Back to School

Today was my children’s first day of school. I am uncertain if I have ever been more apprehensive about a first day then I have been over today. A post pandemic world is definitely worthy of being a little nervous; however, my concerns have not really been on health issues – at least not physical health issues. This year marks another milestone for us – two kids in high school and one in elementary school. While I am familiar with night-before-school jitters, this go around I had some of my kids experiencing some real sadness and fear over a new school year. Needless to say, I have spent much of my day in prayer over the peace in my kids’ hearts.

Three areas come to mind when I start contemplating a new school year: clothes, lunches, and routines. I am obsessed lately with Jessica Woo and her bento box creations! My kids laugh at me trying to replicate her intricate lunches. And to be real, most of my kids’ lunches are lunchables. These three areas help me to get a clear picture of how I want the school year to run.

When contemplating a new school year and getting your kiddos ready, consider their clothing options at home. What clothes are in their closet and/or chest of drawers? Is anything too small, stained, or damaged? Do you allow your kids to buy new shoes for the school year? What is your local school’s dress code? Once you have considered these questions, go through your child’s closet and/or chest of drawers and get rid of what will not be worn. Take the time to sort and organize your child’s clothing in order to readily see what you have and what you need. Once you are able to assess your child’s clothing needs, shop for the items to fill the gaps in his/her closet. I like to hang my children’s clothing by color order from light to dark in their closets. Do not forget to pay attention to your local school’s dress codes when shopping for clothing. Adding some new items to their wardrobe makes my children look forward to a new school year.

Lunches seem to be a hot topic in my household: what’s for lunch, how much should be packed in a lunch, who wants hot lunch and who wants a packed lunch? Keeping three kids well fed and happy is a tall order. Shopping in bulk at places like Costco or shopping the buy one, get one sales at Publix helps keep lunch costs low. Lunch items that are a big hit for us are: lunchables, yogurt, fruit, peanut butter crackers, beef jerky, and chips. For this year, I want to include more foods and possible leftovers from our suppers into the kids’ lunchboxes. Prep time is key to success when dealing with packed lunches. Clear a space (i.e. kitchen island), gather clean storage/food containers, and pack lunches all together. Filling lunchboxes the night before makes for smooth school day mornings. Don’t forget refillable water bottles!

When heading back to school, keep in mind the power of routines. Routines help establish structure and stability in your children’s lives. Routines allow your children to know what to expect. In getting ready for each week of school, Sunday evening is the time my children and I set apart their outfits for the entire week of school. Knowing what outfit is for each day eliminates a lot of wasted time on busy mornings. A set time for departure on school mornings keeps me from yelling and hurrying my kids out the door. Another routine that we try to adhere to is keeping our car rides to school discipline-free. This means if there is correction to be made, I need to do that at home in a one on one environment, not in the car in front of all the kids. An older lady I attended church with years ago shared this jewel with me. The jewel of keeping your morning car rides discipline-free means those car rides can be a time of sharing and fellowship with one another. Worship music is on the radio and often times I am able to pray with my kids before I drop them off to school (and some of those times are my kids praying for my road rage – ha!). Before I implemented a set departure time and an intentional approach to not correcting my kids in the car ride, I would often find myself flustered and frustrated by the time I dropped my kids off at school. Now that we are a couple of months away from adding another driver in our household, I am thankful for these times of riding with the kids and getting to know them better to and from school.

However your school year finds you, I hope you are able to glean some helpful tips from these three areas I discussed: clothing, lunches, and routines. What tips do you have for a successful school year? Comment below with your tips and tricks.