I know you are probably not going to want to
hear this... especially since we are smack bang in the middle of enjoying our leisurely
carefree days with no arguing over homework, or piles of school uniforms
taunting us about how they need to be ironed, stinky school shoes and sports
shoes trying to suffocate us with their stench and lovingly packed lunches left
uneaten just begging for a lecture (that no one will pay any attention to)
about homeless people who are starving and would hand over their left kidney to
be able to eat that lunch etc etc…
I almost feel kinda bad shattering your relaxed
state of mind by saying this but…
ummm sorry to tell you -the school year is sniffing at
your tail.
Then again maybe you are ready to pluck your
eyelashes out if you have to hear “I’m bored” one more freaking time, or perhaps you are
at the point where you are seriously contemplating renting your squabbling
children out to a Family Planning Clinic for a new age teenage birth control
experimental program.
Maybe you are SO ready for school to go back
that you have had to physically stop yourself from driving the kids to school
and banging on the door begging for someone to spare you.
Either which way, school is on the horizon
whether we are ready or not.
It only seems like last year that I arrived at
the school gates with a fresh little newbie in his shiny new shoes, an
oversized uniform and a backpack that threatened to topple him if he dared to
stand still for mere seconds. I remember reluctantly allowing myself to be led
from the classroom in a blubbering mess to leave him to begin his educational
journey.
It didn't help that I was eleven months pregnant
which meant my hormones were raging and it took a good seven days for the
swelling to ease around my eyes and at least three months before I managed to
get through a day where I didn't do a drive by stalking at lunch time in the
hope I might spot my little learner playing happily in the playground.
The years have flown by since then, and I now
have all three squids at school, the fresh little newbie is heading into year
nine (hold me) and still not a day goes by that I don't ply them with the usual
end of day questions - “Who
did you eat lunch with? Who did you play with? and… Did you learn anything new today?”
I can’t help myself, and despite knowing full well that the responses I’ll get will be nothing more than a
ferocious eye roll from the teenager, and a chorus of “I don’t knows, I can’t remember and nothing much” from the other two, I
still insist on asking them… pretty much every single
day.
For two of my kids, going back to school is no
biggie. In fact they kind of look forward to it because HELLO - Social life and
all that.
For the youngest though, he’s not entirely thrilled about the prospect.
Motivation isn't exactly oozing from any part of him… in fact motivation is kind of non existent
all together and so for the few weeks before school goes back we use the old back
to school shopping as a form of bribery to convince him that ‘it isn’t all that bad.'
I was pretty much the same as my youngest when I
was a kid. Whilst I can’t actually remember
my first day of school, I do recall that school wasn't really my favourite way
to pass a day and the only thing that would give my parents any relief from the
back to school suffering I put them through towards the end of the Christmas
school holidays was the annual trip to buy our school supplies.
This is when I would play them hard and insist
that only the cutest smelliest erasers, pens and pencil tins would do and I
would simply die if I was forced to
go back to school in anything but these…
Of course there was no way in hell either my
parents or my strict catholic school for that matter were going to let me rock
up to school in a pair of Doc Martins and so I resigned myself to the fact that
the only thing my wide platypus feet would fit into were a pair of sensible no
nonsense lace ups.
I couldn't even go for the petite Mary Jane
style buckle ups that were my back up choice because my hideous hoofs were anything but petite.
Thankfully, for both us and our kids there are
loads of choices these days when it comes to school shoes and what if I told
you that there is even a clever shoe that has the almighty power to keep your
kid’s feet looking and
smelling fresh?
It’s
true! Seriously no more stench suffocation thanks to Clarks Fresh Steps. These clever shoes have a built in hi-poly antibacterial footbed that
helps reduce odours and prevent bacterial and fungal growth! These shoes also
come in a range of sizes to fit any foot; music to my ears for this mum of
boys.
Clarks shoes are school proof and have a shoe to
suit every size and shape of foot and a style to appease even the fussiest of
schoolies. With over 170 years of caring for our kid’s feet, Clarks specialist trained fitters can carry out a 10 step
check to find the Perfect Fit for your child’s feet.
From the Mighty Tuff -
designed to minimise scuffs and last longer than standard leather shoes and the
Machine Washable Cross Hype to the Dual Fit Sports - an all purpose leather shoe
that is designed for both playground play and classroom style, with velcro
straps that have a removable innersole so that as your child feet grow, so do
the shoes, a visit to a Clarks store will allow you to cross one back to school chore off your list with
the minimum of fuss.
Clarks totally get it, they understand what
school shoes are all about and they understand the struggles that often play
out between parents wanting the best for their kids feet and quality for their
money and kids wanting comfort and style and whats on trend. Consider them as a
reliable mediator who are not only known as the original school shoes in Australia,
but have the reputation as the best…
and for good reason too.
FYI, Clarks has got an
Instagram and Facebook competition that’s so simple and gives
you the chance to win a pair of Clarks for your child’s entire class! This
is what you have to do:
2. Share your School Proof Tip with them
and tag @clarksaustralia and #SchoolProofTips for your chance to win!
It’s that easy!
Rightio, I have to go pack... we are heading away tomorrow for a bit of a getaway. See you at the beach!
Do you have a newbie starting school this year?
What can you remember about your first day of school?
I Smell Change In The Air
