As a parent, I dreaded my daughter entering middle school.

Middle school was the most trying time of my childhood.

I came from a rather strict and sheltered elementary school. There were 10 students in my sixth-grade classroom. We were taught by Sister Mary Clare and I wore a uniform every day.

And puberty hit me hard. I gained 50 pounds in what seemed overnight.

I felt uncomfortable and awkward in my own body.

Middle school was like throwing me to the wolves.

I prepared my daughter for how mean kids could be.

And I taught her to always wear deoderant (because I made that mistake).

I made sure she was always in a physical activity so that she’d know her body was strong.

But the mental overwhelm caught me by surprise.

I get a panic attack every time I open up Facebook. Well-meaning parents post activity after activity to do with your kids at home.

Some take massive amounts of set up.

Others take enormous time.

Is this what I’m supposed to do when my kids are schooling from home? Is this my duty as a parent to set up these structured school days, intricate lessons and devote most of my waking hours to my kids education?

Nope. Flat out no.