It’s back to school for our family! Sharing a look at the girls’ first day of school (at home), including the obligatory first day of school front porch photos, and what we are doing for school this fall (remote school, homeschool, and all!)
What a week! Wednesday was the very first day of school for the new year.
Update: By the way, definitely realized AFTER posting this that I spelled ‘preschool’ wrong, which pretty much sums up how well I’m juggling it all! 
😭 (A wise friend told me that she “thought that [it] was intentional and a brilliant pun; Pre-e-school = the virtual ‘e’ version of Pre-school!” … so I’m going with it! 🤪)
Our Plan For School This Fall
The girls started their first days of school at home – remote school for Scarlett and a very loose version of homeschool for Emme. Of course, having both kids at home for any kind of learning this fall wasn’t anything I ever expected, but despite all of our worry and anxiety over the “right” decision to make about school – on top of another move – all in all, school at home has been a success so far.
Sure, it feels completely exhausting at moments. On Wednesday, I ran back and forth between rooms so many times. I was sure I’d need buckets of coffee to get me through the rest of the week. But even just three days in, I’m relieved to see both of our kids adjusting pretty well to this new (hopefully temporary) normal.
See Also → Our Back to School Donut Party 🍩
Virtual Remote School
To make Scarlett’s virtual school really feel like school, we set up a learning space in the playroom. She has a desk (we used our Pottery Barn Carolina kids play table and chairs), her school Chromebook, and all of her school supplies. This cart has been a huge help for keeping the books and supplies for her subjects organized. I LOVE that the clear scrapbook cases can be pulled out individually, keep everything inside secure, and the bins are clear so it’s easy to see what’s inside. (I promise to share a closer look at her space soon!)
Scarlett’s remote/virtual teacher has been amazing and is really prioritizing independence on Zoom, etc. for the kids. I definitely still feel pulled to help Scarlett and keep Emme on some loose preschool “track”. All while juggling my own work, but it feels a little more doable than it did even a week ago.
Busy Toddler Playing Preschool Homeschool
I mentioned it in this post, and I’ll share it here too in case anyone else is looking for a loose homeschool preschool for their toddlers; we just started the Busy Toddler Playing Preschool homeschool curriculum, and so far, so good. I love that this preschool home school curriculum is really play-based and doesn’t require a huge commitment from already busy parents.
I had the whole curriculum printed up and bound in a spiral notebook. And I’m able to just check in each morning and pull a few activities from it each day. Some days we get to one activity, some days we read several books, do a song, and an activity. And some days we skip or put off until the next day when we’re just too swamped. I’m basically cherry picking from the curriculum to fill in our days and to keep Emme learning and engaged. The whole thing is super flexible and accessible.
And yes, some days, I feel like I’m not at all equipped to be a teacher.
And I’m convinced my toddler will eventually start back in a real preschool knowing nothing. But the truth is, she’s not even 3 years old yet. And she learns heaps from playing and watching and exploring. Anything I can “teach” her from the Playing Preschool curriculum is just a bonus in my mind. And hey, I can’t possibly be messing her up that much … right? 🙈
We mostly work on our preschool homeschool activities in the living room. I set up a few toys and have a basket of learning activities and tools for Emme in the living room as well. Scarlett is in the playroom going virtual school and I find that it’s easier for both kids to keep them separate for school. So that neither of them gets too distracted by what the other one is doing. Of course, they’re back together for snack breaks, lunch. And then we have our afternoons free to play, go outside, do seasonal crafts, etc.
The Juggle is Real
The real struggle is learning how to balance my own work with the kids’ school. Plus all of the things that needs to get done at home. I’ll admit, everything in my life has been neglected since the pandemic hit. But having school back in our lives in some ways has given me back some semblance of balance and control. Still working on boundaries and trrrrryyyyying to find me time (ha). But this feels like progress and I’ll take it! 🤣
You can always follow along on my Instagram Stories (@glitterinclexi) to see what we’re up to throughout the day(s) and I’ll be sure to keep on updating here with our (home) school progress.
IF YOU LOVED THIS POST, YOU CAN SEE MORE OF OUR LIFE WITH TWO LITTLE ONES HERE AND ALL OF OUR KIDS ACTIVITIES AND CRAFTS HERE.
In case you find yourself stuck at home with your kids, be sure to check out this huge list of fun and educational activities for young children, plus this post with all of our favorite kids activities on Amazon.
SHOP THE GIRLS’ FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL POST | CLICK LEFT & RIGHT ARROWS TO EXPLORE
Join the Fun
Older Post
