possible and therefore giving them work (and asking us to continue paying tuition as able).

For a little context and general comment about my parenting style (or lack there of ), I have never really been much of a schedule mom. I want to be because I hear how beneficial it is for kids, but it just never has worked for me. We tend to have relaxing slow mornings and then do some type of family activity activity outside, it's the kids' time to see my husband since he works evenings 1pm-10pm.

Basically, how important or beneficial do you think these distance learning preschool activities are? I feel better about my daughter since she has finally become a great independent player and does lots of creative self directed activities. Plus, she's 2! My almost kindergartener has me more worried! He's not into the zoom meetings at all, and I don't love trying to pull off montessori style activities at home. Are we ok if we just read together every day, draw and color and do art, play outside, that kind of stuff? I think I feel guilty not pulling off the distance learning and a more structured day since I can't work from home. Plus I feel bad that they have their teachers doing all this work and my kids are just not doing it.