AUGUST CONTEST: Back to school tips for parent entrepreneurs?

DustiO
DustiO Administrator, Moderator Posts: 1,582
edited August 2021 in Community News

Even as I type this I cannot believe it is already August and my son goes back to school in 2 short weeks. This year's back-to-school efforts seem even more daunting than usual, since he did remote learning all last year. What about all of you parents out there?

As working parents and entrepreneurs, what tips do you have to help get children back into school mode? What are you doing to prepare? Any tips for helping with kids schedules, morning routines, easy lunch/snack ideas, tutoring resources, etc.? And tips for finding the right work/life balance when schedules get busy?

Share your thoughts below for the chance to win some Thumbtack swag - some notebooks, pens, and a tote bag to hold your back to school supplies!

Comments

  • DustiO
    DustiO Administrator, Moderator Posts: 1,582

    @jelnic2018 @mahmoodkabeil @mrjvijay @vancemk Would love to hear your thoughts on this!

  • We keep reminding our boy, who will be entering into 5th grade this year, we are excited for him as he can get more help from class teachers than us and he doesn't need work harder but smarter :). Moreover he will get a chance to see more faces in the school than just his parents.

    We are not doing anything extra to prepare him more than this. Maybe not the best way but hoping this year will be a better one and also hoping kids below 1 2 get vaccinations sooner.

  • For our family of three boys its all about routine and encouragement. We conducted a few routine "drills" the week prior to school starting. This included having them make their own lunches, organize clothing, locating supplies and making it all happen at the same times it occurred this week. So when the first day of school hit there was some level of familiarity to their schedules.

    Encouragement from us comes from us starting new schools last year after moving from another state. They only met about half of their classmates last year and those were all masked meetings. Now the masks are off and the classrooms are full so we are urging them to make new friends with the new faces. We are all settling into our new surroundings and having established routines helps all family members thrive.

  • This week it's going back over summer reading, school shopping, making sure we have school clothes (that fit!! they don't stop growing!!), and getting back into a schedule and rhythm with lights out times.


    I find I work better once we're back in school. There's a structure that we can follow and I know when to start and stop. Having that regiment of timelines helps keep everyone accountable!

  • Routines check lists calenders advice tutoring TALK TO YOUR KIDS! Not just as Mom or Dad. If you don't listen and validate them they won't know how to validate themselves nor know their worth. I see so many parents wrapped up in their own day to day when kids are staring at them for guidance , accomplishment, and even disapline. Don't waste our mini's future potential thinking about only urself. Be there! Eat dinner together. Discuss homework going down a slide at the park! We got this!


    #getvaccinated4 them!! ❤️💋

  • DustiO
    DustiO Administrator, Moderator Posts: 1,582

    Thank you to everyone for your answers here! @mrjvijay you are our contest winner! DM me your address @dustiO and I will get your swag sent out shortly!

  • Meckell
    Meckell Administrator Posts: 106

    mrjvijay bigken1979 MoonlitMedia Tris_mommy2014

    Hi there! My name is Meckell and I'm on the Social Media team here at Thumbtack. October is National Work and Family Month and we'll be doing a post about that on our social media channels. We'd love to get some quotes from pros about what it means to be a working parent. Would any of you be interested in this?

  • @Meckell Of course.

    Being a working parent means finding that "Work/Life Balance" that works for you! Maybe that means you're answering emails while the baby naps. Maybe that means holding a client zoom call during baseball practice. I think the most important thing to remember as a working parent is that what might work for someone else - a boss, a coworker, a family member, or a close friend - doesn't have to work for you! And what might have worked last month (working until after they get home from fall sports at 5 pm) may not work this month (now you're answering emails from the parent pickup line after school at 3 pm).

  • Meckell
    Meckell Administrator Posts: 106

    I love this @MoonlitMedia! Can you send me a private message with your email address so we can further the conversation there?