I Can’t Find The Shoes!

How did you survive the first week of the new program year, school year, soccer team or change to the schedules in the house?  This time of year is tricky.  No doubt about it.

While visiting children throughout the EduKids Centers this week, it occurred to me – again – how absolutely marvelous childhood is.  While there were children crying and complaining because of the change to a new classroom, new toys and new teachers, I know from experience that they will be laughing and learning very quickly.  Children are good at adjusting.  They soon recognize that the children they are with now are the same friends from last week.  The new toys, books, games and songs are really fun.  Children are good at finding joy, friends and little things that can mean so very much.

What they are not good at is finding shoes.  Neither are the adults in their lives.  Again, I know this from experience both personal and professional.

Getting into the swing of things now means different things for different families.  This always depends on the age & stage of your child / children, the sometimes multiple items on the same day on your family calendar or the level of comfort you have with changes that are just part of reality.

Some quick ideas that work to help with the swing into fall:

• Get things done at night even if it’s late and you’re tired. The pay -off is that mornings do not, in fact, include pulling the house apart because you can’t find shoes, or sweaters, or backpacks…  routines are critical for young children.  Children often get nervous if adults are stressed (they know when you are) and the house is in an uproar.  They don’t understand it.

• Color code. A family with young children shared this idea with us at the centers.  I think it is genius; assign a color to each child.  Keep their laundry separated into their color hamper or bin.  Simple tee shirts, bags, lunch boxes, school supply containers… can be either their full color or dominated by their color.  On the kitchen calendar (which I think is a must in a busy house), anything associated with each child is in their color.  Takes some planning – again, worth it.

• Eat right. Summertime often allows for casual & easy snacks and meals.  The reality of fall and more formal schedules does not.  High nutrition values in snacks and meals for you and you children of all ages stabilizes bodies, builds energy and wards off fatigue and illness.  Always keep fresh water in abundant supply for all ages.  A good resource for healthy food choices is  delish.com/healthy-recipes.

• Make and keep Doctor appointments and health schedules for you and your family. Childcare and schools require children to have scheduled health check -ups and proper immunization. Find information at immunize.org/cdc/schedules  don’t put your visits off either.

• Take care of yourself. Sleep right, eat healthy, exercise, and be in the company of people who are positive and supportive. Laugh. Read.   Enjoy your children because they are grown up by the time you blink your eye. 

 Books to read at home:

Little Rabbit Goes to School by Harry Horse
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Pete the Cat Rocking In My School Shoes by James Dean