At the Onset of a New School Year
Back to the daily routine.
My husband commented last night that our “new year” is not marked by January 1st, even with all of its fanfare and resolutions for change. Our new year revolves around the school year and the change from one grade to the next. New teachers. New routine. New homework expectations. New relationships with classmates.
On the very last day of summer break, it rained. Rather than have kids complain all day about “what can we dooooooo?” I sent the soon-to-be 4th grader and soon-to-be 2nd grader on missions to clean their rooms. Clear their desks from summer projects in preparation for the school-issued Chromebooks that would be coming home the next day.
For me, the day was a constant rotation of laundry, making sure that everything possible was clean. Too-small clothes were removed from drawers. Backpacks and snack bags were washed.
I have a small shelf in the living room with three pull-out drawers. School papers not requiring some type of attention immediately go in here, and I had not cleaned it out from the end of the last school year. I sorted. Interesting art projects I took a photo of, then tossed. Saved a few samples of homework assignments with teacher feedback for their special boxes. Tossed.