We are settling into our school routines around here and figuring out the flow of this fall’s sports and activities (plus 3 kids in 3 different schools!). I am all about efficiency and finding the right systems to make the weeks feel as easy as possible. Having Mazie in high school 30 minutes away form our home + her daily field hockey schedule has really thrown me for a loop. I am still working through how to be as efficient as possible, but also coming to realize I am entering the phase of parenthood where I spend a lot of time in the car. And you know what, I am grateful that I’m able to drive her around! The Busy Mom Brief this week is all about the systems and routines that are helping our family function this August.
This printable is part of the weekly planning habit that makes our whole family feel more organized each week. The Week at a Glance is one of my favorite ways to take a little of the mental load off myself, while teaching my kids to take more ownership of their own schedules. If you missed last week’s Busy Mom Brief- be sure to check it out. I gave an in depth look at how I plan each Friday, including how I used this template with my kids.
The after-school hunger is real! If your kids walk through the door saying, “I’m starving!” before they’ve even dropped their backpacks, you need to take a look at this round up of after-school snack ideas!
The first few weeks of back to school can be emotionally and physically exhausting for your kids. The early morning wake-ups after a summer of sleeping in, the mental demands of school all day, it’s a lot for any kid to keep up with. Even the teachers are exhausted after the first few weeks. If your child comes home from school and suddenly falls apart, you’re not alone. After holding it together all day, sometimes they just need food, space, connection, and a safe space to land.
This book was originally recommended to us by Molly’s OT. Now that Molly has gotten older, most of the time she spends with her OT is focused around social skills. This book is the perfect toolkit for both boys and girls to make and keep friends. The best part- it’s currently on sale for $10!
One of the hardest things to do as a mom is listen when your child comes home upset about something that happened at school and not immediately fix it.
Your child says, “My teacher says I didn’t turn in my assignment, but I DID!” and your first instinct might be to email the teacher. Instead, pause and try asking:
Tell me what happened.
What have you already tried?
What do you think you should do next?
Do you want help figuring it out, or do you want me to handle it?
As a former principal, I saw over and over again how much confidence kids gained when their parents gave them the opportunity to work through problems themselves. That doesn’t mean you should never step in. There are absolutely times when a parent needs to advocate for their child. But, when solve every small problem for them, we accidentally teach them that problems are something adults handle, not something they are capable of handling.
The goal is to slowly move from “Mom will fix it” to “Mom will help me figure out how to fix it.”
That’s a skill they’ll use far beyond the classroom!
Hope your all settling into your routines. As always, thank you so much for being here. Have a great week!
Stephanie
Helping busy moms enjoy motherhood through simple routines, practical parenting tips, and everyday systems that work.
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