For parents, the beginning of September carries far more weight than New Years does. THIS is the start of the new year when it comes to school age kids. I never make resolutions for New Years, instead I face each September and the start of the new school year, with hopes, goals and aspirations.
I didn’t do a very good job of sticking to my ‘resolutions’ last year. I started out the school year by making wall files for each kid to keep their notices and work assignments in. This lasted maybe a month before I was finding the crumpled bits of paper in the bottom of my kids backpacks. The reading and signing of their calendar/homework book didn’t last that much longer.
I really really don’t want the kids school stuff all over my desk again this year. I am hoping now that we have switched them to new rooms that they will have the space to organize their work better.
So. What are my goals THIS September?
- To stay organized and on top of their school work and assignments and teach them to do so too.
- To make sure homework is done EARLY in the day and not left until bedtime.
- To make sure the kids routinely WASH THEMSELVES without a fight. Yes this concept is still alien to my kids.
- To get up earlier and get THEM up earlier so I can make them better breakfasts than TOAST.
- To create more interesting lunches.
Lets discuss this last one. As June crawled to a close I had totally given up on the lunches. The kids kept wondering if I hated them and was trying to starve or poison them.
Caitlyn has been making suggestions for lunch menus and I like where she is going. BUT. After so many years of uneaten food, I am leery of putting in any effort into these meals.
Canadian Tire sent us an amazing selection of the new brand of lunch products they carry called FUEL. They have a fabulous selection of back to school and organizational stuff for you and your students and the FUEL line is just part of it.
The variety of these eco-friendly, BPA free containers have given Caity and I some great ideas for lunches this time around. Caity has suggested Miso Soup, Salads, and Pasta just for starters, and there are great containers perfect for these suggestions. They even have little travel cutlery and the Snack n Dip container has its own little spreader for your dips!
For those of you with bigger kids, do check out Canadian Tire’s ‘All the Comforts of Dorm’ catalogue for some storage and organizational ideas.
So do you have back to school resolutions? If so, what are they? Do share and perhaps we can all inspire each other to make the most of this busy time in our lives.
Your goals are great, Kerry. Practical, achievable and you’ve written them down (that last one will increase your chance of success by 50% according to wellness celebrity Tosca Reno). I don’t think in terms of back to school goals. For my family it’s more about continually refining the routine.
Sidebar: I invested in a couple of the FUEL lunch kit items you’ve pictured above and have been disappointed. Just this morning (literally!), I put the white clamshell sandwich container in recycling – on the rare occasions it stayed sealed sandwich spreads leaked out the seal making a mess only slightly less of a pain than when the entire thing exploded open for more of sandwich bomb in the lunch kit. I was equally disappointed with the small rectangular container with spreader attached to the lid. Great for veggies & dip or hummus & chips. However, it, too, doesn’t seal. Our solution is to over wrap this container with two rubber bands – one widthwise and one lengthwise. I’ll be curious to read later if your family has success with any of FUEL containers. Good luck! And happy lunching!
Yikes on the Fuel. Yeah the only sandwich container I ever liked apart from old plastic wrap is a tin one that keeps the sides separate.
I love the idea of back to school resolutions Kerry! We struggle a lot with notices, filed trip money etc so I need to get on some sort of system for that too!
Raj
Pink Chai Style
My son is just starting part-time preschool this year so I don’t have a lot of experience kids going to school, but I really like the idea of back-to-school resolutions. It’s something I will have to tuck away and remember when they’re a little older.