Learn at Home with My Pre-K Box

We are in the middle of Summer Break, and enjoying a more relaxed routine! We're still making time for learning activities, though. We're just learning at home, whenever we want...no pressure whatsoever!

I'm always trying to find ways for Liam and Coen to learn together. Liam is 8, and has Down syndrome, and Coen is 2, so it can be tough to bridge that gap. I love it when I can adapt the same activity to meet both of their levels of learning!

We love subscription boxes, and My Pre-K Box is one of the best! These monthly themed preschool learning boxes are filled with fun learning activities, games and crafts. It is geared toward preschoolers aged 3-5, but it works so well for our two youngest boys!

Teaching Little Learners One Book At A Time

I received these books for free from Moms Meet for my honest review. Compensation for this post was provided, and this post may contain affiliate links.

Coen has been in quarantine for 1/3 of his life. ONE THIRD. There are so many valuable learning experiences he missed out on over the past 6 months, like visits to the library, having hands-on experiences at museums, exploring favorite spots in our city, and discovering animals at the zoo. One thing he did not miss out on, however, was reading. At 17 months old, Coen absolutely loves books, and happily flips through books every single day!

During those 6 months of social distancing, Coen flipped through every children's book in our house (and we have a lot) from cover to cover. We read to him multiple times a day, but lately, it seemed like it was the same books on repeat. We also had to remove some books from his collection, because he was ripping the pages. It was time to update his bookshelf with some sturdy board books that would pique his interest!

The Priddy Books Early Learning Collection arrived at the perfect time! Priddy Books, who is currently celebrating their 20th anniversary, publishes unique books for babies, toddlers, and young children that help boost their development. We already own quite a few beloved titles from their Alphaprints series, Touch and Feel Series, and See Touch Feel series, so we were excited to add some new favorites to our collection!

The Impossible Back To School Decision

2020 was a year of firsts for so many of us. It was a year full of making impossible decisions, and doing things we never imagined we would have to do. Like most parents, the back to school decision weighed heavily on our minds for so many months. Do we send our kids back to school, do we opt for virtual learning, do we enroll all of our kids in cyber school, or do we just start homeschooling?

It was truly an impossible decision to make. We weighed the pros and cons of every choice we were offered, and nothing seemed right. We changed our minds multiple times, and didn't really confirm our decision until a few weeks ago. The 2020-2021 school year is going to be even stranger than this past school year, but the impossible decision has been made. 

On Tuesday, our four older kids are going to be starting school in person, five days a week. It was not a decision that we made lightly, considering we have a child who has extra needs. We plan to reassess our decision at the end of each week, and we fully expect more curveballs to be thrown at us over the next 9 months. All we can do is mask up, continuously remind our crew of proper hygience during a pandemic, stop second guessing our decision, and prepare to face every possibility throughout the school year!

Fun Target Dollar Spot Finds For The Upcoming (Home)School Year

 

We are 3 1/2 weeks away from the first day of school, and we still haven't chosen a schooling option. It's a decision that has been taking over my thoughts every waking hour for months. Nothing feels right, and there are no good options for my family. I have absolutely no idea what to do, but that's another topic for another day!

This past school year taught me to expect ANYTHING to happen! I never expected to enroll a child in cyber school, and I never expected schools to close abruptly in March. There was no closure this past school year, and this upcoming school year is going to be unlike anything we've ever experienced. Whether we choose going to school 5 days a week, live streaming classes 5 days a week, cyber school, or homeschooling, I wanted to be prepared, so I stocked up on supplies at my go to - the Target Dollar Spot! 

I wouldn't be surprised if we all ended up learning from home again at some point this school year, but if that doesn't happen, I'll still support in-school curriculum with learning activities at home. Plus, I'll be working with Coen at home in the near future, and I use a lot of items for at home therapy with Liam, so nothing will go to waste. (Remember my Target Dollar Spot busy bags? They are one of my most popular posts on here and on Pinterest, and we still use them every week!) 

Simple At Home Learning Activities for Young Kids of All Abilities

As the new school year approaches, there are big decisions that need to be made! Whether you choose in school learning, virtual learning, cyber school, or traditional homeschooling, it isn't a decision that is going to be made lightly. Thoughts about the upcoming school year have been keeping me up at night for weeks!

Truthfully, I don't want to be a homeschooling mom, but the reality is that I will probably have to be one to some extent this year. I have a child who has Down syndrome, and with it comes extra needs to consider. There are lots of options for the upcoming school year, but none of them are ideal for Liam. No matter what I choose, Liam loses. Our country is barely prepared to educate neurotypical students in a pandemic, so students who have extra needs just get lost in the process. 

I don't really think I'm poorly equipped for homeschooling. I already boost my kids' educations with at home learning activities. I just don't want the pressure of juggling four educations on my own again. Liam thrives in school, and virtual/online learning and therapy was a nightmare this past Spring. I quickly learned that he learns best through play and hands on activities, so I jumped ship halfway through virtual schooling, and went my own way with his education. Although no decisions have been finalized yet, I'm prepared to do that again this school year. If you're with me, maybe some of these ideas will help you out in the weeks/months to come!

Life At Home 24/7

As we head into the gazillionth week at home, life still seems so surreal! Nine weeks ago today was our last "normal" day, but as the day came to an end, we began to realize that life as we knew it was changing fast. I still can't seem to grasp the concept that THIS is our life now. 

Our area wasn't hit hard at all, so the quarantine seemed very strange, but we are slowly starting to open up. A lot of restrictions, like wearing masks in public, are still in place, and many people will continue to work from home for months to come. School is nearing an end, and at this point,  I am honestly praying that kids are able to return in the Fall! Truthfully, Welcome to the Sh*&show is pretty much our home motto these days!

I can't seem to bring myself to refer to this as our new normal anymore, because NOTHING about this is normal. We are getting by, and I am so thankful that my family and I are healthy and safe in our little bubble, but I still feel sadness over how everyday life came to an abrupt end. At this point, I just want this all to be over, and I want to return to life as we knew it. 

How To Set Up a Simple & Fun Homeschooling Corner

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We are on week five of remote learning, and we've finally found our groove! Just kidding...every day is a new adventure around here. Some days are really good, and some days are REALLY bad. (I didn't sign up for this!!!) The homeschooling corner, however, is my A+ project!

BSC (Before Social Distancing), I was a homeschooling mom to a 15 year old, and I didn't have much to do other than to oversee his education. Now, I'm overseeing four educations, actively assisting my 8 year old, fully supporting my 6 year old, who has Down syndrome, and "attending" daily circle time, and 5 additional teletherapies a week for him...all with a needy baby on my hip. The terms OCI, remote learning, Zoom meetings, and teletherapy are a part of my daily lingo.  (I repeat...I didn't sign up for this!) 

After the first few weeks of trial and error, it became apparent that we needed a homeschooling space. 3 of my 4 school-age kids will be returning to school in the Fall (PLEASE!), and Dylan only needs a laptop and a shelf for supplies, so I didn't want to do anything major. A homeschooling corner was the solution, and guess what? I think we'll keep it!