Since I posted a bunch of great back-to-school fashions for little girls yesterday, it's only fair that I post something similar for little boys today, right? I used to think that boys' clothes were nowhere near as fun as girls' clothes - and that may be true for dressy clothes, but for everyday, casual wear, it definitely isn't any more. Boys have cool cargo pants, awesome graphic tees, and fun sweatshirts and jackets. And here are some of the best - and the cheapest.
My daughter is generally capable of putting together an outfit that is reasonably coordinated; my son, however, will throw on anything he can find, whether or not it matches (and whether or not it's clean, for that matter). So these pre-matched sets are great. Minions go with minions, lions with lions, Batman with Batman. Even my fashion-challenged son can manage that. And for $11-$13, you can fill his closet with these goof-proof sets from Burlington Coat Factory.
Boys go through tee-shirts like nobody's business, both in terms of having them always be in the laundry, and in terms of ripping or staining them past wearability. So stock up on these solid, striped, and print tees from Old Navy, at $6 or $8 each.
My son is very hard on pants - not to mention that he outgrows them very quickly! So this is another item we stock up on. Since he sometimes struggles with buttons and zippers, I love these elastic-waist cargo pants from Old Navy. $17 a pair.
Speaking of graphic tees, head over to Macy's for a ton of graphic tees for $7 each. Not only the Avengers, TMNT, Spiderman, and Star Wars, but Super Mario, Finding Dory, Lego, and lots more. You'll definitely find your boy's favorites here!
And if you want something warmer, JC Penney has great long-sleeved graphic shirts for $12 each. Stock up on Spiderman, Batman, Star Wars, the Avengers, Lego, Sonic the Hedgehog, Teen Titans, Paw Patrol, TMNT, and more.
But if you're at the other end of the spectrum and want something cooler, Kohl's has a collection of cotton shorts from $8-$12. Casual enough for comfort but a bit dressier than athletic shorts, these rugged shorts are the perfect balance between the ratty loose shorts he wants to wear and the crisp, dressy shorts you'd like him to wear. And most important, they have nice, deep pockets for whatever he might find out on the playground and need to bring home with him!
You remember this commercial, don't you? The first time you heard it, I'm sure you wondered why the TV was playing Christmas music in August (or, more likely, July). But then you watched this exuberant dad riding through the aisles of Staples on his shopping cart, happily buying back-to-school supplies for his stonefaced children to the refrain of the Christmas song, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." The clear implication being, of course, that parents see the first day of school as being even more wonderful than Christmas.
I got it, but I never REALLY got it until this year, when I actually WILL be sending both my children off to school at 8am on Tuesday, August 30th. (And yes, I do know exactly how many days, hours, and minutes it is until then.)
Don't get me wrong: I love my kids, and I love spending time with them. But after nearly 7 years of stay-at-home parenthood, I need a break. THEY need a break. Sure, they've gone to nursery school and gymnastics and dance classes and playdates and all kinds of other activities that have gotten them out of the house and listening to other adults besides me. But there's something different about school.
I think it's because school is an unavoidable, long-term commitment. Nursery school lasts for only two or three years; kids may eventually lose interest in gymnastics and dance or turn to other interests; playdates and friends will change over time. But school will take up the majority of their time and focus for the next 13 years. How they perform over those 13 years will shape their futures.
It's a pretty big deal.
I will no longer be the primary educator and disciplinarian in their lives. From 8am until 3pm every weekday, someone else will make and enforce the rules. They will have multiple new authority figures who are not Mom or Dad. That is a huge change for them and for me.
I'm confident that they'll deal well with the change. I've given them a solid base of self-confidence, personal skills, and curiosity which should serve them well in a school setting. They have respect for authority, interest in learning, and a friendly outlook. I've spent the past 5+ years preparing them for this moment.
But no-one's been preparing me.
For the past 7 years, a huge part of my identity has been being a stay-at-home parent. My JOB was to be a parent. And I was on call 24/7 at that job. Yes, I have an awesome co-worker, but he has a full-time job of his own, so I was the primary on this job. And my hours have suddenly been slashed. I'm still pretty important, but I suddenly find myself with unassigned time to be filled. And I'm not quite sure what to do with that.
Maybe I'll get a job outside the home. Maybe I'll find work I can do from home. Maybe I'll finally write that best-seller that my husband is convinced I have inside me. I just don't know. It's a little terrifying, but it's also a little exciting.
And it's very definitely the most wonderful time of the year.
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