Back To School with PreK12 Plaza
This is part of a sponsored collaboration with the PreK12 Plaza.
However, all opinions expressed are my own. #PreK12Plaza
Are your littles or not so littles heading back to school in the next few weeks? How about a little starting homeschool? We have one of each so for the next few weeks, we are organizing and scheduling our evenings to make for a great morning start.
Back to School time can be stressful especially if your kids have enjoyed later nights, sleeping in all the activities, trips and fun that comes along with summer. For me, I stick to a bedtime routine and schedule all year long. The tot still has her regular bedtime of 7:30-8 although I am working on getting her back to 7-7:30. When Big Z is with us, she hangs with dad on his nights off. With me she heads to bed for 10. Now that school is less than two weeks away, she heads to bed for 9. A good night of rest is one of the most important things we can provide our children.
To keep their minds fresh and continue learning, we work on lessons throughout the summer. Some include book and mini testing but we also use our environment and any activities we have planned as opportunities to learn.
Add a great prep routine on the weekends plus a few nightly task then most morning will be a stress free breeze.
Weekend Prep For School
Saturday
- Wash, iron and hang all uniforms (or outfits for homeschoolers)
- Prep and pack gym bag
- Layout Underclothes, socks and any other necessities
Sunday
- Pack book bag
- Discuss and post schedule for the week
- Meal prep for lunch, after school snacks and dinner
- Prepare homeschool lessons or study hour lessons and books for public school kids
- Organize school supplies & area
We break it down over two days because we also have Baby E to care for however all of this can be done with the help of your kids in 3-5 hours on a Saturday morning before you head out for family fun.
Even though we are a co-parent household, we do weekend school prep with Big Z on the weekends she is here too. Depending on the task, the girls either do it themselves or help out. This is another way to build confidence and independence which helps with school performance too.
As a family, we use the PreK12 Plaza site and resources to support our routine for a great school year. As a mom who limits screen time, PreK12 Plaza is a great online resource that I love. PreK12 Plaza has a strong focus on Math and Language Arts but my favorite part of the site are the Parent Engagement tools. If I decide to homeschool Little Z past the pre-school years, the PreK12 Plaza curriculum will be a great plan to follow. I love that it is bilingual and culturally relevant. Little Z is already signed up for toddler spanish class in the fall because having her learn a second language is important to me.
Check out this video to learn more and then subscribe to PreK12 Plaza.
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How do you prepare for back to school?
8 Comments
Mayra Rodríguez
July 30, 2015 at 6:27 PMI didn’t know you were homeschooling your daughter. I am homeschool mom too and mine are in middle school already. We prepare by having them go to bed in a decent hour and they waking them up at 7 am. They make their own breakfasts and have to be ready by 8 with their beds made at least. I woke up two hours earlier and prepare everything ahead.
M J
July 30, 2015 at 10:43 PMYes Mayra, I decided to start now in the hopes of continuing when she is school aged or at least giving her a great head start. We are early risers too. She makes her own bed the best way she knows how. It’s really cute to see.
Tami
August 1, 2015 at 8:51 AMI’m really not ready for the kiddos to go back to school. It is more work for the momma. However, I love school supplies and helping them shop for them! 🙂
M J
August 2, 2015 at 2:14 PMIt will all work out once everyone gets back on schedule. Cheers to a successful school year.
LaShawn
August 7, 2015 at 8:38 AMPrepping the night before is KEY! I mean there is no way I am running around like a crazy woman in the mornings this year! I will get my organizing life this year!
M J
August 7, 2015 at 8:57 AMGirl I prep and I don’t even have to drop this kid off anywhere. LOL. It just makes life easier and allows me time to enjoy my coffee before the day gets started.
Louida
August 7, 2015 at 11:54 AMMy girls goes back to school this coming Monday and we’ll be back to schedules again. It’ll be hard for them to adjust for a couple of weeks but it’ll get a lot easier after that. Without having a set schedule I would lose my mind!
M J
August 7, 2015 at 6:41 PMI hope your girls have a successful year. Scheduling is everything. I am convinced there is no other way.