The impending school year is around the corner and it’s not just the desperation around the stores' school supplies aisle that is telling me this. The kids are ready! We as parents are ready! But preparing for back to school shouldn’t be only about school supplies and classroom orientation night; let’s go a little deeper and find other ways we can amp up our school game this year.
1 - Create a Catchphrase
Get your family together and brainstorm a phrase that everyone will use to help pump them up or prepare for the day ahead. You don’t have to come up with something super long or complicated. Use something positive and short like “Today is going to be great” or “We got this.” If your family is having a hard time coming up with something, borrow one! Nike’s “Just do it,” Tim Gunn’s “Make it work,” and “Everything is awesome” from The Lego Movie are great ones. Work together to create a sign to hang up by the front door as a reminder. If the thought of making a sign makes you cringe, buy one! Say your family’s Catchphrase to each other and even to yourself when the day is dragging along.
2 - Start a Back to School Tradition
I have fond memories of my mom taking me back to school clothes shopping. It was always just the two of us and I remember leaving the store with clothes that we both loved. With my older child, I started the tradition of making her a Back to School gift. It is a pencil case or a cup filled with school supplies in the theme of whatever she’s into at the moment or her favorite color. If you’re not sure what to do with your family, think about what excited you about going back to school and do that.
3 - Make a Vision Board
I know it sounds hokey, but creating a vision board can be a helpful tool. It can remind you what you want to do and where you want to go. Grab some magazines or fire up your printer and sit down with your kids. Ask them what they want to learn about this year. What is something they would like to do? Dream with them about what they would like to be when they grow up. Then get out some scissors and put images on paper or poster board. You may find out that your child wants to be an explorer, which means a day trip to Linville Caverns would be a great thing to do. Maybe your child is interested in history and you plan a trip to the Biltmore House or Old Salem. Going to Hiddenite would be perfect for a child interested in geology. If your child is interested in baking, you can take them to Krispy Kreme or a local bakery. The ability to understand your child better is worth the effort on this one.
4 - Spend One on One Time with Your Child(ren)
We don’t all have the same amount of money or time economy. Not all of us can spend an entire day at an expensive venue, but you don’t have to, either. Taking a walk after dinner just the two of you, sitting on their bed and talking before bedtime, and even running errands around town or enjoying a free local event are all options that anyone can afford and have the time to do. The experience will be invaluable to you and your child. Who doesn’t want to spend time with their ultimate hero? Even if you don’t think that you are your child’s hero, you are. How many songs/stories/movies/tv shows/and pieces of art were inspired by the need for parental approval? Most of them. Probably all of them.
5 - Ask Your Child!
“What would make this school year great for you?”
Let me tell you, you will be surprised with the answer! I asked my school aged child and the answer was, “Going on a field trip with Daddy and everybody!” Ok! Daddy doesn’t get weekdays off from work, so a Saturday “field trip” it is. Once you get the answer, make a conscious effort in helping your child achieve the element that would make this school year great.
I’m not trying to overwhelm you with more work to do before sending your children off to school. If this list is too much, pick one thing. Say this catchphrase, “We got this!” I hope this school year will be the best year yet for you and your school aged children!
