Confessions of a #GoodEnoughMom Tuesdays: Back-to-School Tips

Hello, all my Good Enough Moms!  It’s back-to-school time, and depending on what kind of mother you are, you’re either dancing or bawling.  Me?  I’m doing my best to keep it together.

Well, we’re no longer a homeschool family.  We’ve sent our kids to public school, so this back-to-school took on a whole new meaning.  We spent a small fortune in school supplies.  (Can someone tell me why every kid needs 24 glue sticks?  Do they eat the stuff?)  We had to make sure everyone had shoes that fit and clean clothes on a daily basis.  I now have to think about lunch the day before, instead of when everyone starts telling me they’re hungry.

Things are different this year.  I’m now sharing the responsibility of educating my children.  The whole burden doesn’t fall on me anymore, but that doesn’t mean none of it does, either.  I still play a vital role in the educating of my children.  I must still work hard to make sure they are getting the best education possible. So, I thought I would share five things I’m doing to continue to be an active participant in my children’s school experience.

1. Get to know the teachers and staff.

Getting to know someone means being proactive.  We went to the open house, and the new student reception, but I’m working harder than that to become acquainted with these people who I’m trusting with my future.  I’ve gone into the office and introduced myself to the office staff.  I’m met and chatted with the principal, nurse, and even the janitor.  I don’t want to wait until one of my children run into a hiccup before the communication lines open up.  I want to already have a relationship.

2. Show appreciation.

One of the biggest impression from my teaching days was a mom I had my last year of teaching.  She sent her little Kindergartener into my care, but that wasn’t the last time I saw her.  On a regular basis I saw her smiling face.  She was always there telling me how awesome I was, giving me small tokens, and even bringing me McDonald’s for lunch on a regular basis.  Guess who I made sure was happy, getting her needs met and was succeeding?  Yep, her baby girl.  To this day she is one of the few mothers I keep in contact with.  So, I’m going to make an effort to not wait until Christmas to send a gift, but often, just because, show ways to remind their teachers and other staff that they hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

3. Give space and listen.

I have to remember to take the time to listen and give my children the space they need to process their school experience.  It may seem like they’re just gluing (all 24 sticks??) pictures all day, but it’s more than that.  They’re learning to find their way in an uncertain world.  They are being overloaded all day long with new information, and they are asked to ingest it all at a neck break speed, and they are not given space through out their day to work through stuff going on inside.  So, when they crawl into our van at 4:00 pm, I need to remember for the first time that day, they’re somewhere they can let it all out, and decompress.  I need to let them voice their thoughts with love and no judgement.  They need to know they can refuel their tanks in the safety of their own home.

4. Open up their backpacks.

I know it’s easy to get caught up in the after school chaos.  Backpacks are tosses aside, shoes are kicked off, and everyone just needs time to decompress.  Snacks are needed to be distributed and before you know it, dinner needs to be on the table.  It’s sometimes the last thing we want to do, but I’m making an effort to open up the backpacks and delve right in.  This makes sure I am keeping up with what needs to be done, and it also demonstrates the importance of the discipline of doing what’s important first.

5. Quality Time.

I mentioned before that while homeschooling we spent a lot of time together, but we stopped having quality time.  We weren’t enjoying each other’s company and we felt like we didn’t even like each other anymore.  Now I’m making an effort to make the time we have together quality.  I’m making sure to be present mentally, emotionally and physically when I’m with my family, and I can’t believe just the time we spend away from each other, makes the time we do spend together so much more enjoyable.  I’m also, still finding ways to foster learning in our home — reading, art, deep conversations, and questions.  I’m working to keep learning a vital part of our family.  I want to make sure learning will always be our state of mind.

So, what about you?  What are ways you make sure to be active in your children’s education? You have until next Monday to link-up your stories below or if you’re not a blogger, on social media with the #GoodEnoughMom hashtag.  Be sure to come chat with me this week on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

I don’t want to make any hard set rules, but there are a few things I’d like to encourage those who participate to do:

1.  Add a Confessions of a Good Enough Mom Tuesdays badge to your post.

2. Let’s not just expect to receive love.  Let’s dish it out!!  Take some time to read other blogs linked here, leave meaningful encouragement, and share some of their posts on social media with the #GoodEnoughMom hashtag.

3. We’re all on an imperfect journey, so let’s be real, honest and raw with our posts.  Leave your perfect at the door.

4. Be yourself and let’s have fun!

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For next week the writing prompt is

DISHES

Yeah.  Sorry about that.

Here’s a pinnable list for all the weekly prompts for the rest of the year, and a badge to add to your post.