This year more than any other has a novel excitement in the back-to-school mode, to the point that I almost feel like we could get our kids out the door with whatever we have in the house.
Incorporate snack-bagging into the after-school routine, allowing your kids to pick what they take the next day so it’s not your job at night or in a rushed morning!
I was recently at a new wedding hall. It was beautifully done, fl oor-to-ceiling marble, oversized chandeliers — no detail left out. I appreciated its class, but after a moment, what hit me was that style is the pursuit of perfection. Of course, when you’re building something from scratch, the decorator’s goal will be to make sure they get it right and the project appeals to the masses — that’s their job. But it also says something about all of us: they’re creating perfection for people who expect perfection.
As I pull together all the pieces for the exciting start of a new school year, I realize how much energy is placed on getting the “right” backpack, the “right” school shoes, the “right” knee socks. Forget the price tags for a second, do I want my children to sense how important it is to me that everything be so perfect? Do I want them to have all the right things for them as individuals, or for the overall message of perfection and getting all the boxes checked off?
I definitely don’t have this all worked out, and I’m a work in progress, just like you. I realize, though, that I want “good enough” to be the goal. This year more than any other has a novel excitement in the back-to-school mode, to the point that I almost feel like we could get our kids out the door with whatever we have in the house.
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