10 Back to School Success Secrets
I’ve been reading lots and lots of articles and blogs about preparing your child for returning to school. Frankly, most of these articles are saying basically the same thing year after year:
Get back into a routine
Organize school supplies
Create a study area
Talk to his/her teachers and discuss your concerns
Check your child’s IEP or 504 plan
Plan healthy lunches
….blah blah blah
I’ve read so many of these lists and articles and maybe you have too. So, here’s MY list of how to prepare for your child’s return to school:
1. Practice your jumping skills so that when Tommy steps on the bus his first day of school, you can leap in the air for joy and not sustain a stress fracture of your ankle.
2. Take a good look in the mirror and decide whether you want to go with Botox or a makeover to cover the stress you’ve been under while the kids were home all summer.
3. Run, don’t walk to your favorite department store and treat yourself to a new outfit to replace the paint/food/crayon covered Tshirts, shorts and flip flops you’ve been wearing all summer.
4. Allow yourself a full week of NOT picking up dirty clothes, toys, food clumps and other summer disasters. You worked hard enough- give yourself a mini vacation now that they’re back in school.
5. Look for every stray quarter, dime, nickel and penny and use them for hot lunches so you don’t have to pack any. This is a great incentive for de-cluttering the kids’ rooms.
6. Make a lunch date with a good friend, since you probably haven’t seen her since the end of May.
7. Do NO, I repeat, do NOT sign up for any parental school activities until you’ve looked at the list 10 times and asked yourself, “Do I REALLY want to do this or have time for this?” There are plenty of ways you can help out in school on YOUR terms and schedule.
8. Ditto with signing up your child for after school activities. In fact, subtract 2 activities from last year’s schedule. You’ll thank me. Really.
9. Encourage your child to sign up for Home Ec so that he/she will be forced to cook dinners for you.
10. Start thinking NOW about next summer and what you can do to make it a more pleasant experience. The stress will still be fresh in your memory and maybe you won’t feel too guilty about signing them up for summer camp. In Austria. Or Australia, for that matter.
Get back into a routine
Organize school supplies
Create a study area
Talk to his/her teachers and discuss your concerns
Check your child’s IEP or 504 plan
Plan healthy lunches
….blah blah blah
I’ve read so many of these lists and articles and maybe you have too. So, here’s MY list of how to prepare for your child’s return to school:
1. Practice your jumping skills so that when Tommy steps on the bus his first day of school, you can leap in the air for joy and not sustain a stress fracture of your ankle.
2. Take a good look in the mirror and decide whether you want to go with Botox or a makeover to cover the stress you’ve been under while the kids were home all summer.
3. Run, don’t walk to your favorite department store and treat yourself to a new outfit to replace the paint/food/crayon covered Tshirts, shorts and flip flops you’ve been wearing all summer.
4. Allow yourself a full week of NOT picking up dirty clothes, toys, food clumps and other summer disasters. You worked hard enough- give yourself a mini vacation now that they’re back in school.
5. Look for every stray quarter, dime, nickel and penny and use them for hot lunches so you don’t have to pack any. This is a great incentive for de-cluttering the kids’ rooms.
6. Make a lunch date with a good friend, since you probably haven’t seen her since the end of May.
7. Do NO, I repeat, do NOT sign up for any parental school activities until you’ve looked at the list 10 times and asked yourself, “Do I REALLY want to do this or have time for this?” There are plenty of ways you can help out in school on YOUR terms and schedule.
8. Ditto with signing up your child for after school activities. In fact, subtract 2 activities from last year’s schedule. You’ll thank me. Really.
9. Encourage your child to sign up for Home Ec so that he/she will be forced to cook dinners for you.
10. Start thinking NOW about next summer and what you can do to make it a more pleasant experience. The stress will still be fresh in your memory and maybe you won’t feel too guilty about signing them up for summer camp. In Austria. Or Australia, for that matter.
Comment
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Comment by Terry Matlen on September 6, 2009 at 12:11am -
Therese, glad you liked it. : )
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Comment by Therese Clare on September 5, 2009 at 10:35pm -
Loved this. Thank you Terry.
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Comment by Just Silly on September 3, 2009 at 12:34pm -
I'm responding to the post above this....from Donna.....the word "depression" jumped out at me.....I just changed meds from Concerta (which all the sudden didn't seem to be working) to Adderall (not the XR yet)......well, I don't feel depressed nor do I lack the enthusiasm for things that I had started to get w/ Concerta......Oh, I guess it helps if you have ADD; I didn't know if you have it or just the kids......
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Comment by Donna Nasch on September 2, 2009 at 9:10am -
I am always happy sad when summer is over. I love to get back to my routine but morn another year gone and my daughter getting older. I am very focused on getting to the gym in the morning, such a good way to keep depresssion and stress at bay. If I could only keep up with meditation. Depression has been raising its ugly head lately, I need something more in my day now that school is back.
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Comment by Lovemypirates1121 on August 24, 2009 at 11:54pm -
And when things disrupt my routines I get thrown off and don't really know what to do with myself!! LOL!!
For example, one of my best friends and I chat every day at 7am, 1:30pm, and about 7:30pm. Whenever any of us have to miss our chats for any reason, I'm not always sure what to do with myself!! LOL!
When I was visiting her for a week, she'd jokingly turn on her laptop every morning and say "Let's see if Annie's online, yet!" Even though I was sitting right next to her.
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Comment by Terry Matlen on August 23, 2009 at 1:38pm
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Hi Eaglefeather,
Sounds stressful at your house! Does he realize it'll take time to get your photography business up and running? Especially in these hard times, it's so hard to sell art work! Keep us posted!
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Comment by eaglefeather on August 23, 2009 at 9:56am -
I love your list, Terry, and am craving some peace and quiet too! My 14, 12, and 8 year old will return to school mid-September. My husband, though a wonderful man, gives me stress on a daily basis complaining about our financial situation, and wants me to get a job, any job. I, meanwhile, am trying to start selling my photography on a regular basis and realize such a business will take some time to build (developing in town contacts, establishing a website, etc.). I need the kids out of the house so I can get down to business and prove to my husband that I can succeed!
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Comment by Terry Matlen on August 22, 2009 at 11:18pm
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Thanks, Kat. And welcome to the site!
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Comment by kat on August 22, 2009 at 9:53pm
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Wow, People that are like me. Great minds think alike. LOL! Love the list.
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Comment by Lovemypirates1121 on August 22, 2009 at 9:07am
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Yeah I really can relate to your post, Betsy! I always hated when I was younger and my mother tried to get me to make lists, or make a schedule. She didn't say it had to be a rigid schedule with no room for flexibility, but the free spirit, hippie wannabe in me reeled at the thought of having to have STRUCTURE!! AAAAHHHHH!!! LOL!!!
I do like when I have a solid routine down. Routine is comfortable me, as I know what to do when, what to expect, but I hate making schedules!! I guess it's just that routines seem to come about more naturally when you just figure out how to make things work.
And as I'm sure we all know, schedules we draw up (when we're forced to) just never seem to stick like routines do, anyway!
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