As we enter a new school year I find myself making assurances that we will do better.Not that last year was so crappy or anything, but I eventually slipped into old habits like getting the kids to school at the very last minute.So, I've made some promises to my kids this year, and heck even to myself, to make this year our best yet.
Early bird
We will be on time. No, not on time. We've been doing that ... mostly. Driving up just as the bell rings. So instead, my promise is that we'll be early. We will have time to actually set our backpacks down and run off to play for a few minutes. We will have time to say hello to a few of the other moms and dads that are gathered in little groups around the schoolyard that I have not yet quite broken into because we've never been there early enough to get acquainted.
Outdoor voice
I will not use my outdoor voice.
OK, so I'm actually a pretty chill mom, I promise! But if you want to see me lose my cool, then remind my kids that the morning routine is a good time to do really random things rather than getting ready for school. 'Sure, now would be a good time to arrange all of your stuffed animals in alphabetical order! We have nowhere pressing to be!' Ugh! This is when my blood pressure will rise, and the steam will have no where to go but out. So, I will use my outdoor voice, to try to get us to school on time. Forget early. We've already blown that.
Walking
We will walk to school more often than drive. These are all related. If we are not running behind we can walk to school. Let that be an incentive to you, my sweet cherub kiddos. We definitely live close enough to the school to walk, and with only certain spots available to park in, sometimes we end up having to walk almost as far anyways.
Lunchtime
I will have my kids make their own lunches. They are plenty old enough to do this; plenty. They are going into grade five and seven. I make this resolution every year, and we start off on the right track, but the thing is that knowing how crazy our mornings are, and knowing how much I dislike using my outdoor voice, I will often throw the lunches together at midnight the night before. Should I wake them to do this? Hmm, seems counter productive.
I will make sure my kids know to unpack their lunches and back packs every day. We are starting to get better on this one. But when they forget, there's nothing so annoying as surveying your perfectly loaded dishwasher in satisfaction and then realizing that the friggen' lunch Tupperware is still in their bags. Ugh! So, this year we will do better.
Math
I will not get frustrated with grade seven math, like I did with grade six math. I will realize that I will never be a math person, and just pass the buck to hubby.
Check in, not out
I will not mentally check out of school by the end of May. Yup, happens every year. I am, in my head, lying on the beach watching my kids build sandcastles with not a single math worksheet in sight. Sorry teachers. I'll try harder this year.
Keeping on top
I will not miss any permission forms, popcorn days or spirit days. I will try to keep better track of these things. Perhaps I will even purchase an actual calendar for my house this year, rather than trying to keep track of it all in my head.
Bedtime!
We will get to bed on time ... ish. My sister just told me that I can't put "ish", but there you go. I'm making no firm promises that I know I can't keep. Bedtime routine starts off well and then it snowballs until we're getting in bed at least an hour later than we should.
Maybe if I can just have them in bed reading by a certain time, then I can kill two birds with one stone. An earlier bed time and enhance their reading skills at the same time. Ha! Win-win.
More from HuffPost Canada:
- The Best School Lunch Hack? Getting Your Kids To Pack Their Own
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- 15 School Supplies Under $1 To Make Your Frugal Dreams Come True
Summertime magic
Just because summer is over doesn't mean the end of all the fun and relaxing. I will make time to keep a bit of the magic of summer going throughout the year.
Have you made any promises to yourself and your kids this year?
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