On Parenting during Social distancing

I have discovered that I rely a lot on other people to help raise my children.  I, always knew that intellectually, but now I know it in my sad, tired bones.  And its only day three!  With my wife and I trying to work full time and help our kids stay in school remotely, (nothing but serious props to Solomon Schechter Long Island btw, they are doing a fabulous job!) we had to create a schedule that was in 15 minute blocks! oy! Anyways, the reason today for this particular post is a job I never (and i mean never!) imagined taking up.  I have become the kids gym teacher.  Here are three things I have learned/am thinking about gym class.

1. I always used to hate the "drills" portion of gym class.  can't we just play the game. that's what we're really here for.  Yet, in order to both have some active time but also take some more time out of our day I have started plumbing the recesses of my mind for drills and guess what! even in just the last three days I have seen improvement in myself and the kids.  they are catching better, kicking smoother, dribbling longer, its awesome.  Bottom line, as per usual, my I-probably-don't-need-to-do-the-work attitude was wrong in a real way!
2. I am constantly stunned by the extreme lack of desire to be physical before it starts and just how amazing it feels afterwards! Why can my brain not hold on to that positive memory? why does it feel like lifting a mountain for something that will make me feel markedly better!  Why can't I feel this way about ice cream! (oy, now i want ice cream)
3. There is a famous talmudic dictum im ein kemach ein torah if there is no flour there is no torah.  It means you need to earn a living, you need to be able to afford a home and eat meals in order to have the brain space to study torah.  These last three days it has me thinking that it means more.  In order to get kemach flour you have to work your body quite hard.  Each step of raising the wheat, separating the chaff, and gridining the seeds is intensely difficult. I think if we don't work our bodies we also won't have the headspace for torah. Here's to exercise, pushing ourselves, and a few endorphins in these difficult times!

thanks for reading!

share your surprise parenting jobs, or even better what you're doing for home gym class below!