Back to School- Parent Style

Back-to-school used to be an event that did not start until August. Now, July 4th barely ends before the commercials start and the hard reminder that the simple joys of summer are closing in. As kids, we all knew the drill of back-to-school: NEW! New clothes, new supplies, new grade (hopefully), sometimes new school, and on the occasion, new friends. It was excited and nerve-wrecking, all at the same time, and we only held the perspective of being a kid. There was a much larger piece that encompassed more of the overwhelming emotions going on inside our parents. Now, as a 38 year old parent, I am here in the driver’s seat of life, steering this runaway train called Parenting! Who knew?!? According to my mother as she reminds me that she raised a kid herself, she knew. Our parents knew. They knew all along that there was a darker side of back to school for adults. They all knew, of course, but even our parents did not have the same things to contend with that parents do today. Tablets, Cell Phones, YouTube, dare I say, Fortnite… all of these factors have made for a false expectation in our children of instant gratification. This month, we will dive head first into Parenting Needs. Why, because we parents have needs too! Throughout the month of September, we will tackle different topics like Parenting Techniques, Financial Stress, How to Say No, The Comparison Trap and what I consider one of the most important, Self-Care. Follow along as we address the Top 5 Ways to Survive Parenting.