Happy (?) back to school 😖! This isn't where I had hoped we would be this many months into the pandemic, but alas, here we are. We opted for remote school for our boys for a whole slew of reasons, and are doing our best to make some magical lemonade out of the really shitty lemons we've been given. To be honest, this whole situation brings up a lot of emotions, and at materials pick-up for Oskar yesterday I really fought back tears seeing his in-classroom peers all in masks, holding their hands out in front of them while walking as to maintain social distancing, standing next to a taped off playground that is closed for the indefinite future. It felt so apocalyptic and surreal, and while I know that kids are SO resilient (and likely JUST fine), I couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with sadness. So anyways. I've been feeling the feels and then letting them go, and really trying to focus on the positive, especially for the boys. Oskar is my empath and picks up on and internalizes other people's feelings super easily, so I'm doing my best to be cognizant of that as we go into the school year together. One of the things we've done is put together a fun remote school room for both brothers to learn in, with a teacher that will be with them daily going over their school district curriculum and supplementing with her own. So Kindergarten and Pre-K, HERE. WE. GO.
We turned our dining room into a learning space, with a nice oversized table that gives them lots of room to spread out with Oskar's computer, their papers, arts, crafts, and projects. I decorated with neutral-ish decor in that hopes that one day soon, this can transform back into what it originally served as, and the boys are able to return to a traditional classroom setting.
The supply cart is super handy because the boys can pull out whatever drawer they need, bring it to the table, and return it when they're done. I loved the look of the open carts, but knew that ours would end up a mess and never stay organized. This one keeps everything tucked neatly inside where I can't see it. And everything has a home.
I added the grid board to hang important papers or what they're working on, and will probably also add a wire line to hang art projects for display or to dry.
The calendar was a fun DIY. August and I shopped for materials (his jam), and Oskar and I painted. Lowes or Home Depot carry sheets of acrylic on the cheap, and you can use either whiteboard markers or chalkboard markers to add your days and months.
Finally, I got them new book bags and ironed on their first initials for a personalized touch and stuffed them to the brim with school supplies--things they'll need anyway, but still new and exciting to them. They also got new shoes and new water bottles--kind of like getting underwear on Christmas, but they loved it anyway.
Wishing EVERYONE a happy, safe, and healthy school year, no matter how that looks for you. We got this.
Sources:
Home Sweet Homeschool sign and Frame
Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Day of School flags
Bookbags (iron on letters from Michaels for ~$1)
..anything else, just ask!
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