Reality With A Purpose

Happy August! As a mom and a teacher, August comes with excitement and sadness as I’m sure it does for many of you. I still love shopping for school supplies, getting backpacks organized, and getting my classroom ready; but I’m also sad to see the more laid-back days of summer come to a close. The last two years, I’ve been a stay at home mom so the kids going back to school has brought different feelings of excitement and sadness, but this year I’ll be going back with them! I know time is a struggle for all moms no matter the ages of the children or the stage of parents and children. I’m trying to rethink my back to school plan to make it a little simpler this year and hope to offer you several ideas for getting back to school in this blog post.

Here are the 4 priorities I am focusing on starting out this school year! I always feel like I start out strong, but am usually lacking by the end of the year. Maybe you’ll do better than me! At my old school, the principal used to stand outside and work carpool as we entered school. He asked me one day towards the end of May how things were going as I walked in at 7:15. My answer at that time was, “We’re down to lunchables and breakfast bars!” Hopefully, these are some ideas that can help your kids have a happy and healthy transition from laid-back summer to rocking a new routine. And maybe you’ll outlast me and make it all year ��!

1. LUNCHES!

Some weeks I am so proud of myself on this one and some weeks, the lunches come back like they’ve not even been opened (Since it makes me crazy to waste food, this gets to me!). My kids are not typical sandwich eaters. They do not do a peanut butter and jelly or turkey and mustard every day. So I try to think of some other ideas to have ready for lunches and plan for this in my grocery run. One of my very favorite things to put in lunches is leftovers. As I’ve said, I really don’t like to waste food, so if we have some dirty rice leftover at dinner, I’ll warm it up the next morning and put it in my son’s thermos. If I’m making any kind of pasta for dinner, I’ll put some pasta to the side before I add to it and will put it in the fridge for next day. One of mine likes red sauce and the other, of course, prefers white sauce. So the next morning, I’ll warm up the noodles with a little bit of jarred marinara or even some tomato sauce out of a can with some spices and put that in a thermos. The one that likes white sauce gets a quick alfredo sauce with some butter, milk or cream, and parmesan (if I have time) or just gets hers tossed in olive oil with a little parmesan on top. It’s simple, they’ll happily eat it, and it’s not a prebought lunchable…triple win!

We also make the ham and cheese hot sandwiches on King’s Hawaiian butter rolls quite a bit. They make wonderful leftovers to go in the lunch! Or I have found that my kids will eat a ham or turkey and cheese sandwich if it’s on a little butter roll (who doesn’t, really?) and there’s not near as much waste because they are so small. This next lunch idea is kind of crazy, but it’s great for using up leftovers if you’ve been making pizza or tacos lately! Get a tortilla, spread a little tomato sauce or marinara on it, sprinkle with Italian seasoning and cheese, then top with pepperoni. Put those in the oven for just about 5-7 minutes until they are warm and toasty. Now, you could serve them like a little pizza for the kids to eat later, or you could call it a pizza taco and roll that baby into a taco shape! Neither of my kids thought they would like this, but it ends up they do! The easiest lunch idea for you is chicken or turkey salad served with crackers on the side or with a tortilla. My family’s favorite chicken salad is chicken that I’ve seasoned with Lawry’s seasoning salt and olive oil baked in the oven, then cooled and chopped. I mix this with some celery and a little bit of mayonnaise and yogurt (they don’t know about this ingredient, but plain Greek yogurt has the right consistency and helps with the nutrition). Another way to do this is to go to Sam’s or Kroger and buy the Bray’s smoked turkey salad. It is so good! My daughter even loves the jalapeno one. Now that the main part of lunch is done, throw some other easy things in that lunchbox. I put in a fruit and vegetable if I have both (by Friday, I’m usually running low). That could be some watermelon, blueberries, grapes, sliced bell pepper, mini cucumbers, mini sweet peppers, or carrots. You can get some of the individual hummus packages if your kid likes those. And you can always throw in a Babybel cheese, or some baked chips. I saw a life hack one time where you slice an apple with the apple slicer and then put it back together with the core inside. Next, put a rubber band around the apple. The kid can now eat slices but they won’t get as brown by putting it back together.

2. Lunch Box Notes!

My children are 13 and 10. My 10 year old daughter loves a lunch box note and my 13 year old son has been politely hinting for years that he is too old for them. He gets them very occasionally, but my daughter gets one every day. I try to start out the year putting scripture in their lunchbox that will be encouraging for starting a new year (examples to come). As we get busier and start to wake up a little bit later, this tends to slide some and some days it’s just a hastily scribbled “I love you!” There are certain times of the year where I like to change up the lunchbox notes. During Advent, I always put a verse a day that tells part of the Christmas story, so that the entire story is told by their last day of school before Christmas break. This year, I found an already made book at Mardel where you can pull out certain Bible verses and put them in the lunch box. Since I think I may be a bit busier this year, I bought that and will do some of those with some handwritten notes. The link for that is below. There is one for girls and one for boys, but there are all sorts of places that sell similar products.

Some days, I sit down at the beginning of the week and write in colorful pen a note that has to do with that certain day. For example, “I know you did great on your math test!” Or if I know something is after lunch, “You’ll do great on choir try-outs. If you get nervous, remember God is always there and you can talk to Him.” Then there are many, many days when I grab a post-it from the junk drawer and write “Happy Tuesday!” with a smiley face. My point in the lunch box notes is do what you can, when you can. I think kids like knowing you’ve been thinking of them and I like giving them a little reminder of Jesus at lunchtime. Even if you do it once a quarter, that will be a great surprise that your children will look forward to! Something to consider when writing lunchbox notes is that It also has to be age appropriate. When the kids were more kindergarten/1 st grade age, I had to really simplify the notes. As a teacher myself, I usually knew what sight words or spelling words they were working on and would try to incorporate those into a very short note. Some examples are: “Have a good day!” “Have fun outside!” “You are nice!” You can also incorporate pictures (for have a sunny day, you can draw a sunshine). If it’s short and there’s only one or so unfamiliar words, the kids are more likely to read the note and they are actually practicing their reading skills!

My last idea is making a small puzzle for your kids. Write a verse on a larger piece of paper and cut it into 5 smaller pieces. Tell them to save their lunch pieces to put together at the end of the week. I think this is a great exercise in teaching responsibility (keeping up with pieces) and is a fun little thing for the kids! These are some of my favorite Bible verses for starting the year!

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you

wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘this is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

3. Easy Mornings!

I’m sure this one is something everyone knows, but I want to give a teacher perspective, too. Coming into school after having a hard morning makes it more difficult for the kids to start their day in the classroom. My advice is to have the kids get everything ready for the next day right after dinner. Have them put water bottles and lunch boxes on the counter and homework in the correct place in their backpack. I am also a big fan of letting the kids get their own snack and put it in their backpack if it’s something that can sit out at night. Check the calendar to make sure there aren’t any special days the next day. You could make it a standard question to ask at dinner, “Is there anything different or exciting going on tomorrow?” That way if you need to send canned goods or it’s a casual day, you can prepare the night before. Having a morning routine is really, really helpful for kids. While I do think it’s important for the kids to eat breakfast, our routine is to get up, get dressed, brush teeth, put on shoes, put backpacks by the door, and then sit down for breakfast. I do this because it never fails that the kids have taken off their shoes somewhere different and can’t find them when it’s time to walk out the door ��. This creates some yelling from me (I hate to admit it, but lost shoes bring out my bad side) and stress for the kids. After all this is done, they can sit down and take as long as they want to eat. Again, this one is a no-brainer, but is a good reminder that a low stress morning helps them have a better day at school. Saying a quick prayer together in the morning or on the way to school is also a great way to start the day. I had a parent tell me one time that they prayed for me every morning on the way to school and it was so touching and so wonderful to think that someone was praying about my day.

Lastly, this one is so hard for me to do and I know it’s hard for others to do. But try to let the kids be responsible for their own items. If possible, don’t continuously remind kids to get their snacks or homework and don’t take them up to school if they forget. Again, I hate the feeling of them being upset at school, but natural consequences are very effective teachers!

4. Teacher Presents!

Over the last few years (some years have been better than others), I’ve tried to send a little “happy” to my kid’s teachers at the beginning of each month. It is not something big or expensive, but something small (ideas coming) that start the month on a positive note. I find a Bible verse that I think goes well with that month and attach it to the little happy present. I wish I could say that this was my own idea, but someone actually did this for me one year when I was teaching long, long ago and it made such an impact on me. Preparing for the next month takes some time for a teacher so it was always such an inspiration to get a Bible verse and a little happy at that time! I love sending the fun scented soaps that coincide with the month (pumpkin scent in October, etc), candles, little dishes with candy, a favorite Sonic or Starbucks drink, a cute notepad or some flair pens, or a pretty dishtowel that goes along with the month. I also love this pen (the link is a 3 pack, but I’ve seen them in smaller stores as well). It is a pen that says “No” in several ways. It’s pretty hilarious for a teacher!

Here are some Bible verses to get you started for your back to school teacher happy presents!

August/ September:

“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” Psalm 20:4

“This is what the Lord days- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35 (for a month if you take a coffee or Sonic drink).

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” I think this verse is the perfect one to memorize as you transition from the lazier days of summer to the jam-packed routine of the school year. Especially this year, with the unknowns of how Covid will impact schools, this verse is a great reminder. The start of the school year is a great time to work on self-discipline by implementing or revisiting a consistent quiet time. The starting of the school year is a great time to love on students and school personnel. This time can be very stressful for parents and children and it is a great time to ask God for wisdom on how to reduce that stress and have more patience with your children as this transition comes. You have the power to make it a great school year for all groups because God has given you the power of His spirit in you.

Thank you to our guest blogger, Ashley Atkins

Ashley was a teacher for 16 years before deciding to be a stay at home mom. This year, 2021, she is going back to teaching and relearning how to balance work and family. She has two lovely kids, 13 and 10, a husband, and a Goldendoodle named Blue. She loves anything water (beach, lake, pool), cooking, and entertaining!