Written by Kristy of the Simple Diabetic

We all look forward to Summer, right? We dream of the long, hot days during February. The days when beaches are packed, gardens are in bloom, pools are open and the warm weather feels so good on the skin. BUT then…Fall.  Fall is another great one. Pumpkin smells, sweatshirts, cider mills, cozy nights, and SCHOOL.  For homeschooling moms, like myself, our expectations for the upcoming year are on high. THIS is the year we read all the books, have the best curriculum and dream of days spent bonding with our Littles. All realities escapes us as we prepare ☺. 

While us Homeschoolers do things a wee different than traditional schooling families, there is a tradition that we need not miss out on: Back to School Shopping – Homeschool Edition.

Here is my B2S List as a Homeschooling Family. 

• A great curriculum. There are so many to choose from. They are tools to use. There is no right/wrong for your family. This is something I struggled with recently as we changed several subjects to a new provider.
• School shoes – For us, that means slippers! Our schoolroom is in the basement so slippers with a rubber (safety first) bottom help keep feet warm during winter months. 

• School uniform – We are all about comfort! Leggings and a zip-up are pretty much standard here…for both of us. Some kids even wear pj’s. That never worked well for us but some families love it. 

• School lunches – A perk to homeschooling is freedom to give your child/ren whatever YOU want. You do not have to abide by any school allergy rules. We typically do Annie’s Mac & Cheese cups, mini pizzas or grilled cheese sandwiches, plus a fruit and veggie. Homeschooled children will not know the excitement of “Pizza Day” for the school’s hot lunch but there are other exciting days. For us, it is when my mom comes over and makes her spaghetti. Because my daughter is home, she gets to do a class or two with her Nana and eat her famous spaghetti for lunch. 

• School snacks – We try to keep it fun, yet still relatively healthy. If low sugar juice-boxes (ex: Honest juiceboxes) are on sale, I buy them and surprise my daughter occasionally. Same with fruit snacks. Honestly, NOT buying over-priced “snacky” foods is a perk to homeschooling though and I try to take advantage of it. We do not have pudding cups, single serving chips or any of those lunchbox fillers. Freshly cut fruit is usually the snack on most days. Healthy eating is definitely a bonus to staying at home!

• Coffee – A lot of coffee. For Mom. Personally, I drink too much in my opinion. This is partly because I’m cold but I also use it as a “reward”. I treat myself to a cup when we finish Math. 

• A motivational new Coffee Cup every year – Homeschooling Mamas deserve it! Plus, it makes for a fun collection to reminisce over later. This is my favorite brand (Her Hearts Collection).  They are always SOLD OUT but, if you follow the Instagram account, the owner notifies everyone when the store will be open again. Or check out this super cute “Promoted to Homeschool Mom” coffee mug from Amazon.

• Actual school supplies – The trick here is to buy them AFTER public school kids return to school, when they are marked down to crazy low amounts. Crayons for $.16? Dry Erase Markers for $.52? Yes please! I try to get a few fun things (unicorn notebook for example) as her equivalent to my new coffee cup. (Check out our blog for some supply list ideas.)

• A new backpack – again, to be bought on clearance. Like most homeschooling families, we go to the library a lot! I think having a fun backpack to tote books in is a fun idea.

• A Planner – This is very personal choice. Factors like how many children you have, if you do all the teaching and lesson planning or if you belong to a program that handles all prep work, etc. I use Amy Knapp’s Christian Family Organizer. It works well for us but that is because it is more for “family organizing/shopping lists/etc” than lesson plans. This one below gets great reviews and is more lesson-based 

Here’s to a great homeschool year!

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