How to make back to school feel normal, when they’re not going back to school
This year back to school looks a little different, whether you’re homeschooling like we are, virtual school of traditional school. But one thing thats the same it’s BACK TO SCHOOL time, meaning back to school shopping and prep! Being a mom to four kids, and 2 of which are in elementary school-goodness I sound so old, but we learned that back to school shopping can add up quickly. But growing up, my mom always loved to shop at Walmart for my school supplies. And now that I’m a mom, I do the same. I can get everything I need under one roof without breaking the bank. In this blog post I share my 3 major tips for making back to school time feel normal, when they’re not going back to school (physically). I have partnered with Walmart to share what we are doing to make this back to school season just as good as the past years!!
How to make back to school feel normal, when they’re not going back to school
So this back to school season, despite being in a traditional school setting I still want the kids to feel some sense of normalcy, so we are getting all the supplies and basic clothes that we need to make their homeschool year a success.
#1 Still go school supply shopping:
As a kid, I’ve always loved school supply shopping. It would get me hyped for the upcoming school year! So even if you decide to shop for school supplies online at Walmart.com, let your little ones join in on the fun. What I love about Walmart is their easy and stress-free ways to shop: convenient & free delivery options (Express Delivery) available plus shopping via app, online, or in store where customer safety is always prioritized!!
#2 Get them some cozy outfits to wear around the house:
Since we will be spending a lot of time at home, I didn’t feel the need to go all out with back to school clothes shopping. I went on Walmart.com and got the kids plenty of basic plain tees, with different color shorts to switch up their look. Best part, their shirts were under $5 and the shorts were under $8!! Major win, especially when you’re buying for 4 little ones. And then don’t even get me started with the toddler girls outfits! It’s an absolute dream!
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- Basic Tees-I get all the colors, and even some with stripes to add some patterns.
- Shorts-that can be worn with different plain tees
- Fun underwear- to get them excited about the day. (my kids love this for some reason)
- Slippers to wear around the house
- Sneakers to use for backyard play
#3 Make out a schedule for them, WITH them:
We are very routine oriented. That’s just how we function and operate the best in our household. So we knew with homeschooling, it would have to be a pretty strict schedule with room for error, but while coming up with a schedule- I asked RJ and Elias if they’d rather do school work in the morning right after breakfast, or in the afternoon after they eat, or a mix of both. And by doing this, I feel like it makes them feel important, and they have a say in how their schooling looks like, but they also know that I am their teacher and I implement the rules.
Example schedule:
8:30am-Everyone up and out of bed. Make bed before leaving your room
8:40am-Use bathroom and brush teeth
8:45am- Breakfast while eating breakfast, talk about our day (our plans/the weather, day of the week, etc)
9:15am-Morning chores (everyone has a task)
9:30am-Cosmic Yoga
9:45am-Journal time
10:00am-Start Academics for Elias and RJ
11:00am-Break/Free Outside play
12:00pm-Lunch, wash up
12:30pm- Arts and Craft Time/Sensory Time (entire family)
1:30pm-Nap time for younger 2, RJ and Elias quiet time (read book, work on worksheets, color)
2:30pm-Academics for RJ and Elias
3:30: Younger 2 up from nap, Family play time (everyday someone picks the random activity)
Again this schedule is subject to change, but so far we think this is what will work for us, and best of all, we all had a say in our daily schedule.
This is my first year doing this, so I’m open to anymore suggestion on making this homeschool journey transition seamless. So please comment below anything else you and your family is doing to make it feel more normal.
