Ready or not here we come! Are you ready for back to school? Do you have your back to school schedule down? How about your back to school list? This year will be different than any other. There will be some major changes and I feel it’s gonna be hard for parents and teachers. But, there is one thing that will make it a lot easier whether you are virtual or actually in person, a back to school schedule. Now, you might be thinking isn’t getting back into a back to school schedule going to be hard if we are doing virtual learning. Well, take a listen to my quick and easy back to school schedule tips.
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Back to school seems to come around faster and faster every year. I love back to school time because of all the teacher things they put out. Although this year is going to be quite different than the past. There are some tips and tricks to make this year successful for you and your child.
First up is the most important to create a back to school schedule. This is vital for back to school time to make sure that your children are getting what they need. Your kid needs to have some routine during the day and that’s no secret. But, the struggle comes in knowing what to schedule and when and everything in between.
I’ll give you a little sneak peek into our schedule. In the morning, we wake up, have breakfast. She gets to watch a little tv then it’s time for learning. Some days we dance to an ABC song, others we do yoga. Our plan covers a letter a week. We start out with looking at the new letter, tracing it with our fingers, and trying to make it out of play doh. Then, we do a letter craft and hang it on the fridge. The next activity is math. Similar to the letters we learn a number a week.
Another important thing is that I don’t push her too much. If she doesn’t feel like doing anything, I don’t force it. She will do it when she wants to. It will also allow her to get more out of the activity than if I would constantly be forcing her to do it.
Then there are days when she wants to keep going and going. So, I let her. It’s not a big deal if we get Monday through Wednesday work done all on Monday to me. As long as she isn’t rushing through it just to get it done, we are okay here. That just means we have more days to play.
Another tip is more for virtual learning, give them breaks. If they were at school they get breaks during the day when they are not constantly working or looking at a screen. As a teacher, I gauge how many breaks my kiddos need based on their day to day interactions. If my kids are super chatty or can’t sit still, that’s a sure sign of a much needed break. With online learning that should be no different. If they are getting squirrely while working on the computer, that’s a sign that they need a break.
You might be wondering what to do for the break. Here are some suggestions: get out and take a walk, have them do a craft or other creative project, play a game, do an activity from the Tiny Tikes Learning Box (see what I did there). There are tons of simple, low-prep ways to take breaks.
My next tip is to try to keep normal school hours as much as possible. That means work on their online work between the hours that they would normally be in school. I know a lot of districts are doing a hybrid schedule which looks different for every school. The most common one I have seen is two days group A, online learning for one day, and then group B for two days. With schedules similar to that, if you only do school work during normal school hours, you children will stay in their routine. This will help when it’s their day to go to school.
Let’s now chat about back to school organization. Whether you are virtual or in person, the most important and time saving hack is to have some type of organization. For virtual learning, have a place for all the materials, maybe a desk for your child. Somewhere that they know this is where they do their school work.
For in person, the number one struggle we have is getting out of the door in time and with all of our stuff. So, have a designated area where backpacks, lunchboxes, shoes, coats, all the things go. That way the more will be a little less chaotic and maybe even get you out the door faster although I can’t make any promises.
My last tip is to give them time to decompress. Just like us, we don’t like to come home and be thrown into activities right away. It’s the same with your children. Once they are finished with their school work for the day, give them some time to do what they wish, before moving onto another activity.
Just like your kiddos, you too need time to decompress. Find something relaxing or maybe just something that you enjoy to help yourself combat the stress from the day. If your kids are virtual learning, you will definitely need to find some way to decompress after being not only mom or dad but also a teacher.
If your kids are in person learning, I didn’t forget about you. You still need time to decompress as well. Again just find something that soothes your soul and makes you feel rejuvenated for the next day.
These are just some tips that I have been giving my friends whenever they ask what to do to help their children. Did you love this episode? Let me know by leaving a review. Want to follow more of my little life, find my on Instagram @tinytikesteacher.
Hey parents of 3-6 year olds, did you hear about the latest and greatest subscription box out there? The Tiny Tikes Learning Box covers everything your child needs to grow up happy, healthy, and ready to take on school. The best part: it is 100% customizable. Check out the link in the show notes below or head to www.cratejoy.com/tinytikeslearningbox to purchase yours today.
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