Did you remember your . . . ?
Did you pack your . . . ?
What time . . . ?
Don’t forget to . . . ?
It’s back to the early morning rush of back to school. But this grandma has a few “parental” reminders for the season because, after all, it is back to school for parents too.
I’ll make this short because you all are short on time. As I look back, this is how I would fill in those blanks for all of you:
Did you remember:
- Did you remember your first week of the school year? Your kids are stressed and excited—which makes it tough to remember much of anything.
- Did you remember that you’re the safe foundation of their lives? They will take you for granted and walk all over your plans. That’s what we do to foundations in our lives. (Just ask Jesus!)
Did you pack your:
- Did you pack your supplies? You will need patience, understanding, wisdom, intuition, and a really good sense of humor. One of your kids will have a teacher, a bully, a friend (or ex-friend), or a new situation that needs some extra attention.
- Did you pack your discernment? Pack as much of that as possible. You need to speak up once in a while, but, most of the time, you need to listen and let your kids figure it out. If you have all the answers, they won’t realize God gives perfect answers—and they have the same direct line to the throne room you use.
What time:
- What time is lunch with friends? You actually get to plan one!
- What time do you need to pick them up? You might need to set the alarm on your phone.
- What time do you need to tell your boss you will actually arrive on this first week of school?
- What time, or what year, will you be completely done with your back-to-school days? What will you do at that time? A time is coming when you will actually miss this craziness and find a new season to schedule.
- What time do you need to back away and allow your kids to make their choices and, therefore, choose their consequences? It’s always best if they do the dumb stuff while they are still living under your roof.
Don’t forget to:
- Tell them you will miss them. Your kids have already heard you say something like, “I can’t wait for school to start!” Your kids know that you are happy to have them off screens and in class. It will mean a lot to them if you tell them you really missed having them around, or having them call you during the day.
- Tell them you thought about them all day. Kids have no idea how many of your thoughts are centered around them. Then, don’t forget to tell them which thoughts turned into prayers for their day.
- Don’t forget to take yourself “back to school.” God never quits passing out lessons.
What a mom taught me this week
I have no idea how many times I have taught about Noah. But, this week, a friend sent a post from a mom, and I learned a new application from that familiar passage.
Traci Jaco wrote: “Tonight, during the message my nine-year-old son, Jay, came to the realization that the children who were not on the ark didn’t make it. He looked at me with such a sad, questioning face. All I could say was, ‘Their parents didn’t make sure they were on the ark.’ The weight of that statement is still weighing on me. Of all the things that I do, NOTHING is more important than making sure that my children find their way to a relationship with Jesus.”
Don’t forget:
The most important back-to-school advice this grandma could give today is to share Traci’s advice.
The most important education you provide your children is the knowledge of God and the knowledge of how to submit their lives to his teaching.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9).
Teach your kids how to ride the waves by teaching them how to get on that ark. They may get tossed around just a bit, but at least they are going in the right direction. And, they are safe with God.
There is a lot to remember for back to school. But, if they catch that boat ride, you’re good—and so are they!
