Welcome back to school! I can’t believe summer is over. We did our best to squeeze all the juice
out of it. For our family it was the summer of concerts.

In our last blog we talked about practicing kindness as kids. Time for the grownups!

First, let’s show some love to our unsung heroes: school bus drivers, lunch ladies and
custodians.

These are the people that have eyes on our children during times that really matter. School bus
drivers are there at the beginning and end and can make or break a day for a child. Lunch
ladies know if kids are getting enough to eat and custodians see exchanges in the hallway,
whether it’s bullying or acts of kindness. School is the only safe place for way too many children.

In addition to teachers, coaches and administrators—this team can truly make a difference for
physical and emotional well-being. So, three cheers for you and thank you for your hard work!

Next, our kids are watching us… Of the many virtues we have tried to instill in our own children
is to strive to be leaders and not followers. But do I model that? I think I need to do better. I can
improve, specifically when it comes to youth sports. We have a legitimate shortage of qualified
coaches and officials and it’s not because the pay is lousy. I mean… it is lousy, but the real
reason is parents. The parents can be horrible. They are critical of officials but also of the opposing
players. These are kids! The officials are practically volunteering their time because they love
the sport. I have seen behavior that is truly horrific. I would like to hope that I have never been
“that parent” but I need to model better leadership to my kids and do my part to shut that down
when it happens. Youth sports change lives and it would be a shame to see a child miss out on
that because of grownups behaving badly.

Last, give yourself a break. You’re going to drop the ball. I sent my daughter off on her first day
of high school today without lunch or lunch money. That was as swing and a miss! I feel like I
constantly walk around with my arms in the air shrugging like the little “shruggy” emoji. A mom
told me last week that she showed up at the wrong summer camp for her kid who was all ready
for a week of fun in the sun. That was a fiasco! Your kids might not have the coolest clothes but
hopefully they are warm and know they are loved. You may be a little late for pick-up after
soccer, but you showed up. It doesn’t matter if your kid doesn’t eat all his vegetables—he ate.

Be kind to the parent in front of you in the drop-off line in the morning. They are just doing their
best too and may be giving the last little pep talk to their kiddo who is having a hard time.
I can’t believe that we now have a Freshman and a Senior. That truly flew by! I hope that
everyone has a fantastic school year!

Be kind.

Ginny

Be sure to remember what “Momma Said” 😉 … https://youtu.be/L842mz-tNBQ?si=twLYtF7Zrdl_MHkT