Most of the world views New Year’s Day as the time to start with a clean slate, make new resolutions and vow to do everything better this time around. But for parents with school-age kids, the start of a new school year is like it in many ways — including the fact that most resolutions don’t last three months.
New School Year
You have a new teacher, grade, classroom and bus schedule to remember for each child.
New Year
You have a new year to remember when writing the date.
New School Year
You have a fresh start for packing healthy lunches — you even buy cute bento boxes for the kids. After a season of vacations, summer camps and upside-down schedules, you will need to plan meals and eat on a schedule again.
New Year
You have a fresh start for eating a healthier diet after a season of holiday cookies, dinners and party food. You even buy a cute chalkboard menu to hang on the fridge.
New School Year
It’s time to drag the children out of bed in time for school after a summer of late nights, travel and sleeping in. You resolve that you will not miss the bus even once this year!
New Year
It’s time to get back to better sleep schedules after Christmas vacation, travel and late-night parties.
New School Year
You weed out the clothes your children have outgrown and buy new school clothes.
New Year
You put away all the holiday decorations and donate the ones you no longer need.
New School Year
You resolve to be more organized, join the PTA and volunteer in the classroom. You will keep up with all of the kids’ homework assignments and make sure no one falls behind.
New Year
You write a list of New Year’s resolutions. Go to the gym three times a week! Stick to a reasonable bedtime! You vow to avoid screens after 9 p.m.
New School Year
By the time the first day of school rolls around, you are broke from all of the school supplies and new clothes you had to buy.
New Year
By the time New Year’s rolls around, you are broke from all the gifts you had to buy.
New School Year
By November, your children are packing fruit snacks and chips for lunch, you’ve missed the bus numerous times, the cute lunch boxes were lost the second week of school and at least one kid is behind on homework.
New Year
By March, you’ve only gone to the gym twice, and the pretty menu board you bought on Etsy has one dinner written on it ... from the third week of January. You woke up late this morning with the imprint of your phone on your cheek.
Even if you only manage to stick with one of your back-to-school resolutions, it is still worth trying. And even if they all fall to the wayside within a few months, you can always try again next fall (or in January)!
