No pressure for back to school frenzy

This is a sponsored review (a.k.a. I got paid for it!)

Even though I decided to homeschool my kids this year, I feel the back to school frenzy that sweeps WalMart aisles across the country.

The picture isn’t pretty. It’s as peaceful as sitting in front of the loudest speaker at a rock concert.

Flocks of children assault the aisles ready to grab new pencils, colors and lunch boxes with their ginormous claws. Parents restrain the wild ones, but their efforts are often fruitless. The crowd is rowdy and unforgiving.

A sound strategy is the only response to the war at hand.

Even though I homeschool my children, I have to get some of the same supplies other children get, if only because I’m so not crafty that I lack basic items like yarn, coloring paper or scotch tape.

When I go to the store with my five young daughters, I’m ready to get in and out as quickly as I possibly can. Like my military husband would tell me, I try to become one with my mission.

Some obvious tips:
Try to go early in the morning or later in the evening, not only are there fewer people but clerks are more willing help out.

Make sure you have your list ready and know where you’re going in the store, at least the general direction, wandering the frozen produce aisle in a frenzy won’t help you.

Stock up on strong liquor if you’re going to shop the day before school start.

If you can, leave younger children home or be ready to buy the same thing that big brother or sister is getting.

Let’s look at the bright side though.

Back to school can be stressful but it’s also fun. Kids really love to get their new shiny lunch boxes, their favorite Jona’s Brothers and Hannah Montana’s faces plastered all over the backpacks that’s twice their sizes. There’s nothing like the anticipation of meeting new friends and teachers, and in our case getting the new curriculum and meeting our homeschool friends.

The more you tell yourself that you’re going to go with the flow the easier it is, even when something goes wrong. Focus on the excitement of the new year, the possibilities and the opportunities for your kids and try to remember how exciting it was for you at their ages.

If all else fails, send daddy?

About This Post

It’s back-to-school time, and this year Sprite and TwitterMoms have partnered with bloggers like me to share back-to-school tips and tricks, advice, stories and more! Visit Sprite’s back-to-school channel on TwitterMoms to get helpful ideas, learn how to survive the back to school rush, seek out advice from other TwitterMoms and join the conversation. You can learn more about donating your My Coke Rewards Points to support your local school, how to enter for a chance to win some Back to School cash, check out recipes, or even play some fun games. Here’s to a successful and stress-free back to school season from Sprite and TwitterMoms!