I love fall – sweater weather, fires, chili, the leaves changing, what’s not to love? What a beautiful time to improve your children’s language skills while enjoying fall activities and creating memories.

Some books just stick with you after you finish reading them. You remember the characters, the storyline, and the message long after you put it down.  Wonder is one of those books. 

There is so much to be grateful for if your kids are hot messes at the end of the day! It’s all about perspective, even when our patience as parents is wearing thin and we’re ready for the peace and quiet once their adorable, whiny heads hit the pillows.

If you are already in a rut packing lunches or are just looking for fresh ideas, here are some foods to send with your child!

Our reasons might be varied, but the sentiment is the same – back-to-school isn’t all fun times and freedom for emotional mothers. But take heart! There are steps you can take to beat the back-to-school blues.

Thinking about sending my baby off to kindergarten makes me want to rewind time and burst into tears!

It’s crazy how some days it feels like my children are listening to EVERY word a person says, yet other days they don’t seem to hear a word they are told. When my children repeat something I wish they weren’t saying, I start to question where they could have heard that from.

What I want to talk about is what to DO with all those school supplies.  There are such great deals available; if you can, buy extra.

So even though my 5-year-old can’t read on his own yet, he is ready for lengthier picture books and beginning chapter books.  I’ll start with some picture book suggestions and then break up chapter books into a couple of categories.

We started very simply when my daughters hunted for the first letters of their names by going on a “letter hunt.” I wrote the letter N on five star-shaped Post-it notes and the letter A on five more. I asked my girls to sit in a special spot out of view from the area I planned to hide the Post-its.