Learning is enough of a struggle to children who find it hard to focus. They should therefore never have to look far for the proper tools. Like a busy executive, they need to concentrate on the task before them, and should have anything they need close at hand. There is a closet in our house that looks like the school supply section at Wal-Mart. The boys have tools to stay organized. They have plenty of socks, underwear, and soccer clothes. We have calculators, computers, dictionaries, encyclopedia, rulers, compasses, and even an electric eraser.
I do try to think of my boys as busy executives, and try to be their secretary. (I admit that instead, sometimes I view them as lazy bums, and just try not to toss them out of the house!) If you’ve ever seen the movie “Sabrina
Although schoolwork isn’t near so exciting as a romantic comedy, my children still need the same ready access to the tools of learning. To prepare for this article, I walked through my house and made a list of the supplies we keep on hand. This list can be a springboard for getting supplies ready for your children. Let this list help you as you help your children to help themselves.
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Lots of pencils |
White drawing paper |
I’m quite aware that this is a LOT of stuff. I spend a lot of money in the fall when school supplies are on sale, and keep my eye open at dollar stores and places like Big Lots for their bargains. No matter what the cost, it’s worth the investment. We’ve been doing the dreaded science projects this past month, and almost everything we needed was already in our supply closet. You’re going to buy it anyway. Cut down on the stress and buy it in advance.
Besides, your children are like busy executives, and you must take your cues from the secretary in Sabrina
The line of cars was long as I waited to pick up my son from his very first day of class. I craned my neck to see him, wondering about his first day. Did he make any friends? Did he have enough to eat? Was he nervous – afraid?
If your local school is like ours, it has been hit with a major epidemic of the winter crud. We are suffering from 10% absenteeism, and children are out of the classroom an average of four days. Returning to school after a week’s worth of the flu is horrible. The child is probably still tired from the sickness, and has lost momentum thanks to hours in front of the television. To add to the misery, the first day back in the classroom the poor kid is handed a stack of makeup work. It’s enough to make anyone wish for a relapse. Here’s a prescription for recovering after the recovery.