CityView Magazine

16 August 2021 begins. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and hairbrushes grow legs and walk away in our home. If that happens to y'all, too, buy extra. CLOTHING e time is nigh to scour the internet for sales, take a quick peek at their school's dress code and drag them shopping. If you must purchase an abundance of new items, build a collection of interchangeable pieces. It is less expensive and easier to manage than an array of new "outfits." One caveat to this rule is fall picture day. If the flyer usually sends you scrambling, attend to it while held captive in the Belk dressing room. Evaluate your laundry area for fresh detergent, soener, fabric sheets and Shout Color Catcher sheets for new clothes. To simplify sorting, buy easily distinguishable undergarments for each child. Have a dress rehearsal the day before school starts and snap "first day" pictures, then. is is a great time for a pep talk, courtesy of Mrs. Carson: "Be excited!" she said. "A new year means new beginnings and fresh starts!" FUN? I asked my 12-year-old, who is never short on opinions, for back-to-school prep tips. Immediately, she expounded on the importance of accomplishing a summer "bucket list" I didn't even know she had. Nearly interrupting to rephrase my question, I hushed. Stop to smell the roses at the Fayetteville Rose Garden on the campus of Fayetteville Technical Community College. Take a slow drive down Smithfield Road to pick blueberries at Berry Blessed Farms. Go rock climbing. Go skating. Make a terrarium. Put together the big puzzle. Bake a three-tiered cake. Fill their lunchboxes, their closets, their bookbags. Fill their hearts and yours, too. Maggie Carson is a 27-year veteran first- grade teacher at Alma Easom Elementary School "The most important thing is to start the routine before school starts."

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