Homeschool Prep.

Hello beautiful!

Can you believe school is around the corner? For many of my readers, school is already back in session. Although I live in the state of Tennessee, the county I reside in will be starting a “phase in” program during the first two days of school. Of course, this is not ideal by any means, but here we are, in the middle of August, and my kids will be just two of the many planning to do distant learning.

In a previous post, I discussed the importance of giving grace to our parents, teachers, administration, and most importantly, our children, as we face these unsettling times. As the days progress, I made a conscious decision to help my girls become acclimated to the homeschooling life. In creating this workspace, we made sure their desks, computers, and area were decorated in order to feel more like school and less like home.

Although school is not fully in session until Monday, I created a chart for them to follow 2 weeks prior. This includes;

• waking up at 6 am
• Taking a shower or bath
• Getting dressed
• Eating breakfast
• Brushing teeth
• Logging on the system on or before 7:15 AM (Unfortunately, school starts at 7:30 AM in our area).

Once they are settled at their desk, they are required to,

• Do a Typing assignment (This is specific to our 10-year-old)
• Work on a reading assignment
• Work on a Math assignment/game (Kahn Academy, ABCMOUSE, or some school-specific link)
• Complete a writing assignment

The first day was a less than desirable day. The eldest was frustrated with learning typing techniques, and our youngest, was a typical 5-year-old, enjoying the spinning chair. There was so much redirection with my youngest that I believed I was not cut out do homeschooling. To be honest, I’m not, but we’re here now.

While we prepare for the unknown this week, we are learning how to be patient, kind, respectful, focused, still, and independent thinkers. Karate, has for sure helped my eldest with these traits, but my little one is still learning the new normal.

This is not a guaranteed homeschool program, but it will help with guidance and structure as we all partake in this thing we now call life.