Tag: school

5 Tips for Working Moms to Survive the Back-to-School Hustle

Disclaimer: This post with tips to survive the back-to-school hustle contains affiliate links. If you click through the links, our site will earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thanks for supporting our site!

Yinz. Last week was a complete whirlwind for this working mom. I was away at a work training and came back to realize all the things need to be done to get into the back-to-school hustle. Ava and Isla will be starting next week and the Bigs go back after Labor Day. Time has flown this summer!

Luckily, after reading these tips for working moms to survive the back-to-school hustle, I feel like I am ahead of my mom game. For instance, we already ordered all the clothes online, they just need to make it to the dressers (or the laundry pile in our guest room). And I’m learning to stop saying sorry (at work, too) and know that I won’t be able to be everything to everyone (which yes does sometimes include my kids).

One thing I’m working on in the last few days of summer break is preparing for some moments now by writing my kids notes ahead of time. My hope is that I can just drop them in their backpacks when appropriate.

Check out the guest post below for a few more tips for more on how you can survive the back-to-school hustle then comment which is your favorite OR share your tips!

5 Tips for Working Moms to Survive the Back-to-School Hustle

back-to-school hustle

from Holly Caplan, author

From the moment my daughter got out of school in May to the end of July, was a complete blur. It was a blur of summer camp, work, travel, deadlines, proposals and pool parties.  The fact that she was going back to school in three weeks had not occurred to me. When it did, I panicked. Where did the time go? I frantically realized I had no idea what day school started and had to ask another mom. I got a brisk answer of  “August 20th,” which I like to call the “working mom fail” response. The guilt of not knowing when my child starts 2nd grade and feeling completely overwhelmed set in. Where do I begin? I’ve got to sign her up for fall activities, get a new backpack, lunchbox, some new clothes and also manage my job, meetings, travel and various work expectations. As working moms I think we feel there is no easy way to do all of this and keep a clear head and stay on task, but I have found five great tips for surviving back to school as a working mom:

1.    Order Online:
Spare yourself the hustle of shopping. No need to throw everyone in the car in 100-degree heat to head to your favorite retail super store, fend off the kiddos requests for toys and candy while back-to-school shopping. It is not worth it. Modern technology allows us the ability to order online for backpacks, clothing and supplies. Think of the time and energy you will save by sitting on your couch and checking some boxes and swiping “check out”. This also applies to grocery shopping too, which is becoming more and more common. Download the app for Shipt or Amazon Prime and let them do the grocery shopping for you. Do it a day or two before school starts. The kids can make their requests so they get to put some creativity into their lunchbox choices.  Other positives are that it isn’t expensive to shop online and it saves money because you avoid over-buying in a store.

(Bonus ‘lil Burghers tip? Check out Instacart to save $ and hours on local grocery delivery! Join here and get $10 off your first delivery.)

2.    Let the Laundry Lie:
Where does your laundry lie? Mine sits on a bed in the guest room.
Clean, yet unfolded. But clean. The point here is, let your laundry lie. It is okay to let some things slip during back -to -school time. You will have so much on your plate as it is, don’t let the mundane domestic stuff get to you. Not having every thing completed or accomplished around the house is okay. You will not get a ticket or a fine for letting some things in the household fall behind. Give yourself permission to know that it is okay if you don’t get everything done. It is completely normal, and you will eventually catch up.

Truth: This is what the ‘lil Burghers’ laundry looks like as of today!

3.    Get Your Routine Back:
In the summer our routines are typically off. As I mentioned, it can feel like a complete blur when so much is going on.  Activities, camp and work will run you, instead of you running them. No shock there. Bringing structure and school back into your life can be a struggle, but welcome it because it brings the return of normalcy.  Give yourself a cushion returning to the routine by practicing earlier bedtimes and waking times week before school starts. This will get us parents and kids back on schedule. Also, create a family calendar with upcoming school activities and your work schedule to make sure that all planets are aligned, and if not, this gives you time to create a family management strategy.

Guess that means no more “sleepovers” and flashlight story-reading at 10:00!

4.    Be Guilt Free:
I think the hardest thing about being a working mom during back -to -school is missing school events.  The hallmarks of the beginning of the school year like Fall Festival or Meet the Teacher are big events for the kids. Missing them can make you feel disconnected from their little lives and the guilt can take over. This is also difficult because you miss the chance to meet other parents and classmates at these events. You start to feel like a constant outsider because you are the mom who isn’t around enough. Don’t beat yourself up or hold yourself to an impossible standard. Know that you are doing everything that you can to accommodate both school and work and that you are still present in your kids lives, even when you can’t physically be with them.

5.    Connect with other working moms:
I have a lot of wonderful friends who are stay- at -home moms. They tend to keep me grounded and I rely on them a lot for my sanity.  Working mom friends can be super supportive too because they are most likely experiencing the same emotions and situations. For overall complaining, coping and time management ideas your working mom friends will happily listen and help you.  In addition, their schedules will most likely parallel yours, so for all of those 2:30 play dates you have missed, you can now do play dates on schedules that accommodate the work day. The silver lining here is that you get to solidify strong relationships with other women who will stand by you when you need support.

Managing back-to-school time will never be perfect or fool proof, but working outside of the home can bring on some added stress. It is a balancing act that can cause disruption as you get adjusted to the new school year and schedules. Know that you are not alone, and we are all muddling through it together.

###

Holly Caplan is a mom, workplace issues expert, career coach and author. For more information, please visit her website and connect with her on Twitter, @hollymcaplan.

Last Day of School 2017

This one is coming to you a month late, but The Bigs last day of school photos have to make it to the blog at some point! It’s incredible to take a look at how much has changed in a year.

last day of school

Seriously, though. And in the month since that photo was taken (their last day was May 31), they’ve both changed even more. (For instance, Evan has way less hair and I swear Arianna has grown a foot.)

Arianna completed second grade and fully lives the tween life (the struggle of being the oldest and not wanting to do “baby” stuff anymore is getting to be tough!). Let’s take a close up look at her first day of school photo from this year and then I’m sure you’ll see what we are faced with – the fact that we are raising a smart and gorgeous girl who is going to move mountains!

That there is a baby compared to her “now” photo! Someone hold me.

And then there is Evan. He excelled in kindergarten and is probably able to tell you how many days until school starts again. This boy loves learning and exploring – we can’t blame him – so school comes naturally easy for him, too.

Sure, keeping these two busy for the summer hasn’t been the easiest, but it sure is enjoyable having them home to fill the house with laughs and fun. Their little sisters are going to miss them when school starts next month, that’s for sure!

How are your kids doing this summer? How about mom and dad? 

‘lil Old Man

The 100th day of school feels like it was 100 days ago, but I just can’t get enough of the cuteness that was my ‘lil old man. Evan came home begging to look just right for his kindergarten celebration.

Don’t you think he did a good job?

liloldman

In addition to dressing like a ‘lil old man, he also took in 100 M&Ms. His report on what they did with them? I don’t know! I guess all he was worried about was lookin’ good.

How did your ‘lil ones celebrate the 100th day of school? 

Back to School 2016

No idea how this happened, but the Bigs have made it through eight days of school already. Before things become like Ari’s last day of first grade, we present the official back to school 2016 photos!

back to school 2016

Okay, who stole our babies and told them it was okay to grow up and into a Kindergartner and Second Grader? I mean seriously. Thank goodness they think this is funny.

Arianna will be taking on the last grade that I taught this year. Let that one sink in. She is in the grade that I was teaching when she was born.

second grade

And in ten years, back to school will be her senior year and this shirt will fit her. Sigh.

river hawks

And then there is Evan. He was so excited for full day Kindergarten + free breakfast and lunch this year (what a great score for our district!). Although he was nervous that his bff from Pre-K Counts wouldn’t be in his class (he’s not), he was still ready to give it a try.

BackToSchoolEvan

And the Armstrong River Hawks Class of 2029 is sure blessed to have him as part of their own, aren’t they?

Riverhawks2016E

We are so proud of you, Bigs!

BackToSchoolSigns

+

And an even bigger shout out to Greg who took this task on all by himself. I was away for work and got to join in via Skype, but he took care of all the details and photos. Thank you for making their days so special! xoxo

Arianna’s Last Day of First Grade

Confession Time. While all of you with it parents were posting photos of the first day of school, I’ve been carrying the weight that I never posted Arianna’s last day of First Grade photo. Because who has time to get photos of their nice camera anyways?

Baby girl, Mama is sorry life gets so busy. You did amazing in First Grade and we already see great things happening in second. Love you lots, girl! xoxo

AriannaLastDayFirstGrade

Last Day of Head Start

Last Wednesday was Evan’s last day of Head Start (year one – we haven’t made solid plans for next year, but he’s back in the program if he wants to be / if it fits with our schedule).

He’s not as photo happy about school photos as Arianna is, so we have to go with what we get with him. Like this:

20150527_162846

See? Sigh. His feet were hot and I was torturing him, go figure.

This year, Evan has grown up so much:

  • He can write his first name, sometimes the “right” way with a “Big E, little v, a, n”.
  • His personality is shining through. Don’t call him Sugar Bear, though, or he’ll curl up into his shy ball and say, “that’s not nice to call people names”.
  • He asked to cut his hair.
  • He is learning responsibility and consequences.
  • He is reading some words.
  • He knows how to count to 30, but almost always skips 15.
  • He knows his alphabet and can recognize almost all of the upper and lower case letters.
  • He recognizes (and can describe) shapes.

Way to grow, Evan! Love you forever, like you for always.

A Win for Families in Pittsburgh: #ppsafterschool

Disclosure: This content has been compensated as part of an Early Childhood Education promotion for Pittsburgh Public Schools. However, all opinions remain my own. #ppsafterschool

062813 PPS Early Childhood 046
Source: Jason Cohn

What’s the main reason Greg and I maintain a working mom / stay-at-home dad family balance? Because balancing work, child care, and soon school are not the easiest jobs in the world. We’re lucky that I’m able to work to provide for the family, but not everyone has that flexibility. As you know, we went back and forth in the spring about what to do regarding Arianna’s (pre-)schooling, and finally settled in on a public school program that fits our family’s needs.

Our decision would have been a whole lot easier if we lived in the Pittsburgh Public Schools district. Their Early Education Childhood Department “provides children, ages birth to five, with a comprehensive, educational program” with some of the programs being at no-cost to income eligible families.  There’s even a “Ready Freddy” program designed for kids Arianna’s age (4 going on 20, I mean 5) that is part of the PPS’ “Transition to Kindergarten” outreach. With programs like this, her October birthday never would have been an issue. She would have stayed in the preschool program for ages 3-5 then transitioned to kindergarten in 2014.

(Like any parents, we know think our kid is a genius. She went to pre-3 for 2 years at a private school, then we hoped to test her into private kindergarten. The school wasn’t really supporting our decision, so this year she’ll be in a public school program and start kindergarten when her same-age peers do. Let’s hope she can be tested for gifted SOON!)

062813 PPS Early Childhood 157
Source: Jason Cohn

The Early Childhood Program supports learning at an early age to help children avoid the “start behind, stay behind” paradox. As a former teacher, that’s why I pushed so hard to ensure my kids had access to programs like this. With me spending the majority of my time away from the kids, I want to be sure they have resources to prepare them for school. (Greg is amazing with the kids, but when it comes to working on writing, reading, and math, we agree that we’ll be relying on teachers for help with this area.) If our children have this background, they will start kindergarten at or ahead, setting them up for success down the line (like when it’s time for standardized tests).

Beyond the fact that the Early Childhood Education Program is offered five days a week, six hours a day, includes breakfast and lunch and at no cost for many families, Pittsburgh Public Schools will be offering an incredible win for families of Pre-K to 5th grade students this year–an after school care program. (This is exactly why I fretted so much about school for Arianna, I was going to have to rush around either before or after school to have her in an “all day” preschool program.)

For families with children enrolled in Pittsburgh Public Schools (Pre-K to 5th grade), there are five schools offering this program–Pittsburgh: Brookline, Colfax, Crescent Early Childhood Center, Morrow, and Phillips. Students will be able to enroll in part-time or full-time care (provided until 6:30 PM, daily) at a low cost ($28 per day for 2 days a week to $13 per day for 5 days a week). In exchange, they will get homework help and participate in thematic programming and partnerships with local organizations like the Carnegie Science Center, Gateway to the Arts and Jump Start. The students will be in a safe environment and work on age-appropriate activities.

062813 PPS Early Childhood 253
Source: Jason Cohn

This sounds like a great alternative to balancing schedules and rushing around at the end of the work day, doesn’t it? For my family, a program that combines the Early Childhood Program and the After School Program would be a huge win. Just enrolling Arianna, we’d get after school care for $13 per day or less than $300 per month. (This would be in addition to the PreK program, which would be at no cost for income eligible families or about $650 for those who don’t meet the income eligibility.) Across nine months of school (since the program runs the school year schedule), the year-long spread of costs would never come close to the impact day care could have on a single income family. Although we chose to go the public school route this year, putting a low cost like this on education would be well worth it, in my opinion–when compared to other high quality programs, the value and cost are so worth it. Especially because the curriculum prepares the PreK students to enter Kindergarten classroom by aligning standards so there’s no gap.

If you have children in Pittsburgh Public Schools and are interested in applying, the application deadline is August 9, 2013 (which is next week!). Applications are available online at www.pps.k12.pa.us/earlychildhood or parents can request a hard copy by calling the Early Childhood Department at 412-325-4291.

I am participating with a number of other Pittsburgh bloggers to write about this incredible opportunity for Pittsburgh families. If you are interested in reading the other posts, I highly suggest searching Twitter and Facebook book for #ppsafterschool for more posts from us. 

Parenting Decision: School

One of the things I’ve learned as a parent is that you cannot second guess your decisions. Many things we decide as a parent are made in a split-second, while others involve great thought and discussion. The decision we made to not enroll Arianna in another year of preschool was not an easy one, yet here I am second guessing my parenting decision about her school “career” and she’s only four.

AriannaSchool

You see, Arianna is one of those unlucky kids with an October birthday. I used to think that to attend public school she would miss the cut-off by five days, but I was wrong. In our district, the cut-off is September 1, meaning she would not be able to go to kindergarten in public school this fall.

When enrolling her in a preschool program, we knew that moving up to kindergarten wasn’t a guarantee, but a possibility at the private school. So, off she went to another year of pre-3 instead of pre-4 just in case she wouldn’t be able to move up. This saved us quite a bit of money (3 days versus 5) and time spent driving to the school.

When enrollment letters came home, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to swing the pre-4 cost, but didn’t want to hold our daughter back because of money. Unfortunately, the options to keep her in private school simply didn’t work with our budget or timing, so we had to choose to say farewell to her school.

Although we’ve applied for a pre-K program in our local district (free, and five days a week, several hours a day), I fear she won’t get in there. You see, this is an income based program and we make a tad bit too much for it (although they do have a few non-income based slots).

It’s like we can’t win. We don’t make enough, yet we make too much. Sure, Greg could go to work, but at this point, he’d be working to pay for private pre-school and then daycare for Evan. Instead, we sit and wait, floating on hope that Arianna will be accepted to the school program and we will not be “holding her back” from potential this coming fall.

Lots of people say their kid is brilliant, but I really believe mine is. Her mind is like her favorite animal, the elephant. She remembers everything, down to the very last detail. Hopefully that helps her out if she cannot attend a school program. The last thing I want is to know our decision around money kept her from excelling at school.

Are other families faced with the “October Baby” school cut-off challenge? I realize someone would have it regardless of the cut-off, but I need to know that keeping her back with her smarts is going to be okay. What suggestions do you have for at-home learning to keep her going if we don’t hear good news from the school program? We’re already pulling together some Everyday Math activities and handwriting books just in case. I might even throw together weekly units that both she and Evan can benefit from. If so, would this be something you readers would enjoy hearing about here on the blog? Ah, now to find even more time in my already busy life. Wish us luck (and patience).