Are your kids starting school soon? Are you distance learning at home and worried about how to keep your younger kids busy while the older ones try and learn? Or are you anxious about everything that is happening, and looking for ways to stay sane? These Back to Homeschool Tips and Tricks are here to inspire you, and to give you some hope during these dark and scary times.
Back to school is right around the corner, but for a lot of families, they will be keeping their kiddos home. No matter what, we still need fun ideas for back to school lunches, learning activities, ways to keep younger siblings busy, AND ways to keep from going even crazier than we, as moms, already have. For a bit of stuck at home inspiration, my post all about how to stay busy while stuck at home will be a good read for you.
Back to School
Yes, it’s upon us, but not in the way any of us could have even imagined. We are not only dealing with a virus that has shaken this world to its core but also elections, depressing and awful things going on in our nation, and on top of all that, we have to choose to either home school our kiddos or let them return to school in-person; you’re kicking yourself either way. No one is happy with everything that is happening, but something we can agree on is having to feed our kiddos lunch, keep them entertained AND stay sane; at least that is consistent.
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Packing Lunches
I have always tried my best to pack good, healthy food for my daughter’s lunches. And don’t get me wrong, Lunchables make quite a few appearances. But I love finding new foods, ways to make sandwiches fun, and little notes to brighten her day.
Silly Sandwiches
- These are so cute. I love that not only is it the sandwich cutters but also the fruit AND cute picks too.
- I have always loved this shape, but not the price of Uncrustables. This punch makes that so easy AND inexpensive. Best of both worlds!
- Both my kiddos would LOVE these. We have a Minnie Mouse one too, and I just love the way they come out after you punch them.
New Favorites
Sandwiches can get really old, really fast, so I try and think of fun new favorites to include in their lunches. It’s so hard to think of these things last minute when you reach for the bread you realize you ran out of, and the bus gets there in 7 minutes. Having an idea ahead of time, maybe even prepped the night before, is a game-changer. Here are a few Pins I love, and if you aren’t pinning with me on Pinterest, what are you waiting for?!
- Bento Boxes– These are a great way to make a lunch that is full of variety. This article has over 25 different options for you.
- Mini Corn Dogs– My kids LOVE these, but we’ve never made them at home. These are definitely going on the list. This site has a ton of other neat options too!
- Non-Sandwich– 365 different ideas over there, not many of the sandwiches, and all of them equally delicious.
Love Notes
This is by far my most favorite thing about packing her lunch. I have such a great time finding lunch box love notes for my kiddos to show them a little extra love, and so they feel I’m always with them. But I don’t do it everyday, because I don’t want them to expect it! These options are so adorable, and any kid would be ecstatic to receive one in their lunch.
- These Unicorn ones my daughter would flip out over. She loves unicorns and rainbows, and what little girl doesn’t?
- These motivational ones are so sweet and encouraging. This is a great way to lift them up if they are feeling down.
- You had me at cute little monsters. These little guys are full of fun, inspiration, and bright colors. They have my son written all over them!
Younger Activities
Having younger siblings around while you are trying to have your older ones focus and get their work finished, is so hard. We have a 7-year-old, going into 2nd grade, and a 4-year-old, going into preschool. I wanted to make sure to include some learning activities for him so he felt included but also, so he’ll stay out of my daughter’s hair(mostly). Here are some fun examples of younger kid activities.
Workbooks
Games
Play Items
Time Saving Hacks
Time is one thing us moms don’t ever seem to have enough of. Now that our kids are home more, we need easy ways to help us make the most of the time we do have. Waking up late, rushing around with no plans is not a great way to start of your morning. Things like this make my anxiety shoot through the roof. These time saving hacks will give you peace of mind and allow you to run your day, not the other way around.
Wake Up Early
Yes, we are already having to wake up early to get our kids to school, but try and wake up an hour earlier then your kids. This will give you time to sip coffee in peace(hot coffee is a luxury), personal development, quiet time, or get some work done. This is has been working for me for the past few weeks. I feel not so rushed in the mornings now and have accomplished something to get me a big win for the day.
Prep Ahead of Time
Make easy breakfast meals the night before like muffins, breakfast burritos, or bulk oatmeal. Then you won’t be rushing to get them fed and dressed. It’s just one less thing you have to stress over. Things that are helpful to prep the night before are:
- Prep next mornings breakfast
- Coffee with delay start
- Choose a crockpot meal for the next day’s dinner
- School area all ready to go
Just having those things done means that’s one less thing to worry about. And if you don’t have a delay start function on your coffee maker(I highly recommend it), just get your grounds inside and ready to push start when you come into the kitchen in the morning.
Lay Clothes Out
This was something we implemented last school year. We actually had our daughter plan her outfits out for the week and we labeled them with a sign that said the day of the week. That FREE printable is on the printables page if you are interested. But laying your kids and your clothes out the night before is so helpful. They can just roll out of bed, slowly, and get dressed without having to think or decide what to wear. And having yours out is just one less thing to even think about.
Other Sources
A few other blogs that I have found recently that give you some more Back to School inspiration are listed below. Head on over and take a peek:
I really hope these back to home school tips and tricks were helpful and useful. I am curious to know if you are distance learning or in-person learning this year. So many decisions are happening, and I’m just glad the learning, no matter where, is going to be starting up very soon. Let me know down below which you’ve chosen!
Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out Kelsey Farley! If any of these tips and tricks are helping you, I’d love to hear about it! Share your experience on Instagram with hashtag #kelseyfarleyblog and tag me @kelseycfarley so I can follow along and share your photos on my page/stories. Make sure you subscribe before you leave so you can snag your FREE Daily Plan Tracker. I hope it inspires you to take control of your day and make sure to tag me when you use it! I love you guys, and I’ll talk to you soon.
These tips are all so great!!
Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed them.