All of my boys but the baby are in school this year—they started last week—and in thinking about the first day of school in particular and getting back into the school routine in general, I realized there are a few things I’ve learned that I wish I knew when my oldest was starting school. Maybe you all can benefit from this as well!
Not having everything on the first day isn’t the end of the world
I eagerly look forward to getting the supply lists from school so I can get a jump on buying what the boys need for the new school year (or identifying supplies we already have that can be reused), but even with the best planning (and often with a last-minute plan), sometimes we run into trouble: Maybe the store is out of the specific kind of scissors the teacher is requesting (all the pointy tips are gone and only blunt tips remain!), or the composition notebooks are on Amazon backorder and won’t be delivered until the second week of school, or you missed the whole back page of the supplies list and didn’t realize it until your child has already left on the bus for the first day of school. This is not as big a deal as I used to think it was! It’s not really that much of a problem if your child doesn’t have his spiral-bound 70-page wide-ruled spiral notebook for the first day or two of school. Just send it in the next week! And write a little note to the teacher letting him or her know. No problem at all!
Label everything (last name only if there are younger siblings)
I’ve been told a thousand times by teachers and administration via letters and emails to label everything belonging to my children, from water bottles to coats to school supplies. Most years I forget to label something, and it often comes back to bite me—usually because my children don’t recognize their own things. This is particularly true of anything new I might have gotten them for school—they honestly don’t remember what their new water bottle or backpack looks like! My No. 6 started Kindergarten this year and I was in a panic on his first day of school because I’d forgotten to label his hoodie and I wasn’t sure he’d remember what it looks like if asked! That said, if you have younger children who might be using that coat/backpack/lunchbox in a couple of years, labeling with your last name only is probably best, so as to avoid future total meltdowns in your own house about what belongs to who.
Don’t expect to feel like you’re really back in the routine until Thanksgiving
At the end of every school year, we as a family are such a well-oiled machine that we can practically roll out of bed in the morning and into the van with everyone fed, wearing appropriate clothes, and ready for school. We know what needs to be done to get out the door and we can do it in record time. We even remember that Wednesdays and Fridays are gym days without having to check the schedule on the fridge. But after the summer, getting back into the routine is an uphill battle. The morning routine feels unfamiliar and takes longer to be sure we’ve done everything we need to do and everyone has what they need. I’ve consistently found that it’s not usually until Thanksgiving or so that we’ve basically got it down pat. Don’t fret if these first few weeks feel extra hard!
I hope my experience is helpful to you all!
Have a great school year!
Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 14, 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, and 1. Follow her at www.facebook.com/kmtowne23, or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
