Top Ten Survival Tips for School Break

1.              Remember that you couldn’t wait to be finished with the school year, schedule, homework, and early morning wake-ups for cranky kids.

2.              If you have a wireless network, remember that the router is portable and you can parent by proxy by taking it to work with you.

3.              Facetime gives you a partial view of your kid’s immediate surrounding and you can confirm they are at home at any time.

4.              Report cards will be held unless you pay all fees…check for library books, textbooks, and any other prisoners of war hiding at home (and no, your little darlings won’t tell you unless you ask…twice).

5.              Gifting is important for teachers, especially middle school, or if you have more than one child (hint…there will be another school year, you know and love your child…and even you can’t say a simple “thank you” gets you through the worse days of tweens).

6.              Have a online network roadmap and list of your kids’ social media networks, and accounts/handles (legit and parent approved as well as the ones they fib about age and change name for anonymity). Hint:  most minimum age requirements for social networks is 13, which means your “teen” would need to be born in 2003 (or earlier)…and yes, that’s one math equation they can solve!

7.              There is new leverage in the summertime for getting chores done (see #2 again on parenting by proxy).

8.              School’s out for summer, but you still get to go to work.

9.              No packing lunches for three months.

10.          Matching clothes and socks optional…you still have to dress appropriately to go to work, but you might not mind as much knowing you’re not going to get a call about a sick child, forgotten assignment, missing backpack, house key…(fill in the blank to infinity).

For further inspiration, go to rendition of “School’s Out for Summer” by Alice Cooper (very old school!)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Oo8QzDHimQ