Back to School Hacks

Back to school season is shockingly upon us. As we wrestle with the return whether 100% virtual, 100% in person, micro-school, or the “hybrid” /pod-based model, there is one thing for sure: we are still living within the confines of the COVID-19 era.

As such, here as some of the key Hacks for the New World that helped us manage our young daughters through the spring 2020 “quarter” of the sheltering-in-place season that we are dusting off for being “back to school” this fall!

Life Hack #1 Create new workspaces for your children.

Creating a designated workspace for your child enables them to think about “going to school” for eLearning in a separate space from where they normally live, eat, and play. This physical separation helped Audrey shift her focus and intention: when she is at her desk, with her Chromebook, workbook, physical books, etc., it is time for “school.”

Life Hack #2 Set up new routines…and stick to them.

As it relates to our girls, we have found they thrive with standard daily routines more than down-to-the-minute schedules. In these days of eLearning, we have kept consistent with some of our “normal” routines and set up new ones as well. Wherever possible, we have supplemented science with some of our favorite DIY science activities at home and have had the most fun supplementing their kinetic wellness activities with our own, like YogaKids on YouTube or running through the fields at the park with Yoda the Bernedoodle. And speaking of pets, getting outside daily—and getting the dog out with the girls—is now part of the new normal. I’m hoping this habit persists long past COVID-19.

Life Hack #4: Pick up a new subject to work on together.

Henriette and I are working on her French vocabulary flashcards, and Hal is brushing up on his Spanish by joining Audrey for her virtual Spanish education. These are the positive benefits of COVID-19: we would likely not have directly invested in this language immersion with our daughters at this level had not we been “forced” to as a result of learning from home. I am hoping that these habits also will continue post-COVID-19.