As summer comes to a close, it’s time to start thinking about going back to school. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, or a parent, there are a lot of things to consider as you prepare for the new school year. This may include getting new school supplies, adjusting your schedule, and setting goals for the upcoming year. With a little planning and preparation, you can start the school year off right and set yourself up for success.
Jared and I had gone back and forth on what we should do for the boys’ school this year. Oakley was in public school last year and honestly, I feel like it was a miracle that he got in given the dynamics of what our family was going through at the time with Cedar and what his health condition would look like. But here we are, a new year is about to start and the dynamics have changed for the better with Cedars health and public school may not be an option anymore, so now we are deep diving into the home school world once again. We did a homeschooling program called Starr Education for Kindergarten and we loved it. It was the perfect balance of being hands-on with live classes and only JW students and lots of sensory activities. We’re excited to do that program with River this year. However, they do not have a second-grade curriculum at the moment so we are now looking for a curriculum that fits Oakley‘s needs. Stay tuned as we go down the rabbit hole of which school would work best for him.
A few schools that we have narrowed down and are considering:
Starr education pk-1 https://starreducation.com -for preschool- 1st grade currently MY FAV
Acellus https://www.acellusacademy.com We like the idea of a self-guided course adjusting to Oak’s needs
The Good and The Beautiful https://www.goodandbeautiful.com
CIE-https://cie.world we are loving the in-person options
Oak Meadow- https://www.oakmeadow.com Montessori and hands-on teaching
Singapore math – https://www.singaporemath.com
Stay up to date on what we end up landing on for Oakley’s school over in https://www.instagram.com/krystalkaras_/
But whether you are homeschooling or going to public school, since we’ve done both, I want to share some must-haves.
My Amazon lists https://www.amazon.com/shop/essentially1oak/list/IF25LMW82R4D?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfessentially1oak_88GY91APQBFWH7MB8786
Etsy links https://www.etsy.com/listing/1230714632/wooden-magnetic-alphabet-montessori?ref=cart
Printables https://www.morningstogether.com
Wooden toys https://chickadeeswoodentoys.com/collections/all-products?page=4
My Little Oilers blog post https://krystalkaras.com/little-oilers/
Let’s not forget the value of getting the kids on a bit more of a routine. When you create a routine it helps you feel accomplished and productive, and we want to teach our children that as well. Each week they know that we have certain things to do on certain days of the week and there’s no question about it so this will be the same with school. Yes, I absolutely love the flexibility that home school offers, but I personally feel a good routine is still necessary.
Keeping your kids focused can be a challenge no matter what grade they are in. Create a happy safe space for your kids to feel empowered and excited about the thing they are learning. I diffuse Kid Power which smells like a creamsicle and allows their nerves to be calm. I also roll on GeneYus blend before school to help them focus and when I see they are struggling to unwind whether it’s before school, a meeting, or a convention, I will give them an Unwind packet.
Kiddo calm/focus wishlist: https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/myaccount/wishlist?listId=64729f327ff539000a334428&enrollerId=10604210&sponsorId=10604210&userName=Krystal
Back to school snacks. As much as we want our kids to be the best eaters, we know it’s nearly impossible for them to always eat well, but here are a few tips that I picked up when I was pregnant. Teach your kids to eat the rainbow each day. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eat-the-rainbow#The-colors
I hope everyone continues to have an amazing summer and wish everybody a calming new school year. xo
