Win these office supplies from Cynthia Rowley & Staples. Details on our Facebook page
Whether it’s shopping for school supplies, picking out the first-day outfit, or packing lunches, going back to school can be exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, teacher or parent the pressure affects everyone in the family. Add on after school activities, learning a new schedule, and carpool rotations and it would make anyone feel overwhelmed. Often times, family time gets pushed aside because of the chaos. Family Entourage Co-founder, Mei Ling Nazar recently attended a Back to School event hosted by Staples. If you’re an aspiring celebrity, professional athlete, or like us the “average family,” we’ve come up with these 5 tips to help families connect amidst the chaos of going back to school.
- Make family dinner time a priority. It can be take out or a 3-course meal, just use the time to see how everyone is doing, laugh together and create a space where family members can share what is going on. From setting the table to cutting the vegetables or taking out the trash, have family members help out. Lori Loughlin aka “Aunt Becky” on Full House, Fuller House and Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart, talked about how their family gathers around the dinner table no matter how busy they are.
Full House, Fuller House and When Calls the Heart star Lori Loughlin
“It’s living one day at a time and living in the moment. I am incredibly busy right now. I am thankful for the all of the work. But it is making the most of that down time and carving out that family time. One of the things that we always did and still continue to do is to make family dinner a priority, which has kind of gone by the
wayside. I did that with my family growing up. My husband did that with his family. We always thought this a great way for the family to be together. It is a great way to check in, hear their thoughts, feelings, what is going on in their lives. It’s about being conscious and making the most of your time and that down time.”
2. Give back as a family. Set aside time in September or October to do a community-service project together as a family. From serving at a soup kitchen to doing a beach clean up, there are many organizations that have on-going volunteer opportunities. It might even be something you consider doing on a regular basis. If you are facing some pushback, allow the kids to bring a friend. They might be more inclined to go. After volunteering, take time as a family to discuss what you saw, learned and how it impacted you. Also, consider being a part of Staples’ Donor Choose program, which provides school supplies for educators and students in need.
Volleyball player and model Gabby Reece
3.Don’t be afraid to say, “No.” You don’t have to do every single activity, sport or event. It is important especially in the beginning of the school year to do a
few things and do them well rather than commit to everything and feel overwhelmed. Remember, as the year goes on, responsibilities and
commitments with those activities usually increase.
4. Help your family be the best that they can be! U.S. Volleyball player and model, Gabby Reece shared at the event about her advice on how stud
nts can be the best that they can be.
“It’s hard to know when you are young. Those sound like words. But [for adults], we understand the meaning behind that. For example, if I’m talking to a group of athletes, I try to remind them that, if you get to do this, first of all you should enjoy yourself but second of all, you’re really fortunate. And then I say, you happen to be the best one and you are actually the most fortunate. I try to flip it and have them see the opportunity, whatever the ‘it’ is. I had my kids watch Waiting for Superman, for them to understand just to go to a school you have the opportunity to and what a gift that is. It should be all of our rights, but to see other kids have to fight for that right.”
5. Don’t stress, instead shine! Whether it is the bathroom mirror, chalkboard, or a dry erase board, write encouraging notes and quotes to your family. It is a simple reminder to focus on the positive, rather than dwell on the negative. It can also be a great discussion starter for dinnertime conversation. Allow family members to participate by finding quotes and helping write them out. You can even sneak the quotes into school lunches by writing them on napkins.
Get your shine on with supplies from Staples
Family Entourage also got a sneak peek of some of this season’s must haves for back-to-school supplies and heard about how Staples is giving back to educators and schools in need through their Donor Choose program. Forget about your boring pens and pencils. There are so many options to choose from! We loved Staples metals and metallic line including a silver backpack from Cynthia Rowley perfect for students of any age including mommies! To celebrate this fun time of year, we are giving one lucky reader a back to school prize pack complete with some fun school/office supplies by Staples and Cynthia Rowley including a backpack, gold dry-erase board, gold pen, gold stapler, composition notebook and more!
Check out our Instagram for details and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss out on other giveaways.
To learn more about helping teachers and students or to apply for funding, visit, Donor Choose.
To watch the entire Staples Back to School with interviews from Lori Loughlin and Gabby Reece click here.
To enter to win our Back to School giveaway, visit our Facebook page.
Giveaway runs from 10/10/2016 9AM (PST) until 10/17/2016 9AM (PST) winner will be announced on 10/17/2016. This giveaway is open to all US residents and is in no way related to Facebook or Instagram. Void where prohibited. Prize includes what is shown in picture (blue backpack, file folder, dry erase board, stapler, 2 notebooks, pencil case and pens)
