‘Things are not going to be perfect’: Back to school tips from The Mom in The Know
With back to school around the corner, former teacher and current mom-blogger Julie Findlay has plenty of helpful advice for parents and their kids to make the most of their first day.
“It just takes a community and a collaboration to get things done,” Findlay told CTV News in a virtual interview. “I've made it my mission since 2006 to make sure I keep everyone in the know.”
Here are her top tips for parents:
Shopping
Don’t stress about back-to-school shopping right now, Findlay said. Rather, parents can give themselves a break and wait for a list from their teacher about what the student needs and more importantly, what they don’t need to have.
“So, one binder. One pen. One backpack. One lunch for the first day,” she said.
Lunches
Findlay says parents should include their kids in the return to making daily lunches by bringing their kids to the grocery store to pick out healthy choices. And, kids can also be a part of the meal-prep.
“It's actually fun having kids in the kitchen chopping, putting together the lunches that they like and possibly even the dinners, therefore the leftover lunches,” she said.
Sleeping
It’s not too late to sleep train your kids away from staying up late and sleeping in. But Findlay also says parents need not worry, sleep habits will improve on their own.
“Mother Nature does that. It gets darker earlier, so things wind down a little bit earlier,” she explained. “And that sort of is the clock itself helping you out.”
Findlay does warn parents: your kids will likely be exhausted by the end of week one.
“Luckily, it's a shorter one because it's after the long weekend (and) the weekends (are) where we get to sleep,” she said.
Learning
Findlay recommends parents help their kids go from lounging to learning by pulling out a deck of cards or a board game a few times between now and Sept. 6.
“It's critical thinking. You're having them create their opinions, speaking in a group of people,” Findlay said. “Those are all sort of teachable moments that you didn't even know you're doing but it kind of gets them back into problem-solving, looking at things or even those conversations at the dinner table.”
Homework
Findlay suggests saving the box when you buy your child a pair of new sneakers for school. She uses her children’s to create a “study box” for homework.
“You're gonna have your pens in it, your pencils, your book, whatever you need, and you bring your office anywhere in the house to do your homework. So you're kind of creating these spaces for success,” she said.
Health
Make sure exercise or time outdoors is a key component of every day, says Findlay.
“I feel like most of our kids have spent all of their time outside,” she said. “And now we're going to transition to a lot of their time inside.”
Pencil time into their daily routine, likely after school, for exercise or free play outdoors, regardless of their age. Findlay recommends parents check out the Ottawa Heart Institute website, and take some advice from their Jump-in campaign.
“There are people in our communities (who) are really trying to make sure kids do stay outside and I definitely think that is my biggest tip,” she said.
Coping
Above all else, Findlay says parents should be prepared for whatever back to school brings. She notes kids are resilient and have already managed to cope with the pandemic.
“Things are not going to be perfect. And I think we as parents have to give that sort of leeway to have our kids make their own mistakes and help them through it.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.