
Distance learning is not something any of us were prepared for. It’s not even a term in our vocabulary in February this year. When it was announced that our county would be “distance learning” until further notice, my first instinct was to panic.
I had very little time in my day, and including three kids with three very different curriculums terrified me, as I’m sure many working parents did.
While distance learning isn’t technically homeschool because we aren’t making the lesson plans (thank goodness for our teachers), we are still responsible for making sure our kids do the work their teachers are assigning them, make sure they attend the live video meetings, and maybe most importantly, make sure they have the tools they need to succeed.
Initially, we had prepared for a few weeks, which turned into a month, and then the rest of the school year (maybe a month into the following year). We were lucky to have two laptops in the house for the girls to use and received a loaner from the school for our youngest, so everyone had access to their devices.
Of course, with three girls, in three different grades listening to teacher-assigned videos and having class meetings regularly, we needed to make sure they could concentrate and not be distracted by the noises around them.
So when I was making a list of our must-haves, at the top of my list was noise-canceling headphones. I researched several brands, asked around, and was told that Puro Sound Labs was the best!
They are volume-limiting active noise-canceling headphones, and they protect their ears. They have a long battery life (16-22 hours) and can connect via Bluetooth. They also have a 30-day money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty.
The girls love them and even use them outside the school with their phones and tablets.
Next on my list, because I wanted the girls to be able to do their school work anywhere they felt comfortable, both inside or outside, was a lap desk. Lap desks are great for so many reasons.
I love that they create an instant desk, no matter where you are. So when the girls decide it’s a treehouse school day, they grab their lap desks from LapGear® and head out.
While there are so many great ones on the market, LapGear® offers a vast variety for all ages (I use one too) and offers some of the cutest lap desks for kids! Falynn’s MyMonster lap desk is the CUTEST, and the cushion design creates a stable work surface and keeps her little legs cool.
When the girls left school in mid-March, they thought they would be back, so they left all their school supplies behind. I wanted to ensure their transition to distance learning was more accessible by providing them with similar supplies.
Yoobi has been their favorite brand for years! You have probably seen their notebooks, pens, markers, pencil cases, scissors (and so much more) in Target. They are the brightly colored, super fun school supplies that kids (and Moms) love.
But you may not know that for every Yoobi item purchased; they will donate a school supply item to a child in need right here in the U.S. It’s just one more reason to love and support the brand!
Finally, I created a unique space and accessible storage for each girl and personalized them with our Cricut Joy. You can learn all about that fun project by checking out how we transformed our home school space at home with Cricut Joy.
How is your family adjusting to distance learning? Are there specific products that have made things easier on you? Comment below and let us know! We love to hear from our readers!
*This post was sponsored by Puro Sound Labs, LapGear®, and Yoobi. We were provided the product in exchange for this post, but all opinions are our own. This post also contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and purchase something, we may receive a small commission. As always, our family appreciates your support!














That’s wonderful news! It’s great that you guys make distance learning work for you and that they enjoy it as well. Here in our home, the only thing that’s change is that my eldest daughter who is in ccollege got her class suspended and is staying at home while my other 2 kids go on with their homeschooling.
I think that the teachers in our area are doing a good job on teaching in covid19 pandemic. We have decided to home school for the rest of the year just to leave place for kids who’s parents have to go to work.
It’s great you’ve been able to make distance learning work. Indeed, this pandemic took all of us by surprise. Even though I don’t have kids, when talking to my teacher friends, I certainly understand the challenges on both ends. You got it!!
Its great that you are getting the lesson plans done for you. We are home schooling in as far as we have a list of things to do but we manage it. So no dealing into google classrooms and its so hard when we are both working. Its made all the easier with great kit, the lap trays particularly look great.
Looking after three girls during the lockdown can’t be easy, that’s almost like creating a mini-school. Nice to see how you rose to the challenge and did such an excellent job, you are a true inspiration for other mums.
nice post, Heather! Funny we both mentioned lap desks in our posts today. 🙂 Great minds think alike. However I confess I like the looks of your kids’ desks better. very cute. Might I ask how loaner computers work from the school district? Are there parental controls? keep up the good work.
Author
Hi Joy! There are parental controls on the loaner computers, as well as our own personal computers. Though we trust our girls are not doing anything that they shouldn’t be doing.
I teach so I know how difficult distance learning can be for kids but I swear it’s tough for teacher too x