But this year feels a little different. Unlike years past when school was a total mayhem-inducing shock to our system, I feel like I'm in the driver's seat. I'm confronting the school year adult style - with a plan, with our pain points analyzed, and with expectations laid out clearly for my children.
Don't come to breakfast before you're fully dressed.
Don't tell me your life story as you're getting in the car in the carpool line. Save it for the drive home!
Hang up your back pack.
Tidy your room before bed.
It's my 4th year being the parent of elementary age children, and I finally feel like I know how to run the ship instead of it running me. Sure we will get off course, and that's okay. We'll just get right back on...eventually.
Here's a few ways I've set us up for success this year.
Routines-
In collaboration with my kids, we wrote down what we thought was a fair and reasonable routine for the morning, afternoon, and evening. This way we are not aimlessly wandering. We have a routine! I can already tell this will be a game changer.
routines posted on fridge
Socks-
I declared sock bankruptcy, threw away all the old, mismatched socks and bought 4 fresh new packs. That should do it. Finding clean matching socks was such a pain point at the end of last year. It doesn't have to be that way.
Pencils-
Pencils are cheap and I plan to keep an ample supply. Also, I set up a homework table near the backpacks to keep the school stuff off the kitchen table.
Lunches-
My younger two kiddos do not go to school every day, but I'm planning to go ahead and make their lunches anyway. We will have a picnic ready to go and can freely run errands without getting tripped up by lunch. Also, this keeps me from getting out all the lunch stuff multiple times a day.
So let's do this! Bring it on school year 2018-2019!
And school lunches?
Jesus, take the wheel.
