Schools will be resuming in a few weeks after the long holidays, and if this isn’t properly managed, you and even the kids can end up disorganised and exhausted even before the session commences.
On one hand, parents are happy their kids will go back to school so they can rest while on the other hand, they’re not looking forward to the early morning’s school runs, and homework. Plus, all the bills associated with having kids in school.
It can be a lot to handle at once, but it can be managed in such a way that it doesn’t take a toll on you at all.
This takes some level of deliberate planning and discipline.
While we leave the fathers to deal with the much bigger stuff like school fees, there are those little foxes often overlooked. And these little foxes are the major stressors that end up making us pay dearly. The holiday is a long one. Almost two months, so these things can be broken down into weekly achievable goals.
This is also because the price of anything related to children and school almost doubles in price at least a week before resumption and remains so until after two or three weeks of resumption.
A month before resumption, I always like to make sure I get little things like exercise books sorted. Last weekend, I bought new pairs of socks, fixed shoes and sneakers that needed fixing. (If you need to get new shoes, please do.) The kids have also gotten almost all their textbooks for the session, save for a few that are not yet available in bookstores.
Their water bottles and lunch boxes are still intact, so I won’t be shopping for new ones, but you should if you need to.
Uniforms and sportswear should be checked to see if they need mending or replaced.
Stationery is never enough for kids in lower primary, so you need to buy in bulk. For those who still do snacks, you’ll do very well to buy the biscuits and packaged drinks in cartons, at least what would last them for a month, if you can’t stock up for the term.
Now to the big stuff. I’ve heard fathers talk about the savings with piggyvest and cowrywise that have helped them drop a little something every now and then during the holidays, and by the time school resumes, they’ve managed to save up almost all, if not all, the fees for school. Others who are naturally disciplined, have an account specially created for such purposes as school fees and so they keep dropping money there until resumption day.
School fees are a major stressor when school resumes, and it doesn’t make sense to start running around looking for funds when you have almost two months’ holiday to plan and put these things in place.
It doesn’t help the child psychologically when they’re prevented from entering school on resumption day or constantly told to remind their parents to pay their school fees. No child should be bothered by such dear parents, set your priorities right, so that their grades and self-esteem do not suffer.
Long story short, these things are better and a whole lot easier when they’re done in bits, because they’re a lot, than doing them all at once. And this is because things don’t always go according to plan. That huge amount of money you’re expecting to do everything at once, may not come exactly when you expect it to. Even when school fees are going to be increased, sometimes, those who paid early enough aren’t always affected.
Once these have been sorted, the next thing is to set goals for the session. Those problem areas that need improvement should be taken note of, and measures should be put in place to tackle them. One of the things I do, which is not always appreciated but is necessary, is to stop renewing my cable television subscription. This way, kids aren’t distracted by cartoons and stuff. Outdoor games are allowed but not television.
In the case where attention needs to be drawn to a problem subject, it’s better those books are opened before resumption to wake up the brain after weeks of play so that quick revision can be done, and if possible, going ahead to familiarise one’s self with the new topics would give the child a great start.
Also, TV time should be reduced, and kids should start going to bed early so that it’s easy to continue when school resumes and they won’t struggle so much. This can be done a week before resumption.
Moms will want to join the kids in turning in early for the night as the success of resumption week lies solely on us.
There’s not much time left but what we have left is enough to make a whole lot of difference and get many things done.
- Joy Mfon Essien is an Entrepreneur and the CEO, Discover Essence Media, Millionaire Woman Soapworks and Delicioso Foods. Writer, TV presenter and producer, Wellness Coach and mom of two.
