MIAMI (WSVN) - Many working parents are suddenly scrambling to figure out childcare and a new normal for their families. That includes keeping up with classwork from home.
Valerie Soto, a parent of a student learning remotely from home told her kid, “Today we’re going to be working on your essay.”
Valerie Soto is doing her best to keep her sons occupied.
For 10-year-old Daniel and 7-year-old Gabriel that means school work in the mornings.
“You’re going to be working on your SAT packet,” she said.
Valerie is a nurse who works at night.
She and her friend Andrea, who works from home, are going to be taking turns with childcare while schools are closed.
Soto said, “Normally we’d help each other just for an hour or two, but now it’s the whole day. But it’s great to have a really good friend, somebody who can help. You just sort of do what you have to do.”
They’ve made a schedule, which includes study time, play time outside and art projects, like making slime together.
Soto said, “It’s been a good opportunity to talk a lot about social responsibility and that we’re not really staying home for us, we’re staying home for other people who are older than us people who have medical problems.”
Jennifer Pejoves, another mother said, “I’m available here by phone any time.”
Pejoves does contract work with hospitals and nursing homes.
A mother of two, she said she’s lucky her company has everyone working remotely for now.
Pejoves said, “We’ve been asked as a preventative measure to work from home and evaluate patients over the phone via Skype or FaceTime.”
Her kids, 10-year-old Ehlisa and 7-year-old Dylan, are staying busy with school projects.
Pejoves said, “That’s where they’re going to put your assignments here.”
But no one knows just how long schools will be closed. Jennifer worries about childcare in the future.
Pejoves added, “Usually, I would rely on my parents to take care of them, but because they’re in the high risk group I really would, we’re trying to avoid contact with my parents at least for a few weeks.”
It’s a whole new world for teachers as well.
Miami Beach Senior High debate instructor, Russ Rywell, is teaching his students from his living room.
Rywell said to his students, “Somebody tell me how many troops we’re talking about. Then, we can start our discussion.”
One student responded, “Iraq has 5200 troops.”
He and the students communicate via web cam and a social media platform like Facebook, where he can post assignments and kids can ask questions.
Rywell said, “It’s a learning process for everybody. As you can see, we’re learning as we go, but we have the tools to make it work.”
Even the textbooks are online.
For the teacher and his students this is a lesson in finding a solution to any problem.
Max Gelber, a sophomore at Miami Beach Senior High said, “I had school canceled recently because of like hurricanes, not something like a pandemic like this, so I think this is an odd reason to have classes. I think it’s an odd way to have classes.”
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.