Seeing all the Back to School hype and the expanded school supply section in the local stores brings back memories of preparing my kids for that new school year. In our home, getting ready for school was anticipated and dreaded. Anticipated for the new supplies, new shoes and a couple new outfits and dreaded for the fear of the unknown such as forgetting a locker combination, new people, new teacher, or, heck, just fill in the blank. Kind of reminds me of a line from a classic: "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times". Below are some things that helped us change a stressful time into a pretty good memory.
Don't break the bank on school clothes All those sales and the kids saying "Mom, I gotta have that!" can wear you down quickly. We didn't have a lot of money to spend on clothes, at least not the name brands; even if we did, I wasn't about to put down $100 for a pair of shoes. We live in the South so shorts are worn to school as much as jeans. This time of year the stores are placing shorts and summer-y clothes on clearance. Add a pair or two of jeans and a couple tops and they were set for the first part of the school year since, in spite of what your kid wants you to believe, everything worn for a new school year does not have to be new! The exception may be shoes. Both of our kids were involved in sports and truly needed new sport shoes. Old shoes don't give the required support and face it, new shoes make a kid run faster and jump higher, right? But, we still didn't spring for the name brand unless there was a really good sale. We did look for "leather uppers" and a style that looked cool. When the kids were older and were more insistent upon name brand, we agreed to cover a certain amount and the balance was to be paid by them. Funny how the name brand wasn't as important when they had to put out the cash. Resale shops have become the trendy place to shop the last few years, so if name brand is important to you or your child, check them out.
Wait for the teachers' lists before you buy supplies Other than the Trapper Keeper (that tells you how long ago I shopped for school supplies) that was a necessity a few years back, we waited for the teachers' lists to buy supplies. This is especially true if your student is in middle or high school. Teachers usually give out their own list of required supplies for their classroom. Over the years, we noted that the official list given out before school started included things that were sometimes never used. On the first day of school we sent the kids off with a notebook, a pen and pencil, assignment book and a few things that we knew for sure they would use. For the rest, we shopped when they got home from their first day using the amended list.
Rachel's heart One of our daughters was extremely shy and didn't handle new situations as well as her peers. She would much rather stay home with mom than be placed in a new setting. Rachel's heart became a standard in our home and continued for many years. Inside a notebook that she would use often throughout the day I colored a small red heart. It was a discreet reminder that anytime she felt she needed me she could open the notebook and look at or touch the heart. It reminded her that I loved her and prayed for her throughout the day and that she was never alone. Something so small, yet it made a big difference in her day.
Lunch notes This sounds cheesey, but I wrote notes on their napkins on days I packed their lunches. I thought this was a common practice. I was the only mom that did this in my kids' circles of friends…at first. It wasn't long until other kids produced the occasional note from mom at lunch time. This is not just for elementary kids or girls. Riddles and jokes are good napkin "fillers". The note to the high school quarterback from his mom or dad that they are looking forward to the game tonight will be welcomed.
After school talk Everyday, when the kids came home we took about 20 minutes to recap the day. At first this was all my idea, but after a few weeks, neither kid would ever let me forget! I learned a lot about my kids during those talks. Each day started out with me saying "Tell me about 1st hour." And on it went until we covered the whole day. I listened and I asked questions. An important thing to remember:
don't ask questions that can be answered with only a yes or no unless that's all you want to know. When Dad got home he'd get the Reader's Digest Condensed Version over supper. This continued until graduation and still my married kids will come into the house and say "Let me tell you about my day!"
Go to every school event Why go to open house when you've been to what feels like 100 of them already? Because it is important. You will meet teachers, learn of programs the school offers and sponsors and even learn more about your kids. It is an early indicator to the teachers which parents care about their kids' educations. If your child participates in extracurricular activities, go watch every chance you get. That lets your child know you care about his education and interests. It isn't easy to attend the myriad events, especially if you have more than just one or two students, but having a parent, grandparent, aunt or any family member there will be remembered by your child. You student realizes you cannot make every event, every time, but if you make the effort to be there when you can, the student will notice. This is one way you are teaching him or her to give time to their own kids someday.
These are some of the things our family will always remember about Back to School. Thanks for allowing me this walk into the past. I hope you and your kids have a wonderful school year! If you have any tips from your family experience, please feel free to comment.
