Wannabe Lazy Mom Guide for Back to School
I recently read a quote that says. " In raising my children, I have lost my mind but found my soul." This could not be more true about me. When my first two kids were small I still felt a bit sane! I had control. I was on top of things. Now, I'm certain I have gone temporarily insane, and it seems this time of year shows that thought to be more true every time it comes around.
Back to school season is arduous and demanding. It comes up on you so quickly. We are lazy, relaxed, and remiss of the daily grind, then... WHAM!! You abruptly realize, "School Starts In Two Weeks!!" I was happily enjoying my simple summer and now I have to cram haircuts, shopping, and open house meetings into the quickly approaching, limited days. Not to mention the new fall sports season calendar. Practices, games, shows.....it all starts NOW!
I'm caught between if relaxing all summer is a good thing knowing the shock to the system we get when the new strict schedule hits, or if we should have been running our home like drill sergeants during the break in an effort to keep our sanity for the end of August! Either way, the stress that comes with this time of year is universal…..homeschool, kindergarten, or high school...one kid, three kids or 8! (ok, maybe a little harder for the parent of 8.)
In lieu of the inevitable tension hurled at us this time of year, I have compiled a wannabe lazy mom guide for back to school stresses and messes!
1. Adventure packed summers are NOT required. (this tip is a tad late, I realize) Working parents have the added pressure of supplying their children with supervision for the many days of summer break. There are endless camps and experiences available. While costly, these provide the needed care and stimulation kids need so the parents can continue to provide for their families. Stay-at-home parents, however, have the joy of entertaining the crazy mini-humans all...summer...long. (no sarcasm here at all.) Parents, please hear me.... These kids do not have to be over stimulated with fantastic magical escapades every day or even every week! I used to think I needed to make the most of the summer we had. I feared they would get bored, watch too much TV, and start fighting with each other! I can say from experience, these things are going to happen anyway. I've come to realize we can come up with the coolest things to do at home when a kid says they are bored ( cleaning out closets, coloring on boxes, and oh I don't know.. using their imaginations). Yes we allow a bit more TV during the summer and that's ok! Don't feel pressured to keep up with another family that takes the kids super fun places everyday. You know those kids are arguing just as much as they would be at home. Plus the excitement to go back to school is even greater because they know they will have something to do everyday verses hanging out with boring you! SO sit back and enjoy being lazy for the summer. Many memories have been made at our house on lazy days..... and truly the kid just wants your time anyway.
2. Buy some school supplies through out the summer and hide them! I am a seasoned back-to-schooler and could probably tell you what's on most teacher supply lists for every year of elementary school. You can usually look it up too. Don't wait till you have the list in hand right before school starts! That's very expensive, especially with multiple children. I usually start when I see the displays of folders and crayons in the stores. Every time I'm there I pick up a few items. Crayons (Crayola), pencils (Ticonderoga), dry erase markers (Expo), pink erasers, colored pencils, scissors, glue sticks, Kleenex, dividers, loose leaf paper, and more glue sticks. I even buy some binders and composition notebooks. Just plain ones. I don't like to take the kids to pick out these things. I know what their favorite color is. Plus they can decorate the plain binders later with printed out pictures from the computer. WIN-WIN! I didn't have to argue about prices or designs for an hour! I also don't give my kids much selection when it comes to lunch boxes and bookbags. If they even get a new one! Some are perfectly fine to use for another year! (gasp) Just buy it and hide it. Then at some point before schools starts you pull everything out. They get so exited, they never realize they might have had the choice to get unicorns instead of butterflies!
3. Don't make a fuss over new stuff for school. On the topic of shopping... I don't agree with going out to spend a fortune on new duds for school. Maybe a new shirt or shoes, but I know mine don't need all new clothes just because school is starting. Remember, cooler weather is right around the corner and they will need jeans, long-sleeves, and jackets! Wait to spend your money on those things. I also believe when a child hasn't been given the latest, greatest of all fashion trends it can motivate them to possibly develop some character. (just lost some readers on that one.) Pushing them to affect and earn friendships with others based on their personalities instead of outward appearances. Don't misunderstand me, I know kids want to look cool, have certain things that others have, and just like adults, they want those compliments. Is that what you want them to base their worth off of though? This might make a few parents angry, but we aren't trying to raise our kids to compete with each other in this way, are we??? (I'll come down from my soap box now) Just think about it first. Don't get the $100 backpack and just wait and see if they actually die of embarrassment (like they claimed they would). I'm willing to bet they will still be breathing on the second day of school.
4. Start going to bed at the school season bed time just a few days before school starts. This is an easy one to do but also easy to cave on. From experience, I've learned that kids adapt fairly well to new schedules. It only takes a couple days of going to bed on time and waking up early again to get them right back into the swing of things. It doesn't take a whole week but you don't want to wait till the night before either. You know you could use those extra couple of kid free hours at night again too.
5. Take the time to get organized...it will save a lot of time later. For example, I create separate email folders for each child every year. When I get an email from a teacher or classroom parent it goes in that kids folder on my phone. I'm a big fan of the entrance way backpack hooks. I love that there is a place to keep everything before and after school. Then, through out the year, important papers or items are set right under that kids hook for easy access to remember to take them to school. We have a huge dry erase calendar on the wall. Each family member has a color. The schedule for each person is put on the board for the month in their color, making it easy for them to see what's happening everyday and what involves them specifically. I've even had them remind me of things coming up from looking at it! I use my phone for reminders all the time. I set reminders to leave on time for school, what time the bus comes after school. Reminders to make lunches, to check homework folders, and even brush teeth. We use Alexa now for reminders too. Then everyone in the house is reminded!! My brain is free to remember the bigger stuff and also free to have fun when I'm not constantly trying to remember the little things. Come up with your own ideas but try to use those helpful functions available to you on your phone in your pocket! There are many organizing apps to use as well. Back to school brings with it a lot to remember and this wannabe lazy mom needs all the help she can get.
6. Plan ahead for dinner!! Dinner time is a special time in our house. We strive to have a family meal together everyday. Of course, I feel it's important to have that time to spend together as a family but it serves as one more thing I have to stress over everyday! This is where I turn to Pinterest. I love Pinterest!! I find loads of crockpot meals and make ahead meals there. I've tried the Sunday freezer-meal prep thing and it's just not for me. (too much work for a Sunday) I typically plan most of our meals, during the school year, when I go grocery shopping. Then I have a list at home of our dinner options through out the week and can pick accordingly to accommodate the weekly hectic schedules. Everyone has their own system, but what ever you do, plan it ahead of time! It really saves my sanity to use the crockpot or make a casserole during the day to warm back up later. I also have found lots of thirty minute meals that come in handy. Check out my Pinterest page for more options.
7. Pray. Pray over your kids at night. Pray for them while they are at school. Pray for what they see or hear or say. Pray for good friends. Pray for protection. Pray for your nerves and then let them go. Trust God has a hand on them everyday. Trust that He created them and loves them more than you do (if you can fathom that). There is no better defense or protection for our kids than prayer. It's real. It works. Honestly, it's the easiest thing a wannabe lazy mom can do!!
I hope your school year is as stress free as possible. May your homework be light, your teachers be engaging, and your reading logs laminated! May God give our kids a wonderful and safe new school year and us parents a bit of sanity left at the end of May.
Back to school season is arduous and demanding. It comes up on you so quickly. We are lazy, relaxed, and remiss of the daily grind, then... WHAM!! You abruptly realize, "School Starts In Two Weeks!!" I was happily enjoying my simple summer and now I have to cram haircuts, shopping, and open house meetings into the quickly approaching, limited days. Not to mention the new fall sports season calendar. Practices, games, shows.....it all starts NOW!
I'm caught between if relaxing all summer is a good thing knowing the shock to the system we get when the new strict schedule hits, or if we should have been running our home like drill sergeants during the break in an effort to keep our sanity for the end of August! Either way, the stress that comes with this time of year is universal…..homeschool, kindergarten, or high school...one kid, three kids or 8! (ok, maybe a little harder for the parent of 8.)
In lieu of the inevitable tension hurled at us this time of year, I have compiled a wannabe lazy mom guide for back to school stresses and messes!
1. Adventure packed summers are NOT required. (this tip is a tad late, I realize) Working parents have the added pressure of supplying their children with supervision for the many days of summer break. There are endless camps and experiences available. While costly, these provide the needed care and stimulation kids need so the parents can continue to provide for their families. Stay-at-home parents, however, have the joy of entertaining the crazy mini-humans all...summer...long. (no sarcasm here at all.) Parents, please hear me.... These kids do not have to be over stimulated with fantastic magical escapades every day or even every week! I used to think I needed to make the most of the summer we had. I feared they would get bored, watch too much TV, and start fighting with each other! I can say from experience, these things are going to happen anyway. I've come to realize we can come up with the coolest things to do at home when a kid says they are bored ( cleaning out closets, coloring on boxes, and oh I don't know.. using their imaginations). Yes we allow a bit more TV during the summer and that's ok! Don't feel pressured to keep up with another family that takes the kids super fun places everyday. You know those kids are arguing just as much as they would be at home. Plus the excitement to go back to school is even greater because they know they will have something to do everyday verses hanging out with boring you! SO sit back and enjoy being lazy for the summer. Many memories have been made at our house on lazy days..... and truly the kid just wants your time anyway.
2. Buy some school supplies through out the summer and hide them! I am a seasoned back-to-schooler and could probably tell you what's on most teacher supply lists for every year of elementary school. You can usually look it up too. Don't wait till you have the list in hand right before school starts! That's very expensive, especially with multiple children. I usually start when I see the displays of folders and crayons in the stores. Every time I'm there I pick up a few items. Crayons (Crayola), pencils (Ticonderoga), dry erase markers (Expo), pink erasers, colored pencils, scissors, glue sticks, Kleenex, dividers, loose leaf paper, and more glue sticks. I even buy some binders and composition notebooks. Just plain ones. I don't like to take the kids to pick out these things. I know what their favorite color is. Plus they can decorate the plain binders later with printed out pictures from the computer. WIN-WIN! I didn't have to argue about prices or designs for an hour! I also don't give my kids much selection when it comes to lunch boxes and bookbags. If they even get a new one! Some are perfectly fine to use for another year! (gasp) Just buy it and hide it. Then at some point before schools starts you pull everything out. They get so exited, they never realize they might have had the choice to get unicorns instead of butterflies!
3. Don't make a fuss over new stuff for school. On the topic of shopping... I don't agree with going out to spend a fortune on new duds for school. Maybe a new shirt or shoes, but I know mine don't need all new clothes just because school is starting. Remember, cooler weather is right around the corner and they will need jeans, long-sleeves, and jackets! Wait to spend your money on those things. I also believe when a child hasn't been given the latest, greatest of all fashion trends it can motivate them to possibly develop some character. (just lost some readers on that one.) Pushing them to affect and earn friendships with others based on their personalities instead of outward appearances. Don't misunderstand me, I know kids want to look cool, have certain things that others have, and just like adults, they want those compliments. Is that what you want them to base their worth off of though? This might make a few parents angry, but we aren't trying to raise our kids to compete with each other in this way, are we??? (I'll come down from my soap box now) Just think about it first. Don't get the $100 backpack and just wait and see if they actually die of embarrassment (like they claimed they would). I'm willing to bet they will still be breathing on the second day of school.
4. Start going to bed at the school season bed time just a few days before school starts. This is an easy one to do but also easy to cave on. From experience, I've learned that kids adapt fairly well to new schedules. It only takes a couple days of going to bed on time and waking up early again to get them right back into the swing of things. It doesn't take a whole week but you don't want to wait till the night before either. You know you could use those extra couple of kid free hours at night again too.
5. Take the time to get organized...it will save a lot of time later. For example, I create separate email folders for each child every year. When I get an email from a teacher or classroom parent it goes in that kids folder on my phone. I'm a big fan of the entrance way backpack hooks. I love that there is a place to keep everything before and after school. Then, through out the year, important papers or items are set right under that kids hook for easy access to remember to take them to school. We have a huge dry erase calendar on the wall. Each family member has a color. The schedule for each person is put on the board for the month in their color, making it easy for them to see what's happening everyday and what involves them specifically. I've even had them remind me of things coming up from looking at it! I use my phone for reminders all the time. I set reminders to leave on time for school, what time the bus comes after school. Reminders to make lunches, to check homework folders, and even brush teeth. We use Alexa now for reminders too. Then everyone in the house is reminded!! My brain is free to remember the bigger stuff and also free to have fun when I'm not constantly trying to remember the little things. Come up with your own ideas but try to use those helpful functions available to you on your phone in your pocket! There are many organizing apps to use as well. Back to school brings with it a lot to remember and this wannabe lazy mom needs all the help she can get.
6. Plan ahead for dinner!! Dinner time is a special time in our house. We strive to have a family meal together everyday. Of course, I feel it's important to have that time to spend together as a family but it serves as one more thing I have to stress over everyday! This is where I turn to Pinterest. I love Pinterest!! I find loads of crockpot meals and make ahead meals there. I've tried the Sunday freezer-meal prep thing and it's just not for me. (too much work for a Sunday) I typically plan most of our meals, during the school year, when I go grocery shopping. Then I have a list at home of our dinner options through out the week and can pick accordingly to accommodate the weekly hectic schedules. Everyone has their own system, but what ever you do, plan it ahead of time! It really saves my sanity to use the crockpot or make a casserole during the day to warm back up later. I also have found lots of thirty minute meals that come in handy. Check out my Pinterest page for more options.
7. Pray. Pray over your kids at night. Pray for them while they are at school. Pray for what they see or hear or say. Pray for good friends. Pray for protection. Pray for your nerves and then let them go. Trust God has a hand on them everyday. Trust that He created them and loves them more than you do (if you can fathom that). There is no better defense or protection for our kids than prayer. It's real. It works. Honestly, it's the easiest thing a wannabe lazy mom can do!!
I hope your school year is as stress free as possible. May your homework be light, your teachers be engaging, and your reading logs laminated! May God give our kids a wonderful and safe new school year and us parents a bit of sanity left at the end of May.
Comments