Each year school districts up and down the land produce a large long list of items for children to bring to school.
It was stuff of legend to me. I’d heard about long prescriptive lists and not finding the exact thing and knew. I just knew they had to be exaggerations. urban myths gone too far.
So I was a little knocked off my feet to receive my first list a few years ago.
I wasn’t prepared or well informed so I was late to the shops and found the cupboards bare. I tramped to many a shop along with the ‘furrowed brow posse’ of equally worried mums some of us with kids and others who knew better.
Who knew elation could be so great to hear the assistant say there was a box of crayola colourfast X YZ in the back. Three families sigh and check it off the list.
Who knew I would spend over $130 that day getting everything. And no there’s wasn’t a line in the budget for that. Yes we did eat differently that week.
Older and wiser the following year things were a lot better. Line in the budget, got to the right shops, made it to a few sales….most importantly watched what was going on with the savvy mums. Made all the difference.
Image credit: Dnorbot
The kids are all sorted with the things. It’s all in school. But what about us. What do we need to remember to do during the back to school time?
We want to be just as organized in our lives, home and work.
Here are a few reminders of things that should be on my back to school list
- Don’t sign up for everything.
- Schedule downtime and connection time with each child- Everyday.
- Make playing outdoors a habit- forget seasons predict and adapt.
- Not everyone is doing it. It might look like it but they aren’t. It’s Okay to be different!
- Playdates and dinners with mates.
- Learn new skills, go out, let the kids see you differently.
- Take it easy on yourself. When systems, routines and ideas fail. Pick yourself up and try again. Chocolate is not the answer. ( That last bit was for me!) Manic Mommies is always good.
It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon and do a lot or volunteer for things. While the kids are in daycare, preschool or school what back to school supplies do you look out for, for yourself?
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