What They Didn't Tell You When Your Child Starts School
We all dream of our children's first day of school. Well I know I did. I was so excited to go back to school shopping, seeing her wear her uniform and cute book-bag. Making school lunches and her making new friends. I even get to see her excitement from learning something new. And yes, I was even excited for the brief freedom I received during school hours.
But what they didn't tell me was:
- School Events: Schools have a lot of events. There are PTA meetings, theme pass day, yard sales, bake sales, holiday themed events, fundraisers, book fairs, coat drives, food drives, field trips, etc. It's a lot to keep track of it all. I have missed a few events already because I couldn't keep up. I think back as I read her announcements being sent home, did I have this many events when I was in school? or did my mom just not participate in them?
- Volunteering: Schools rely a lot on parent volunteers. They need volunteers to help manage the weekly bake sales, send out classroom announcements and etc. I volunteered for 6 events in about 10 minutes in response to emails from school. I am either helping out at an event or bringing something in. I'm all for volunteering and I like making my child's school a safe and fun environment that I can be a part of.
- Money: Money makes the world go round and it also makes the school run smoothly. Money for school supplies, donations, lunches, bake sales, etc. had to be added in our monthly budget. And let me just say it's a pretty decent amount. I have no problem donating to the school, again for success purposes, but, you definitely gotta plan around it.
Now let me set the record straight, I'm not complaining at all. It is just so easy to get overwhelmed and feel unprepared for it, but you're not alone.
Teachers and staff are there to help first time students and parents thrive when transitioning. Even the experienced parents are there to help. I have this one mom in Jordan's class who has 3 children, her oldest being in Kindergarten and she is just so nice and helpful. She's even encouraging me to get more involved and take lead on one of the events we're planning.
Those are the 3 things that really stood out for me and had me a little overwhelmed and feeling unequipped with Jordan being in school. But just like anything, life is a learning process and sometimes you have to learn as you go, observe, experiment, and ask questions or for help when you need it.
Also, lice is very common and I was not aware of that when Jordan started school so you've been advised for lookout.
I'm going to be doing a blog post about being a young parent as kind of a sequel to this post, so be on the lookout for that!
Love & Light!
Jalesa