When you looked and the lines, all of the composition books looked the same inside, so you found yourself unsure. Was your daughter saying that the decorative ones were fine because she understood the back to school list better than you did, or was she just trying to convince you to purchase the “pretty” ones?
Most parents do not want to think about it yet, but the school supply lists have been posted. And even if the students are not really excited about getting back in the classroom, the reality is that many of them like to shop for the supplies. Walk into any aisle of back to school supplies at a retail store and you will likely see a crowded area that is part parent, part pupil. Negotiations about how many things that are not on the list can be purchased fill the air, and questions like can you get composition notebooks that are decorative with pictures on the front or do they need to be the plain marbled looking ones require serious conditions.
The Beginning of the School Year Does Not Have to Mean the End of Family Time?
It is important to attend the year’s beginning of school open houses ready to listen. It is also important, however, to embrace the remaining days of summer and plan for traditional family outings like pumpkin picking and carving. In many districts, parents and their children are given the opportunity to visit the classroom and meet the teacher even before school starts, but this does not mean the end of the family time that so many parents crave. Being willing to listen to professionally trained educators allows parents an opportunity to learn how to support education: an important life changing opportunity for all children and their families. Being able to embrace the times when your children are not in school, however, creates important pockets of time when farm grown pumpkins and apple orchard tours can help you reclaim and create important traditions.
While both parents and students often get wrapped up in finding every item listed on a school supply list, it is also important to remember that there are other ways to prepare as well. Early bedtimes, long nights of sleep, and healthy breakfasts, in fact, can play as important of a role in the first day of school as the right kind of number two pencils and composition books. So, too, can parents supporting the policies and procedures that schools have in place. From class attendance to teacher respect, there are many ways that parents can increase the chance that their student will have the best school year. Before the busyness of the school year begins, though, what else can you pack in as a family? One more trip to the zoo or other area attraction? And once school starts, what are the family traditions that you want to revisit? A planned trip to select farm grown pumpkins is a great way to celebrate when the season changes from summer to fall.
Until half a century ago, autumn was just referred to as harvest, a time when it took the entire family working together to achieve an important goal. Today, of course, very few families are involved in harvest events on a traditional farm. Fortunately, by selecting and picking farm grown pumpkins and apples, parents can help capture a bit of this seasonal tradition for children of all ages. Perhaps this is the reason why autumn is the most popular season overall, with 29% of Americans indicating that they prefer autumn over the other three seasons.
When the school supply lists are posted and the back to class shopping begins, many parents regret that they did not get to do all of the family outings that they had planned. Fortunately, there are still plenty of weekend activities and. evening events that can allow for parents and children to create family traditions. From the visit to pick farm grown pumpkins for Halloween carving to sunset hay rides, families, even when they are busy with school, can still make their own time a priority.
Back to school is around the corner. Will your family be ready?