The Mom guide to Mentally Preparing Yourself for Kids going Back to School

If you follow along, then you know that I have been preparing for Ashton to start school. I feel like we put all of our energy in this special moment and are 100% on the go all the way to the first day of school. From school shopping, to making sure they have the correct school supplies, all the way to planning a fun trip before the madness starts can be stressful on any parent. I know if I am feeling this way, then many of you moms out there may be feeling the same pressure I’m feeling of making sure everything is 100%.

WRITE IT DOWN. I decided to do what I do for everything work related, which is to start a list and change my expectations of myself. I wrote down all of key priorities, and have started to check them off by priority. Writing down what you have to do is checking it off helps you mentally because you can see what you accomplished on paper. I even write the smallest things, because those small wins sometimes makes us feel better when we didn’t get a chance to complete a larger task.

ME TIME. I recently have been making time for myself and going to the spa at least once a month. An hour massage or facial is always good for the soul! I also have been investing in my morning and night beauty routines. It may not be a lot, but spending those 15 min to pamper myself helps me feel good about myself. We spend time all day pampering our children (which isn’t a bad thing), but we have to carve out time four ourselves. This also helps with our mental health and gives us a sense of feeling like we matter.

HAPPY/SAD. I am in the phase where I am so excited that Ashton is going to school. This is a milestone, and can’t wait to see how much he grows. I think school is going to be good for him because he will be on a set schedule, make friends outside of his sisters, and since we went with a Christian school, he will be able to grow his relationship with God and learn more about HIM! Now here comes the sad part, I already know I am going to break down and cry when drop him off on his first day, ok maybe his first week! My baby is growing up, but it is okay to have both emotions in one! We as moms sometimes feel like we can’t be sad, or there is no time to be sad because we have so much to do and going on; but expressing your emotions is another thing that is good for our mental health. Now we can’t linger on the SAD for to long, but we do have right to feel that way at times.

PLAN. Since this whole school thing will be new to our family, it will of course will change our daily routines. Planning things out ahead of time will stop us from getting stressed out in the future. Print out the school calendar, and add the key dates to your phone calendar with reminders and alerts. I made sure I ordered Ashton enough outfits to wear even if I get behind on laundry, that way I am not stressed trying to figure out what he is wearing to school each morning. Doing laundry for 3 kids and two adults is very time consuming and just imagine trying to fold and put it all up! Setting dedicated days to do laundry and grocery shop will also help our routine go smoother. I am also putting a $20 bill in Ashton back pack and letting his teacher know he has it just in case I run out of time in the morning to fix his lunch. They have it were they can buy lunch at school, so that will help me not be as stressed out on days I’m running behind. Making a plan in all aspects of your schedule will help things run smoother.

MEET THE TEACHER. I was talking with a friend yesterday who happens to be a teacher, and she told me that there are so many parents who she has never met before. I was so surprised by that because I thought that was just something every parent does. Then she went into how parents just don’t “HAVE TIME”. So this goes back to the planning piece of it all. We know when the PTA meetings are in advance so we must take the time out to plan our work schedules around these important meetings. Ahmad and I went and met with Ashton’s teacher, and even set in on her summer school classroom just to see everything in action. I really helped us seal the deal with wanting Ashton to go to that particular school, but I even got to see the love she had for the kids. I think its important to meet and see who is with our children all day and make sure we build a relationship with their teachers that way there is always a form of open communication on both ends. 

Just know, we are all going through the same things, but it is how we decide to deal with stress and our situations that matters the most. Don’t get stressed during this time, just write it down, and check it off when you can. Plan out everything ahead of time and be okay with change when that plan has to be altered.

HAPPY SCHOOL YEAR EVERYONE!!!!