Ooooh, this brought back memories, Shamontiel! Like you, I loved my independence, even if I had to prepare my own after-school snacks. For me, the BEST part of being a latchkey kid was snacking on the couch watching TV. Around 5 pm, I'd lower the volume so I could hear my mom's car pulling into the garage. That's when I'd quickly turn the TV off and start homework.

I definitely would have cringed and died inside if my mom was hovering over me like the one from the podcast. And I have to tell you, every kid/teen I've talked to HATED Zoom school and couldn't wait to get back to real life. I can't believe this daughter would willingly stick to Zoom school!

Finally, I have to give you bonus points for making me google contumacious--I felt like I was in 7th grade studying vocab when I stumbled on it. Not sure when I'll actually use it, but it caught my eye. LOL!