In a normal year, parents everywhere would be singing “It’s the most wonnnnderful time of the year” as they prepare to send their children back to school.  It’s the understatement of the century to say that this is decidedly not a normal year.  Teachers, staff, and school administrators have been diligently preparing to welcome our kids back to the classroom, whether that is in person, remote, or a hybrid of the two.  This has been a Herculean task and we owe it to them, to our kids, and to ourselves to show them some appreciation and some grace as they embark on this new (ad)venture.

We’ve been out buying school supplies and back to school outfits, and this year’s lists are a little different than prior years – add masks and (often school-supplied) Chromebooks or iPads, skip the locker shelves and décor since they won’t be in use. The single most important thing we can do to help prepare our kids for the return to school is to have a positive attitude. If we are stressed and worried about how things will go (and we are, we are parents, worrying is what we do), our kids don’t need to absorb that stress. Use that recorder from last year’s music class and teach yourself to play “Let It Go” from the movie Frozen.

For those of us here at the firm, our kids are running the gamut of school options – one fully remote, some hybrid, some in school full time. Some are in brand new schools, one is brand new to school, period.  Most of them are already back in school, although my own won’t start until Monday.

From kindergarten, to

First grade, and on to

Lower and middle school, and

high school.

Our childrens’ memories of school were going to be vastly different from our own anyway before we were hit with a global pandemic, so we’re going to work really hard to avoid comparisons and celebrate the milestones. These kids are going to be prepared for any challenges that life throws their way and with our support and encouragement, they’ll excel. Here’s to a fantastic school year, and if you need a reminder about proper school drop-off line rules, see my prior blog post!