This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Esurance. The opinions and text are all mine.
Our big boys started back to school last week. Second grade and kindergarten! To be honest, I was anxious after a couple of bumpy years. I've shared that we do sort of a “modified” schooling situation, pairing long stretches of independent study with a more traditional elementary school setting. This summer took us on a new homeschool adventure, with an educational consultant and lots of fun curriculum, but we ultimately decided to continue with the part-time classroom situation for at least another year. I was nervous that the kids wouldn't want to head back.
Honestly, I feel like nervousness has been a big factor in a lot of our life over the last few years. I've spent a huge chunk of time researching and stressing over every little detail of our lives. After experiencing a series of health issues and tragedies, I've gone over-the top with insurance, preparation, and generally expecting everything to go wrong all the time. I started to believe that things couldn't possibly be simple. That there couldn't be an easier, more hassle-free way.
Boy, was I wrong!
We kicked off the night before with a family back to school party, as we do every year. We like to make a BIG deal out of school, amping up their excitement so they head into it with a positive attitude. We had pizza, balloons, education gifts, the whole nine yards. After doing this for a couple years, it seemed to cue to them that this was an exciting endeavor and not something to be stressed about. They woke up the next morning totally stoked to go.
I didn't have to drag them out of bed like last year. There was no kicking and fighting. No whining. I found them eagerly chatting about their friends, the playground, and all of the other things they missed about school. Some Boy is actually assigned to the same teacher he had last year (she's teaching his grade this year) and Sidekick is already very familiar with his teacher after spending a year with her as his transitional kindergarten teacher's “buddy teacher.” This school is really cool in that they do a lot of dividing and conquering and give the teachers some leeway to develop extra curriculum and fun programs for the kids, and the kindergarten teachers in particular have taken advantage of that.
They brushed their teeth on their own. They've had a full year of practice doing this together, since Sidekick went to transitional kindergarten last year, and the back to school getting ready drill came back like an old habit. No pulling teeth, no nagging. I barely looked up from my lunch prep, and Some Boy had already poured cereal for the two of them. They finished up quickly, grabbed their backpacks and loaded into the car.
I mean, wow. That was easy. Just like getting car and homeowner insurance with Esurance! See what I did there? Yup. I simplified my life. And you should, too. Esurance makes protecting your most valuable assets from your car to your home surprisingly painless.
Hopefully this whole sense of ease is a sign of the times. I actually have a strong feeling that we're due for a little loosening of the reigns, and maybe this is the turning point at which that begins to happen.
There's a nagging part of me that feels like I should have more to write here but…nope. That's it. No big tips or hacks or shortcuts. Just reassurance that whatever anxiety you're currently feeling about your kids, it tends to get better with time. Especially if you've planned properly and raised them right. Now if I can just keep this in mind when I'm stressing over college applications someday, and then a wedding, and my kids having their own kids. Somebody, please make the time stop!
Have you gone through any BIG life experiences that were surprisingly painless for you?