It is hard to believe that another school year is coming to an end. My kids have been counting down the days until Summer and cannot wait! It has been a very full school year. One way that I’ve kept sane and my family healthy is by being prepared, at all times for messes and germs with Wet Ones.
I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Wet Ones. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.
I have used the Wet Ones everyday by packing the Wet Ones Singles in my kids lunch bags – it sure beats their hands cracking and bleeding from over-use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer! Plus, Wet Ones actually cleans better than hand sanitizer while killing 99.99% of germs. When I help at lunch, I am disgusted at the DIRTY hands that come into the cafeteria only to get a squirt of hand sanitizer. Trust me, the dirt on their hands is still there, their hands are not clean. At least I know my kids have clean hands before they eat.
I always keep a canister of Wet Ones in the cup holder of my car for cleaning hands before snacking in the car between school and sports, and basically anytime we are out in public. They not only clean away germs but also dirt and grime – without all of the dying affects of alcohol-based products.
I even bring Wet Ones with me when I volunteer in my kids classrooms, especially when I’ll be serving a snack. It is a quick, healthy way to clean their desks off. Did you know that many disinfectant wipes leave surfaces not safe to eat off – even when dried? I’ve been into many classrooms where the wipes used are not safe – and we all know kids eat their food right off their desks. I always make sure that my kids’ classrooms have a supply of Wet Ones for this reason – you can never be too safe.
A Look Back at 2012/2013 School Year
My kids have learned so much. My kindergartener can now read quite well and my 2nd grader is learning to multiple. They have had many fun class projects, themed dress up days, field trips, and were in sports including swim team, gymnastics, and basketball as well as cub scouts. It was a quick, fun school year. Below are a few tips on how I kept sane this school year. 🙂
Don’t Over Schedule
If there is anything I learned this school year, it is: Don’t Over Schedule. Many kids are over-scheduled with multiple sports, clubs, and activities. While good and fun, there needs to be a balance. This year, my kids were only in 1-2 sports or clubs at a time.
It allowed them to be involved, have fun, and exercise without suffering with no time for homework, class projects, and just plain fun time at home. Never underestimate the value of time spent at home playing with toys, play-dates with friends, and family time.
Keep a Calendar
I also learned to: Keep a Calendar. If my kids had swim practice three nights a week, we scheduled in time over the weekend to work on class projects weeks in advance of the due date. I have found that having two children in school is a bigger balancing act. The way to keep everyone from getting stressed out is to manage time with a calendar.
I keep a calendar for myself that is planned out to spend equal amounts of time volunteering at each child’s school. I volunteered once a week as a lunch mom, alternating between schools. I also helped in the library once a month at my daughter’s school and the school store once a month at my son’s school. I alternate holidays so I am not doing too much for any one holiday. This allowed me to really get to know my children’s class. I encourage you to get involved in your child’s classroom, if you can.
This also includes planning out weeknight meals ahead of time on sports nights – otherwise we are tempted to get fast food!
Summer!
With Summer comes lazy pool days and fun with friends and family. However, rules of being prepared with Wet Ones, not over scheduling and keeping a calendar still apply. I have my kids enrolled in Akron Zoo Camp, Bible School, Sports Camp, and Cub Scout Camp. This allows for about 3-4 weeks of structured time with other kids while leaving the rest of summer to relax. I also plan to have a schedule of daily academic time for both my kids to prevent Summer Brain Drain. I plan to make learning fun, any clever ideas?
By keeping a calendar and planning out camps and events, I’ll ensure that my kids never get bored or ever feel like they have too much going on to just have fun in the backyard. By popping in Wet Ones in my kids lunch bags and sports bags, I’ll know that they are keeping their hands free of dirt and germs, even while at camp and away from mom. 🙂
Never underestimate the need to be prepared. My car canister of Wet Ones turned out really helpful at my niece’s birthday party last weekend. The combination of riding and petting horses and food could be disastrous if there isn’t a good way to clean hands. I popped out my canister of Wet Ones to clean every one’s hands – I was glad I had a full canister of 40 wipes!
What Are Your Tips?
So, how did you keep sane this school year? Do you have any tips that you would like to share with all of us for next school year? What do you do in the Summer to keep everyone happy? Please share!
