Back To School Tips

Tis the season! Back to school for the kiddos! I'd take our three kids to school every morning and when the new year came around it always just hit me, hard. I cried, I cried like a baby! I didn't cry at their Birthday Parties, I cried taking them to school. I think because I could see the growth, the new chapter unfolding and life's journey moving forward in a whole new way. It was all good, I'm just an emotional gal.....

I was always involved in our children's schooling, I volunteered at their schools, their classrooms and events as a Room Mom, a Gym Mom, a Lunch Duty Mom and even designed the bulletin boards in the school and the gymnasiums for some of their musicals. It allowed me to have the same hours as them and to be home with them and for them. Believe me, I worked, too! I working at our local grocery store which at the time you only needed 15 hours a week to have benefits with health insurance. Those days are gone!

What isn't gone though is the fact that kids bully kids. Kids are always learning ways to cope, to fit in, to find their way in this journey of growing up. It doesn't matter if your children go to a Public school, a Private school or they are home schooled. We are their first teachers and it is up to us to talk to them about life, about the path that lies ahead and about the importance of their character.

Characters of Character encourages you to talk with your children about being kind, about being helpful, about making good choices and about doing the right thing, not the thing that is easy. As a parent of adult kids, one thing I've learned is to be present. When your child is talking to you, listen, make eye contact and make them feel heard. Because we know life is busy this isn't always easy to do, let me tell you a true story and how I learned the hard way.

Our daughter was talking to me while I was busy in the kitchen and while I was listening, I wasn't really listening. She did ask me if it would be okay to stay longer at her friends house and I said, "yes" and when the usual time to come home had passed, I panicked! When we talked about her being late she shared that she did ask if she could stay longer and that I did say, yes. This was on me, I heard her but I was not listening. To this day, I stop what I'm doing and listen, and keep in mind, our kids are old!! It doesn't much matter what age your children are, what is important is that we listen. It builds trust, it builds better communication skills and it opes up some pretty amazing conversations, at any age.

So, while a new school year has arrived or is right around the corner, we share some tips for you to implement into your own schedules and your homes.

If you notice the quote on the graphic from Benjamin Franklin, read it, read it again and read it to understand it. It's my favorite because it's very true!

Wishing you a very safe, healthy and fun filled year!

Miss Joni and Team Characters

Back to school blog here.