Don’t look now…
… but August is about to walk through the door.
She’s one of my favorite months but she also embodies that Sunday feeling.
You know the one…
Sunday is like, “Hey I’m still part of the weekend fun!”
And we’re like, “Sunday, we adore you, but you always bring Monday wherever you go, and she’s less fun.”
August is the Sunday of summer.
We will soak up every second of her final days with us, yet back-to-school inevitably looms in our minds once she arrives.
Here at Grace in the Race, we consider back-to-school the official start of The Mom’s New Year. This is because moms operate on the school year more so than the traditional calendar year.
We’ll be workshopping back-to-school prep this Friday, July 30th at 12pm ET via Zoom. Make an early lunch for the kids then join us for an hour. It will be a casual, yet guided conversation with an opportunity to share best practices.
The goal of the call is to walk away with a plan to get your family back-to-school-ready so you can enjoy the remainder of your summer with more peace of mind and less overwhelm!
If you’d like to join the call, hit reply to let us know and we’ll add you to the list. We’ll send the Zoom link to those interested an hour before the call.
As for the newsletter this week, access The List of expert tips and insights below to tackle all things back-to-school (and more!)… Have you heard that school supplies are anticipated to be in short supply this year? Read about it in The List👇🏽
The List: 15 Expert Resources for Moms (updated weekly!)
6 skimmable articles to offer perspective on this week’s topic, 8 informative and/or entertaining podcast episodes to make the chores fly by, and 1 insightful video to inspire you to move forward with grace.
📖 6 Skimmable Articles
🎗 Awareness 🏡 Home 🗂 Productivity 🥗 Wellness 🧗 Growth 👨👩👧👧 Family
🗂 Give yourself grace by preparing for back to school now so it doesn’t overwhelm you later!
“Whether the kids will be distance learning or in-person learning this school year, here are 14 back-to-school transition tips you can do now to prepare.”
Read 14 Things to Do Now to Prepare for Back to School by Rachel Brougham
🎗 We may be facing a shortage of back-to-school supplies
“But that demand is also coming face-to-face with tight inventory levels and delayed shipments which will impact retailers’ ability to replenish products on shelves later in the season.”
Read There will probably be a shortage of back-to-school supplies by Parija Kavilanz
🥗”Dread it or love it, you gotta go to school.“
“Here are some ways to make the transition from summer to school a little easier.”
Read Back to School reviewed by Kathryn Ellen Woods Hoffses, PhD
🧗🏽♀️ A growth mindset helps students set the pace for the school year
“How long does it take for the ‘looking-forward-to-school’ feeling to fade and for things to return to the daily grind?”
Read Back to School Activities that help empower a Growth Mindset for Students from educircles.org
👨👩👧👦 Back-to-school looks a little different with every passing year
“Explore this infographic to learn important ways you can support your child’s health from preschool to graduation day.”
Read Back-to-School Health: Tips for Parents Infographic from Johns Hopkins Medicine
🏡 Hey Mama, what do you really think about back-to-school?
“Parents and Land’s End asked moms what they really think about getting involved at their children’s schools (hint: if you’re stressed out, you’re not alone).”
Read What Moms Really Think About Back to School by Amanda First
🎧 8 Podcast Episodes
KEY:
📰 Newsletter Topic
👸🏻 Society & Culture
💡 Ideas: Big and Small
🤰🏻 Motherhood
😎 Relax & Escape
🧗 Growth
👨👩👧👧 For the Family
⏭ Series
💣 explicit language
🌭 frank content
⚠️ sensitive topic
📰 Back to School!
“Education Secretary Miguel Cardona wants ‘back to school’ to mean just that. But are parents and teachers on board?”
Listen to On Point | Inside The Push To Get Students Back To School (48 min)
👸🏻 You are not a psychopath!
“We heard about a test that could determine if someone was a psychopath. So, naturally, our staff decided to take it.”
Listen to This American Life | The Psychopath Test (62 min)
💡 “4 tips on how to stay safe and cool in extreme heat.”
“Record-breaking temperatures resulting from climate change are a global problem. And while our bodies have ways to dissipate heat, sometimes they just can’t keep up with extreme temperatures.”
Listen to Life Kit | 4 Tips to Beat Extreme Heat (14 min)
🤰🏻 ” What’s a parent to do?”
“All kids lose stuff sometimes. Some kids lose stuff all the time. Sometimes it’s ADHD or general inattention. Sometimes it’s just a slower development of executive function. No matter what, it’s frustrating (and expensive).”
Listen to What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Ask Amy- My Kid Loses Everything! (7 min)
😎 “The super-handsome, ultra-talented, and mildly-funny Ryan Reynolds”
“We go deep with the double-R, from stocking shelves label-out, to vulnerability as a performer and business owner… while touching on his “humanitarian efforts” diving for Melo Melo pearls that he bedazzles his new line of toe-loop sandals with. It’s another naughty shipwreck on the S.S. SmartLess.”
Listen to Smartless | Ryan Reynolds (78 min) 💣
🧗 “You can make big purchases without feeling panicked or guilty. “
“Alexandra and her boyfriend want to buy a house, but they’re looking in one of the hottest housing markets in the U.S. So when they got outbid for their dream home, Alexandra was secretly relieved. Spending money, even if it’s something she can afford, is absolutely terrifying to her. “
Listen to How To! | How To Make Big Purchases Without Panicking (34 min)
👨👩👧👦 Sibling Trivia!
“Family Road Trip Trivia is back, and this episode sibling duo Logan and Lilah are going head to head in three rounds of super fun trivia! “
Listen to Family Road Trip Trivia Podcast | Back to School Trivia Time (12 min)
⏭ NEW SERIES ALERT! Extraordinary acts of bravery and an epic journey!
“In the summer of 2008, mountaineers from eight different countries gather at the foot of the world’s second tallest mountain, K2. All of them have a single goal: reach the summit. But to do that they will need to undertake one most difficult, and dangerous, climbs on earth. Through a series of unpredictable events, it will become one of the worst climbing disasters in modern times.
Join us in listening to Against The Odds | K2: The Savage Mountain | Summit Fever | 1 (43 min)
🎬 Insightful Video
“Kids need recess!”
“Simon Link is a 3rd grader at Amana Academy. He likes chocolate, candy, and learning about the history of other cultures. He loves to run and play during recess. Simon believes students should have longer recess and times to be active throughout the day. This idea connects with the Expeditionary Learning Design principle Empathy and Caring, and Responsibility for Learning.”
Watch Kids need recess | Simon Link | TEDxAmanaAcademy (3:38) from our series of TED talks by kids for kids.
That’s The List for this week!
Do you have go-to tips to for back-to-school planning… or a take away from The List this week? Drop us a note in the comments.
As always, we hope our newsletter inspires you to get your ship together and get through your week with grace.
Have a good one and please reach out if we can be helpful to you in any way!
Love & Grace,
Rachel & Amanda
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🎧 Podcast Playlist 7/28/21