I think it is fair to say that most of us would be pretty naive of what to expect when you kids start school. Yes we are fully equipped with the “ins and outs” of how the school runs and what will be happening across the year in the school curriculum but it’s all the other things that they don’t tell you that you finally end up picking up along the way during each school year. This is what I have learnt so far from my time in the education system with kids.
- Be prepared to start your school year all over again. From homework to school projects, the teachers are obviously targeting parents when designing the projects that are sent home with the kids each term. Building a 3D replica of the Eiffel Tower in matchsticks, advanced powerpoint presentations and shooting digital video presentations is not what I signed up for. Clearly 13 years of secondary education and a further 3 years of tertiary education isn’t enough. BUT starting back at the beginning is just something we have to accept if you want to assist your kids with what they are learning….plus it gives me an opportunity to revisit those lessons I probably was chatting in. NAIDOC WEEK- must ensure that we have a selection of red, black and yellow clothes in the cupboard for the day our school celebrates
- NAIDOC WEEK. Each year we get the school note the day before and each week I am racing at all hours of the night around trying to find something the kids can wear in these colours. NOTE TO SELF…must become more versatile in colour selection when buying kids clothes. Pink, Red and Blue seem to be the colour of choice in our household.
- BOOK WEEK- Each year our school has a book week parade and each year I am up late sewing costumes or painting props to ensure the kids are dressed in the character in the book they want to represent. I have also found out it IS possible to have your husband on conference the night that you have a shocking case of gastro and painting a Harry Potter Book prop at the same time. Keep a selection of Doctor Seuss hats, Harry Potter capes and glasses and animal ears, tutus and fairy wings in a costume box ready for this event.
- EASTER HAT PARADES- Lucky for us this only comes around every second year but with three kids in the school system makes for a busy time when Easter arrives. I don’t expect my kids to look like Judy Garland in ‘Easter Hat Parade’ but I have to admit I probably do go to a little effort when preparing for this event. The kids love to see what each year they will be parading around the school and what I have found out is that you don’t have to spend the earth to get something the kids will be happy with. Spotlight, Lincraft and RIOT Arts and Crafts have a wonderful selection of embellishments, and other Easter themed bits and pieces that can easily be stuck on a $2 sparkly hat from Woolworths.
- NITS- We were lucky enough to escape the NIT debacle all the way through pre-school but the minute we got to school we had our first case. Things I have learnt about nits. They aren’t prejudice about who they tag along for the ride on. They love clean hair and even a daily dose of defence spray won’t deter them. Stock a nit comb and cheap conditioner in your cupboard as you will probably find out that your children have nits at 9pm at night when they come out saying their hair is itchy. Too late for the dash to the chemist. If you are really organised you will have the nit chemicals in the cupboard for when you get your visit from this little critter.
- GASTRO- Don’t assume that if one child has the vomit bug the other kids in the family will get it. However, it’s better to lay down the towels and keep the buckets by their beds just in case. Better this than scrubbing vomit out of carpets and bed sheets at 2am in the morning for three children rather than one. Repeat process for a couple of days in case there is a 24 -48 hour delay.
- SCHOOL NOTES- Read ALL correspondence from the school because the one week you miss a note you may have a child turning up to school in their school uniform on an out of uniform day.
Schooling has always been trial and error, especially for the parents but with a heads up on a few of the above issues, hopefully it may just make it a little easier when things pop up.
We would love to hear in a comment below any things you have learnt from being a school mum?
Written By School Mum Penny Price
