Back-To-School Haul And My Covid-19 School Safety Plan And Protocol

My kids are going back to school… in person.

Where my family lives, just outside of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, we have been given the option of going back to school full-time in person, or doing full-time distance virtual learning. The best option for my family is to go back in-person.

This is not an easy decision and I respect whatever decision is right for each family. But I feel good about it. The number of cases of Covid-19 in my area are extremely low and the rules are very strict.

So, now what?

It was time to do my back-to-school shopping, but with a twist. I had to think through every scenario and how to keep my kids as safe as possible. I have since formulated a plan to make going back to school fun and safe for my kids. Here are all of the tips and protocols I have to share…

Get extra school supplies. The last thing we want is for our kids to be sharing. I know, right!?! It’s like everything we taught our kids over the years has to go out the window. But we don’t want our kids to be sharing and potentially spreading germs. So, to save money I went a little nuts at a local dollar store and got everything I could think of: notebooks, binders, pencils, markers, sharpeners, erasers, glue sticks, scissors, you name it!

Send an extra (disposable) mask. Now that we have been wearing masks for a while our family has realized that some fit better than others. We learned the hard way when one of my kids lost a favourite mask how precious those well-fitting masks are. For school, instead of sending a reusable fabric mask as a back-up, instead I am sending each kid with a disposable back up mask in a clearly labelled ziplock bag.

Have each kid wear a fanny pack all day. I wish I could take credit for this one, but one of the Nesting Story community members DM’d on Instagram with this gem. Each of my kids will be heading to school each day wearing a fanny pack all day. This is a safe spot to keep their mask in when they need to take it off to eat and they will also be keeping their hand sanitizer in it. Genius!

Create an end of school day protocol. When my kids come home from school, as soon as they walk through the door they will be required to wash their hands thoroughly, change their clothes, and their masks that they wore that day will go right into the wash to be properly cleaned and sterilized. Remember to set your washing machine to the hottest setting to properly sterilize those masks!

You can watch as I share more back-to-school safety tips and my whole back-to-school haul here…

Week two of school and the honeymoon is over

Yesterday at 6pm I had enough. I had a decision to make, either I let the tears come, as I felt them bubble to the surface, hot behind my eyes, or I just walk away and hide from my family.

I chose to walk away.

I put down the cooked chicken I was cradling in my hands, turned and walked out of my kitchen, away from my family. I was careful to be soft on my feet as I went upstairs, so that it was clear that I wasn’t angry at my kids or my husband, I just needed a minute. I walked along my hall ignoring toys scattered around me, through my bedroom, past the laundry basket of my clean clothes that I hadn’t had time to put away and straight into my bathroom, locking the door behind me.

I gathered up some towels, making a comfy-enough nest on the ground and collapsed into the quietness.

About twenty minutes later, after some much-needed, mindless scrolling through my phone and realized that my towel nest wasn’t protecting my sensitive (birthed four kids and twins) hips from the cold tile floor very well. So I hoisted myself up and went back downstairs determined to make it through the school night.

What had led up to this point?

It was a combination of things… our dog escaping and running down the street before taking our kids to school, meltdown after meltdown from our twins after school, the many forms that I had to fill out which seemed to be coming home daily, the lunches to make, the kids to dress, the playdates to organize, the evening chats about friends, the bedtimes…

On top of it all I was now juggling less work hours during the day with more deadlines than ever flowing in.

But, it was the chicken that was my tipping point. Remember the chicken?

Earlier that day I had ignored my messy house around me and proudly stared at our rare, empty sink without even one dirty dish in it. I had decided to go pick up a pre-made chicken from the grocery store to avoid new dirty dishes. Well, because it was earlier in the day, I had to refrigerate the cooked chicken, and when Mike arrived home, and I was completely spent, he made a comment about me refrigerating it, which to him wasn’t ideal.

Ughhhh…. I was done.

I am writing this the next day, a new day. Although I still feel spread too thin, and I am bracing for the after school chaos, I am determined to figure out our new normal. I know that this is the hard part, and we have to figure out how we can swing this and what our rhythm will be. But I know we will get there.

So if you are in the second week of school trenches with me, hang in the mama, and don’t forget, it is okay to take a few quiet minutes for yourself.

21 Back to School Bedroom Must-Haves!

Lunches are made, bags are packed and laces are tied! The first day of school has arrived! Here are 21 back to school bedroom must-haves to start the school year in style! From Pre-K to University, Nesting Story has you covered!

Modern Boy’s Pre-K Bedroom

Vintage Girl’s Elementary Bedroom

Industrial Chic Boy’s High School Bedroom

Bohemian Girl’s University / College Bedroom

1. First Day of School Banner, Etsy: Bekah Jennings

2. Kalon Studios, Hut Hut Kids Resin (rocking stool for toddlers)

3. Modern Alphabet Wall Art, Etsy: Paper Plane Prints

4. Nursery Works, Tree Bookcase

5. Cygnet Child’s Table, Rosenberry Rooms, by Little Nest

6. Etsy: Shugabee Lane, Button Magnet Set

7. Etsy: Shugabee Lane, Magnetic Board Butterfly Girl’s Magnetic Board

8. Pottery Barn Kids, Dollhouse Bookcase

9. Restoration Hardware Baby and Child, Julienne Desk

10. Restoration Hardware Baby and Child, Scalloped Edge Desk Accessories

11. District17, Large Chalkboard Globe

12. Etsy: Half Pence Design, Caffeine Chemical Structure Science Chemistry Art Poster

13. District17, Industrial Pipe Table Lamp

14. Restoration Hardware Baby and Child, Sawhorse Trestle Desk

15. Pottery Barn Kids, Rockwell 15-Drawer Bookcase

16. District 17, Blooming Etagere Bookshelves

17. Etsy: Half Pence Design, Science Biology Art Print Microscopes

18. Jonathan Adler, Monogrammed Bargello Paperweight

19. Etsy: Amy Rice Art, Earth Laughs Flowers / Hand Painted Vintage Globe

20. District 17, Uncle Jack Accent Table or Stool

21. EQ3, Nelson Swag Leg Desk, Part of the Herman Miller Collection

Back to School Part 1 – First Day of Kindergarten

I, like a lot of parents out there am getting ready to send my little man Holden off to his first day of school. Summer is winding down, it is getting a little cooler out and we have started to shop for school supplies. Holden has even been doing his own school count down for the past year, every time we pass it he says “one more year school, one more year”. Now our countdown is at 3 weeks! This has inspired me to do a four part series of back to school finds for Kindergarten through to University. I have found some fantastic and stylish items to outfit your home for the school year!