The first day of school for my children is marked on our August calendar. My children will be glad to see their friends and get back into their school routines. Well, one of them will be happy; the other one is not so thrilled.
Back to school means I have several preparations to make. The lengthy list of school supplies is being gathered. I located disinfecting wipes, paper towels, crayons, folders, and pencils. Some of these items were quite hard to find last year! We are mostly ready to start a new school year.
Last year, my children were blessed to be able to attend in-person classes. The previous school year was a unique experience with many changes, but we made it through and adapted. This year is still not going to be normal by any means, but at least we have a year of new disruptions and rules under our belt.
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As the start of school gets closer, I have thought about some of the things I need for myself. While the children need many physical supplies, I need to pray about and look to God to help me with the things I need. Some of these include:
Patience: I need a new reservoir of patience daily. If my daughter doesn’t want to leave in the mornings, I need patience for the situation. When my child is eating breakfast as slow as humanly possible, I need to be patient. As I wait for a bus running late, patience needs to be overflowing in me.
Encouragement: When my daughter with special needs continues to struggle on certain skills, I need a new supply of encouragement. These skills will come. If they don’t, we’ll adapt. Whichever way things turn out, I need to find encouragement in the hard things and difficult days.
Grace: I need to have a bountiful supply of grace for other people. There will be a teacher or therapist who will not do something exactly as I would like. I need to be kind, forgiving, and understanding of others, especially while everyone’s “routine” is still challenged by the pandemic.
Flexibility: If last year taught me anything, it was that things can change quickly. I love schedules and routines, but those things cannot be guaranteed in a pandemic. I have to be willing to be flexible. I must have a good attitude when things change. I need to be willing to think about how I can make things work instead of automatically deciding that they won’t.
Yes, there are certainly things I will need to stock up on before school begins. I want to reflect God’s character and love as I parent my two children during this school year. I’m not attending school, but I have a significant role for my children who will be. I want to make sure the back-to-school list is absolutely complete.
Evana is a wife and mother of two children. She enjoys serving in her church’s special-needs ministry. Evana is also a pediatric speech-language pathologist and serves children with autism, feeding disorders, and other developmental delays. You can connect with Evana on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog, A Special Purposed Life. You can also read more about her family’s story in her book, Badges of Motherhood: One Mother’s Story about Family, Down syndrome, Hospitals, and Faith.
