BACK TO SCHOOL

Ahhh…it’s time to get back to a routine and I am ecstatic about it! When school is out for the summer I am so happy for a break, but I will always be ready eventually for routine and structure and early bedtimes.

My children have mixed feelings with the thoughts of going back. My oldest will be a freshman in high school so he is anxious and excited. My middle child is not ready. My youngest is very excited, but she is upset that she won’t have the same teacher as last year. She bonded so much with her Kindergarten teacher and whomever she has next has big shoes to fill because according to Milani, Ms. Everett is THE BEST and she loves her so much!

Our family doesn’t go big and crazy shopping for school clothes, so you won’t find any shopping tips here…but we do make sure we cover the basics. Everyone gets at least one pair of jeans because they will honestly wear shorts until snow comes and even then, they’d prefer shorts or sport pants over jeans. Fine with me. I won’t pick that battle lol.

Here is a list of things our family is focusing on as we prepare for the new school year:

BACK TO SCHOOL WELLNESS

• ESSENTIAL OILS – Ok, you know our family loves essential oils and it’s something we make a priority because they have made a big impact on us. We use Thieves every single day to build up our immune system and other oils that are good for emotions. Milani has already been showing big emotions over the idea of having a new teacher this year so I am making sure we have plenty of Valor on hand for that.
• VITAMINS – We use Young Living’s MightyVites because it’s a daily WHOLE FOOD multi-vitamin infused with essential oils. The ingredient list includes broccoli, beet, basil, barley grass, strawberry, wolfberry, and so much more!
• NINGXIA – a powerhouse antioxidant juice!
• ELDERBERRY SYRUP – another antioxidant powerhouse that I make from home. You can find my recipe here.
• PROBIOTIC – gut health…mucho important! We give our children MightyPro from Young Living
• HAND SANITIZER – The only sanitizer I trust to actually kill the germs is Thieves Hand Sanitzer. Which is also why we use Thieves essential oil! Here’s a post I’ve shared on Thieves here and here.

LUNCH BOX IDEAS

Something about Mom packing your lunch makes it a lot more appealing that the hot meal school serves. Not sure about your kids, but this is for sure how my kids feel. Except the teenager…he probably doesn’t have any plans to take a lunch to school from Mom. Here are a few ideas below! I included a menu I made a few years ago. It let’s the kids pick out their own protein (main course), side item, veggies, fruit, and drink. My kids love it!

• 365 Healthy Lunch Ideas
• Kids School Lunch Ideas
• Hattie’s Lunch Box Menu

PRAYERS FOR OUR CHILDREN

• How to Pray for Your Girls
• Praying for Your Daughter
• Praying for Your Sons
• Pray for Your Children
• Helping Kids Thrives in the Middle School Years
• Navigation the Early Grade School Years
• Back to School | Transitions, Help & Challenges
• Teaching Kids to Pray

AFFIRM YOUR KIDS

• Do a “high five” with your kids. Say, “Here are five things I know about you” or “Here are five things I love about you.”
• 36 Positive Affirmations
• Put a note in your child’s lunch box! Pinterest is full of ideas.
• I seen “brag bracelets” on Pinterest, which gave me an idea. I am going to make paper bracelets to put on my daughter in the morning with a special note to her, especially now that she can read! I plan on writing “I love you!”, or “I miss you!” and adding a drop of her favorite emotional essential oil.

CHILDREN STILL AT HOME

When we send our older kids to school but have younger ones at home, that can be a hard transition. My kids argue and fight like everyone else’s, but my kids miss each other something fierce. Here are a few new fun things to do with your littles while they wait for their older brothers and sisters to get home from school. (I will mention that my older ones love these just as much!!)

• Doctor Pretend Play Printable
• Pretend Play Money Printables
• 40 Free Pretend Play Printables
• Visit my “Kid Fun” Pinterest board

Do you have any back to school tips and ideas? I would love to hear them! I love getting new ideas!

XOXO
Hattie