I haven’t made a New Year’s resolution in years; January just isn’t a time when I feel like setting goals and following through with them. For me, resolution time is September.
Starting about mid-August, when I’m running down lists of school supplies and taking inventory of the kids’ cool-weather clothing, I start to feel it an instinctive itch to get organized. It’s not a nagging or unpleasant feeling; it’s akin to the “nesting instinct” parents-to-be get when baby’s on the way. I clean closets, vacuum long-forgotten dust bunnies and try to ditch the elastic-waistband days of summer.
This year, I will NOT panic when my child doesn’t get off the bus because I will remember that I have signed a slip allowing her to stay for an after-school activity.
This is the year, I promise myself, that I will keep permission slips, classroom reminders and PTA newsletters in a central location where they will not get lost or forgotten.
I resolve to remember which days are gym days and which days are art and music so I send my children to school wearing the appropriate footwear.
This year, I will NOT panic when my child doesn’t get off the bus because I will remember that I have signed a slip allowing her to stay for an after-school activity.
I will remember to send in treats on birthdays, extra boxes of Kleenex during flu season (basically September through June) and cash for school banking instead of raiding the change jar the night before.
I will make time for and encourage my kids to get together with friends.
I will stock the fridge and cupboards with fresh, nutritious snacks and lunch-making supplies so my kids won’t feel the shame of unpacking a lunch that consists of a sandwich made with the ends of the loaf and a bruised banana
There’s something about the promise of back-to-school time that makes me feel all of these goals are within reach. A new school year means new possibilities for me and my kids. And usually summer vacation is right around the corner by the time things really start to go off the rails. (The parent-teacher conference was today? I thought the field trip was next Tuesday.)
To help get you in that back-to-school frame of mind, come see us at the Back-to-School Expo at the Albany Convention Center Saturday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. We’ll have lots of great giveaways, and there will be plenty of character appearances and fun things for kids to do.
Finally, I’d like to thank those of you who have “liked” Capital District Parent Pages on Facebook in the past two months. Three lucky new followers won tickets to the American Idol 2012 Concert Tour at the Times Union Center in our promotional giveaway. They were Chrissy Thompson, Tanja Peters and Melinda Kong. Keep checking our Facebook page and website for more great giveaways this fall, including tickets to the “How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular” at the Times Union Center Oct. 4-7.
