The parodies of homeschooling schedules during quarantine started almost immediately. The originals—which were color coded and earnest, and included time for homework, chores, and music lessons—were altered to read "Frozen II all-day," or "Cry in the bathroom."

The high hopes from parents about homeschooling their children had been replaced by the harsh reality that being a teacher is, well, hard. And it requires a degree of preparation and focus that many parents simply don’t have right now.

Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, says the sudden widespread attempts at “homeschooling” have largely misunderstood the concept. “Trying to replicate school at home when you’re not trained and you don’t have the materials, that’s like mission impossible,” he says.

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