School is back in swing. Easy as 1.2.3, right? Wrong. I don’t know about you, but it is well into the third week of school, and I have that pop quiz feeling when I wake up, and I am not ready. There is a lot to keep up with. The boys each have folders sent home daily with information, and we also get emails from school. We get texts from teachers, and check social media pages for details on special events or opportunities to sign up for various things. There are apps we can sign into to view writing journals and artwork. Of course, that’s just school. We also check various sites or get texts about baseball and soccer games. All that plays into how I plan my week because if there is a game at 5:30, then I need a dinner plan that works with that. We obviously aren’t going to have dinner at 4:30, but by the time I get back around 6:45 or 7, it’s too late to start cooking something. Unless, of course, I want to sit down to dinner at 8:30, and then send the kids straight to bed. That’s what the crockpot is for. That way dinner has been slow cooking all day and we can just sit down and eat when we get home. It seemed much simpler when I was six years old. I remember heading in for my first day of school wearing my backpack that held brand new school supplies. I don’t remember much else. Now that I am grown with kids of my own, I feel like I’ve stepped behind the curtain. I see first hand how much goes into managing the day to day of school-aged children. My boys are 6 and 9, so I’m sure this is much like playing a video game in that each level will get a bit harder. Right now, I am on the easy board. The homework for kindergarten is still kind of fun and 3rd grade isn’t really that difficult yet either.
I have to give credit to our school district. They have done a great job transitioning kids back into the classroom. The kids are eased into learning with fun get-to-know-each-other activities and games. I don’t remember getting to play that many games back when I was in school. The drop off line has probably been my favorite. They have balloons and dance music with cheerleaders and teachers out there basically having a party. Honestly, I had a little FOMO and wanted to go check it out myself. Going back to school is easy for some kids. They can’t wait to see their friends or maybe they just like school. For others, it can be hard getting used to a new class or school, new teacher, new classmates, and entirely new expectations. I start praying early for all the above because we all want our kids to have good year, right? Once they get into the swing of things, I think it gets easier, but there is still a lot to juggle. I’m writing this post to share some suggestions for making the transition easier for both little ones and moms.
- Clothes Inventory
If you’re kids are anything like mine, they may have had a growth spurt. My boys have grown a couple of inches at least and the last inch or so was in the last 6-8 weeks alone. What are we feeding them? There may be some shirts looking a little short but overall, no big deal for now. Why? Because it is still hot out, and they are wearing shorts for the most part. It will be a big deal; however, when they put on pants. You think you’ve still got time but before you know it, the temperature will drop. You’ll grab a pair of pants or jeans only to realize after your kid gets dressed that you’ve got a problem. Someone snuck into the house in the middle of the night and replaced all your child’s clothes with the clothes of a much shorter child with a slightly smaller build. Don’t let this be you! Go online today (if you haven’t already) and grab at least a couple pair of a trusted favorite brand in the appropriate new size. That way, worst case scenario, you have something for that first crisp fall day that always takes us by surprise. What size do you buy though? What if they’ve grown a couple of sizes? I recommend having a fashion show. Odds are you have multiple brands, and your kids may not have outgrown everything. Get them to try on some things. Then, just measure them and compare that to the brand website to see what the new size should be. Now, I know you guys know all that. I just wanted to point out the benefit of ordering early because you’re facing a short pant situation and you don’t want fall to sneak up and smack you in the face. Bam! Just like that it’s pumpkin spiced latte time again. The other thing I have found useful is bribery. We play the ‘try on pants for candy’ game. Most likely, your kids do not want to participate in this activity. Grab some candy and get a pile of clothes for each child. Then, just explain that they get a piece of candy for every couple they try on or something like that. I have found that throwing it at them just adds to the excitement. I know I stress pants in this section but don’t forget long sleeve shirts and jackets. Make a stack for donations, because while it is sad when they put on those cute jackets that no longer fit, just think about some child who may stay warm this year because of the things your child has outgrown. There you go. Purchase ahead of time, pitch some candy, and then pass along what they have outgrown.
- Get Organized
As I mentioned we have a lot going on as I’m sure you do too. I got tired of getting last minute texts from coaches, and then trying to notify family about soccer or baseball games in a hurry. I also got tired of checking all the other sources of information flooding into our home on a quasi-daily basis. I literally said to myself one day, “there has to be an app for this.” I may be the last mom on the planet to say ‘enough is enough’ and look to my smartphone for help, but better late than never, right? I know lots of you have charts where you keep up with various family activities and that’s fine too. Personally, I researched some apps for the specific purpose of checking one place for all the events I need to stay on top of in a given week. I also wanted an easy way to send that information to inquiring grandparents that want to know. I read an article and decided to try a couple. I signed up for Cozi and OurHome. There are features I like about both, so I am still doing test runs but both will accomplish my main goal. I can sit down and plug in all the events for the week or month and have it all in one place. I loaded everything from soccer games to reading tests on the calendar. Cozi will send reminder weekly emails which has all the information there for upcoming sporting events and details. OurHome allows me to share the family password and others can download the app and access family events and receive notifications as well. Mission accomplished. At this point, I am playing around with the other features like chore lists with points and incentives as well as the grocery list.
That is a great segue into my other recommendation for getting organized. I have learned to have some easy, quick recipes on hand for nights that we are on the go. If there is a game at 7, I need a quick easy dinner that can be ready around 5:30 so we can eat and have plenty of time to get ready and out the door. If there is a game at 5:30, I need some good go-to slow cooker recipes that are already done when the hungry athletes get home. Getting home around 6:30 or 7 is not the time to say to the crew, “Ok, let me start cooking and dinner will be in about an hour.” If I tried that, things would start to look a lot like the scene in The Lion King when the hyenas surround little Simba growling and showing teeth. I use Pinterest every day and have boards for things I save. You can further break things down into slow cooker recipes or 30 minute-or-less meals. Whatever works best for you. This has been a game changer for me and using these two things together (the app along with meal planning) means no matter what the schedule shows, dinner is covered. Now, I can look ahead for the week, see that Tuesday and Thursday have games and based on those times, I can easily do meal planning that makes sense for each day. As a special bonus, I am sharing two of our favorite recipes, one slow cooker and one that is quick and easy, but also a crowd pleaser.
- Pizza Grilled Cheese: They love pizza. They love grilled cheese. This is a no-brainer. Both
boys love this and it is an easy win if you need dinner in a hurry to get to a game.
- Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken: This recipe has so much flavor and is my go-to
for shredded Mexican chicken. Make chicken tacos or chicken nachos. You can have this
slow cooking all day, and when the hungry athletes come home, just add tortillas, chips,
salsa and any other toppings you need, and dinner is ready in 5 minutes.
- Make It Fun
As I already mentioned, starting school can be exciting for some kids, but nerve wracking for others. You are already going to have to purchase new items for school. Supplies, and probably some new clothes (remember #1 above?), so why not throw in an extra special something that will help get them excited about starting a new year? A new lunch box or backpack perhaps. Maybe let them pick out a new t-shirt for the first day? Also, my kids are going crazy over these push pop fidget toys, and they are inexpensive so you could grab a couple, and it just might make their day. The phrase ‘dress for success,’ is accurate. We all feel good when we look good. Of course, it isn’t a given that kids need something new, necessarily. If they want to wear their favorite, familiar broken-in t-shirt, good for them. I think the important thing is helping them feel confident and positive about starting a new school year. Another way to make the first day or week fun, is to make some special treats. You can have them ready to hand out to your little ones as they come home. Something to look forward to, or depending on what you make, you can send it in their lunch as way to let them know how special they are in the middle of the day. I made the apple cinnamon cupcakes in the link below for our first week. They were very yummy and a great idea for a back-to-school treat. I will hang onto the recipe because it is a great idea for a fall dessert option as well.
- Add Some Learning Enhancement Activities
As a mom of two boys, I have learned, as I’m sure many of you have too, that children learn in different ways. Some are interested in in learning, and some aren’t. Teachers get creative with education, and we can do the same at home. Finding something that interests kids makes all the difference. I noticed my oldest would read a book about dinosaurs from cover to cover and over again until the pages started falling out. My youngest is super independent, loves to do things with his hands and figure things out on his own. Two things we have purchased that I highly recommend is the Osmo Little Genius Starter kit and some Wipe Clean First Math books. My little one has really enjoyed Osmo, and we can add older educational kits as he grows. The starter kit comes with 4 educational games that encourage letter recognition and beginner drawing skills. We also grabbed some of the wipe clean math books one day just to give them a try. My youngest absolutely love them. I remember very clearly, because it was a Friday and I was thinking, “here we are, on a Friday night, and my 5-year-old wants to sit at the table and do math!” He loved it and it was laid out in such a way that he was really getting it, and doing simple problems on his own. The next morning when he woke up, he said, “Mommy, can we do some more math?” Ok, so in my book, that is a huge win and worth mentioning.
Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit
- Make Time for Play Dates & Birthday Parties
Sometimes you get lucky, and you find out your child has a couple or at least one friend in their class they already know. It always makes the transition easier with a familiar face. Sometimes that does not happen though, and even if it does, I think it’s important to make an effort to connect with other parents, and if possible, accept those birthday invitations that come your way. That is an easy way to give your child an opportunity outside of class to make friends. Paying attention to who your child talks about playing with and then setting up play dates can also help them form some friendships. I know we all have a lot going on, but it really does mean a lot when people take the time to attend birthday parties. It is so sweet to see their little faces light up when their classmates show up to celebrate their birthday. We have been so blessed to have such sweet friends in our boys’ classes and we have been grateful for the opportunities to get to know the other parents and children. I definitely wanted to add that to the list of ways to help make your little one’s transition to a new class that much smoother. Remember, there’s usually cake and sometimes pretty cool party favors, so there’s that.
So, that is my list of 5 simple, practical ways to help you and your children adjust to the new school year. I think this year, more than ever, we should go the extra mile to help with that transition. Kids may have been out for quite a while due to virtual learning, so it may take some time getting adjusted to in-person learning again. If they are still doing virtual learning, I still think this same list applies, although you may not be as pressed for time on the clothes inventory. Your child will still benefit from everything on this list and the only addition I would make would be to add something to #4, regarding enhanced learning activities. I have written several posts geared toward you moms who may have kids doing virtual learning. Those posts provide ideas for adding some fun, educational, themed activities to supplement their education. These came about because last year, for my boys, who are elementary age, the virtual instruction and activities were taking a couple of hours at the most. This provided me a way to fill in the remaining time with some additional activities to prevent way too much screen time from becoming the norm. I am including links to those posts below in case you need some ideas, and there are more posts coming. I am grateful for the wonderful teachers who are working hard every day to provide a safe environment for our children to engage in learning. I am faithfully praying for our kids, their teachers, and schools and am hoping we all have a safe and productive 2021/2022 school year. Thanks for visiting Mockingbirdmom.com and I hope you and your kids have a wonderful start to the new school year as well.
Great job!! You are SO organized! Wish you could pass that gift to your mama!! 🤦♀️