BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES - FIVE ESSENTIALS FOR PARENTS

It's that time of year again, where emotions run high. A few parents groan along with their kids, many rejoice, but at some point, all of the adults find a reason to reach into their own secret stash of school supplies. If this is your first go around, I've compiled a list of must haves and their preferred uses:

Pens - To fill in all of the after school activities your children are involved in on your calendar. You'll need at least three 24 packs of pens. Those notes they'll need when they're too exhausted to get up in the morning aren't going to write themselves.

Pencils - To gauge your eyes out if you hear this one more time: "I hate school! It's boring and I almost fell asleep in Geometry today! I have to get up sooo early and I'm always tired! *Pause to read text* "Mom! Can I go bike riding with Nicole after I get home from dance? I promise I'll be home by ten!" These are also good when in the presence of teenage passion - too bad you can't permanently unsee hormones and hickeys.

Thermos - Some call this a flask, but I call it sanity. Great for special events such as celebrating the first day, coping with being called into school by the teacher - for things like lunch duty and class parties - and mostly to numb the pain of the last day of classes and the knowledge that for the next two months you'll either be planning activities for little ones that are up at the crack of dawn and need to be kept busy, or performing the ice bucket challenge daily in order to get your teens out of bed and to work before noon. 

Febreeze - For those of you that have kids that play school sports and live with the illusion that a spray bottle full of watered down fragrance could ever be enough.

Notebooks - For after the kids are gone in the mornings and the house is quiet. To write down your hopes, dreams, and goals for the coming year - imagine having time for that between bake sales, PTA, and lacrosse practice?? And as if they and your sense of worth didn't die ten years ago - at least the book is recyclable...

Other posts about parenting and back to school by CF Winn:

TEEN GIRLS vs MOMS
http://simplystick.blogspot.com/2014/09/teen-girls-vs-moms.html

THE SEARCH FOR COLLEGES: NYU EPIC FAIL
http://simplystick.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-search-for-colleges-nyu-epicfail.html 

LIFE IS GOOD
http://simplystick.blogspot.com/2012/09/life-is-good.html

CF Winn is the award-winning author of The COFFEE BREAK SERIES, a hilarious group of short stories meant to be read while on break or in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Her first novella, SUKI, has been grabbing hearts and hugging souls all over the United States.


You can now order SUKI in paperback at BOOK REVUE, one of the nation’s largest independent bookstores, by email at info@bookrevue.com or by calling (631) 271-1442.
Learn more about SUKI at BOOK REVUE http://www.bookrevue.com/localauthors.html

More posts like these can be found at Humor Outcasts and The Patch where she is a regular contributor.

CF Winn is the founder of Winning! Publications, a firm specializing in editing and promotion services for authors. Her latest project is the just released Trailer Trash, With a Girl’s Name, a hilarious and heartwarming story of a boy saddled with a girl’s name and forced into a nomadic existence. Order it now: http://www.amazon.com/Trailer-Trash-With-Girls-Name-ebook/dp/B00IX0MIAO