Worries of a Kindergarten Mom

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Life is so different when kids first head off to school. I’m not referring to the beginning of every school year but rather the beginning of school in general. You know, kindergarten.

As a mom, you wonder if you taught them what they need to know to have a safe and healthy first year of school. Amidst the tears of sadness/joy that your child is growing up, you say to yourself, “I’m a good mom. I do a good job of parenting. Everything is going to be okay.”

Then you are hit with the realization of all the little things that you subconsciously have been doing for your child simply out of habit. Like cut their food or wipe their milk mustache away…

You have equipped your child with footwear. Probably sandals or slip-on shoes, but more likely tennis shoes with Velcro straps. Am I right? Many schools indicate that kids must know how to tie their shoes before starting Kindergarten so off you go to buy shoes with laces and practice. And practice. And practice. Then hope and hope and hope they can do it when you aren’t standing there walking them through it.

Kindergartners don’t know how to match outfits on their own so you set out your preference and encourage them to wear it. Ultimately, you decide it’s better for them to pick out what they want. You realize it’s not where you want to take a stand because (unless it’s picture day) you don’t really think it matters. Ultimately they just need to be comfortable and happy. That second one is the most important ingredient in making a teacher’s job easier.

Kids can be creatures of habit and they are more likely to want a cold lunch packed with love by mom than try to navigate unknown foods in a strange cafeteria line. So you pack them a box filled with familiar snacks and treats. But those packages of gummy snacks and yogurt aren’t self-opening and your child hasn’t mastered the art of doing it. Don’t worry. Lunchroom helpers are often parents also and are there to save the day until your child gets the hang of it.

Sharing, cooperation and inclusiveness are in the front of your mind. Will your child be caring and polite and welcoming to others and master the art of making friends? Of course they will!

And then there are the things that you REALLY hope you taught well enough but feel is out of your control. Lice and colds and germs and the flu and…yuk. So many surfaces that are touched and wiped with coughs and sneezes and whatever a finger might discover in a nose. That’s where Lysol steps in to help teachers and parents work together to teach children about properly washing hands and learning how to reduce the spread of the germs that cause these illnesses. Lysol® has partnered with the National Education Association (NEA) and National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), with health messages from the CDC, to launch the Healthy Habits Program.

By utilizing the resources provided, teachers and educators can prepare healthy habit lesson plans, create an activity calandar and even advise parents of recommended school supplies for the classrooms. Lysol has teamed up to help get the word out about germs because understanding how they are transmitted is key to minimizing the spread of cold and flu viruses. Lysol has been around for more than 100 years yet they are still committed to providing better cleaning products and hygiene solutions as part of their Mission for Health program. To supplement their educational programs, Lysol and Scholastic have partnered to create an elementary school reading level story book – Gina and the Germ Defeaters.

Many families are familiar with Lysol disinfecting sprays, but their line of wipes make cleaning a breeze, even for small hands. Whether a child does a spotless job of cleaning up their space or not, everything they do to reduce the germs lingering can help. They’re a perfect addition to any classroom in addition to being a handy cleaning tool to keep around the home.

My girls are well beyond kindergarten, but I still carry some of these worries along with me. Teaching healthy habits at school doesn’t end in kindergarten! Thankfully, Lysol offers a travel option that is perfect for backpacks and lockers! While I don’t encourage my girls to walk around spraying everything before they touch it, it’s nice to have on hand if they know they can clean things up a bit if the person who used the desk the period prior is under the weather.

It’s also great to hear that Lysol is participating in the Box Tops for Education program! With so many schools struggling with budget constraints, every penny counts and many rely on redemption programs to fill the budget gaps. The Box Tops program is like free money as long as families clip the labels from products on their shelves and in their pantries! Clipping doesn’t take long and those dimes add up quickly!

Teaching kids healthy habits at school is important but it doesn’t stick unless parents reinforce the habits at home. To help you get on track, Lysol is providing a prize package filled with products to encourage healthy habits! Swing by the Lysol Facebook page to see what other initiatives they are participating in then come back and enter to win the prize package!

Lysol Back to School Giveaway