Honest First Day of School Advice for First-Time Parents
Back to school season is an exciting and exhausting time of year for parents and caregivers. While picking out the first day outfit can be a lot of fun, there are some tasks that are stress-inducing just to think about. Things like sorting out new schedules, packing lunches, and frantically signing up for after-school activities. We’re all just hanging on by a thread by the end of the first week.
My kiddo is about to start his second year of school, which is wild because I swear he was still an infant yesterday. Now that we both have one year of kindergarten under our belts, I’ve gained a few tricks that help me feel somewhat more sane as a new school year approaches. I can’t promise I won’t cry at the school bus drop-off again, though.
Disclaimer: I’m not a parenting expert by any means; I’m simply a mom who’s winging it as best she can. My parenting philosophy is basically ‘fake it ‘til you make it’, so if I ever look like I’ve got things figured out, I can assure you I absolutely do not.
Advice for a stress-free first day of school:
Have your kid practice opening and closing those bento lunch boxes on their own. Lots of schools do ‘litter-less lunches’ now, so any garbage comes back home with them at the end of the day. If that thing isn’t snapped shut, you’ve got a real mess on your hands. I can confidently say that yogurt is a pain in the ass to clean out of a backpack.
Be cautious with what snacks you buy in bulk. My kid decided that he no longer liked goldfish crackers a week after I bought a Costco-sized box of them. Shop wisely, or at the very least pick out snacks you also enjoy because you’ll likely end up eating them. Take it from the mom who’s currently nibbling on a Bear Paw as she types this.
Pack an extra change of clothes in a Ziploc bag. Accidents can still happen, even if they've been potty trained for some time. Though it’s usually because they decided playing in the mud without splash pants during recess was a good idea. The Ziploc just helps contain the mess/smell, otherwise you’ll be greeted with a hastily tied grocery bag after school.
Don’t buy the iron-on name tags. When was the last time you used your iron, seriously? Mabel’s Labels sells a clothing stamp that will save you the time, effort, (and minor burns if you're clumsy like me). I’m also a big fan of their sticker labels because they’re super durable and laundry machine friendly. Just make sure to label literally everything, otherwise it will be sacrificed to the lost & found abyss.
Skip the new stationary. Kindergarteners need very few school supplies. Everything they need will be available to them in their classroom, so don’t worry about scheduling a trip to Staples or Office Depot. Unless you're a Virgo, because I know this time of year is like Christmas for y’all.
Practice safe selfies. I love when my friends share first-day-of-school snapshots, because they’re so gosh darn cute. Get that camera out and capture the memory. Just leave out the sensitive details like their teacher’s name, or what school they’re attending. Social media can be a scary place, it’s always best to err on the side of caution!
