Teacher’s Creative Way to Welcome Students to School (WATCH)

Going back to school can be so very stressful!

Whether you're a student, parent, or even a teacher, there's something electric about this time of year that makes your stomach feel like it has butterflies. You get to decide if they're excited butterflies or nervous flutter-bys.

Can you imagine how much easier your very first day of school would be if you had a teacher like this guy? Dwayne Reed is a Kindergarten teacher at a Chicago elementary school and he made a music video that welcomes his new students to class. Check it out:

It's back to school time! And that means so is the stress of sending you kid into school with a good lunch that he or she will actually eat. These school lunch hacks will help you feel good about what you're sending your kiddo to eat for lunch ... and there's a good chance he or she will actually eat it!

But, in all honesty, it's not about us, it's about the kids. The lunch your child takes to school or buys at school can make or break their day. Food effects mood, engagement in the classroom, and overall performance. If your child isn't set up to succeed by giving them a good lunch, that's just one more hurdle they have to manage in every aspect of their day; in the classroom, on the playground, and on the sports field.

Listen, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Check out some of these hacks that have worked for me in the past, as well as some ideas I wish I had.

Bon Appetit!

Oh, it's just me? No. I don't believe that. When my kids went to school with their pretty little lunches, I never let the other moms know that I would REGULARLY forget to put their lunches together. So I set an alarm on my phone for 8pm every week day. I chose a time I knew I wouldn't be in the middle of something where I wouldn't be able make those lunches immediately (like in the middle of making or eating dinner, or too close to bedtime).

My kids don't like sandwiches. It's frustrating. But I was able to create a fun way for them to eat their lunches without ever seeing a sandwich. What they did see was all the things that make up a sandwich, tucked into tidy little cubbies or in cupcake cups. Like this mama ...
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg-tcUSvOp7/

If you want to change things up a bit, go out and buy a pack of those skinny stirrers - you might use yours for coffee, I use mine to hold the olives in my martinis.

My kiddos used to be ADDICTED to those yogurt tubes, so for lunch I would freeze the tube and pop it in their lunch before they went to school. It acted like a little cooler pack and stayed cold until lunch. Just watch for the brain-freeze!

If your kids are on the creative side, or you just want to have some fun with food, try baking sandwich-fixings into cupcakes or other fun shapes. I used to make breakfast cups for my fam (ham, egg, cheese, in a crust of bread) to make breakfast easy for them since I'm at work before anyone wakes up. They work well for lunch, too!

Don't be THAT parent. This teacher wants to make sure you're not (see video below).

We all know that back to school time can be frustrating and stressful, even for parents. Maybe especially for parents. I know that I'm always a nervous wreck that my kids will be the ONLY ones with out EVERYTHING they need. I feel like my mom never cared that much, but they were different times.

There's a teacher on TikTok who thought she'd help out parents like me - parents who want to be great parents to their kids and the best parents in the eyes of the teacher. Because, let's face it, it's all about what the teacher thinks of us, right?

So here is a list of DON'Ts you can follow to become the mom or dad your teacher appreciates:

... unless you specify what the meeting is about. As a teacher, you deal with all types of parents, so even if you're the perfect mom or dad who just happens to be concerned about something small, asking for that meeting without specification can put a teacher on the defensive.

I'm sure you're a lovely person, but just because your child is in your teacher's class doesn't mean your relationship needs to go beyond professional acquaintances. And don't take offense to that. You don't need to be friends with everyone in your life. You can be friendly, but you don't need to drink wine together.

... without hearing-out the teacher first! If you have littles, you've probably noticed that parenting has changed over the years; while my parents wouldn't even listen to my excuse, today's parents tend to not give the teachers a chance to explain. Take a breath and get all the information before you react.

Think before you shoot off an email to the teacher about something and think about whether or not it's actually something he or she NEEDS to know.  Our teachers are inundated with information about every kid in their class; and while your child is obviously the most important, your teacher doesn't need to know everything from you. Trust that he or she will help your child be an advocate for themselves.

When it's time for gift-giving, leave the cliche mugs on the shelf. It's not original, you're not the only one to see it, buy it, and gift it, so it's really just a waste of money for you and your teacher's heart will break a little - as will his/her shelf. Instead, try a gift card for Wawa or Dunkin or Amazon.