News

Navigating back-to-school days

Jamie Wiener

By Jamie Wiener, Published: August 12, 2025

The span of a school career really does fly by.

One minute you’re dropping your baby off at child care, giving their teacher a full report on their last feeding and diaper change, and the next you’re pulling up to the school drop-off line, desperately trying to stop the car fast enough for them to jump out and catch up with their friends—or they’re flying out the door to drive themselves.

And as every friend and family member before me has said: time flies.

Yes, it does—except in the summer if you’re a working parent with school-aged kids. Summertime means you’re in the thick of an elaborate childcare puzzle: piecing together camps, coordinating drop-offs and pickups that don’t line up, and juggling different needs for different ages. One week this summer, I was taking both kids to my office, then dropping one off at 8:45 (pickup at noon), then dropping the other at 1 (pickup at 4). Somewhere in the middle, we ended up in the McDonald’s drive-thru because I packed the wrong snacks, and I was late to at least two pickups and one work meeting that week.

Thank goodness for nearby grandparents, but even then, my brain was mush. I found myself counting the days until my youngest went back to school.

So, once again, it’s time for my annual ode to the absolute heroes: our teachers, and my favorite part — the year-round schedule. I truly couldn’t do life without both of these things.

Don’t get me wrong, the first day of third grade for my son made me a little weepy — but then I was reminded that he was in a classroom with his friends, kind teachers and a wonderful school administration team that’s looking out for his safety, his learning and his well-being.

There have been a few days at my office when some of our staff’s 2-year-olds were running around. While I can confirm we all smiled and laughed more during those days, productivity definitely took a hit. To our early childhood educators, you are the real MVPs. Changing diapers, feeding babies, giving   keeping our little ones safe is one of the most important jobs there is. Because of you, employees all over Henderson County can show up to work ready to take on their day, knowing their child is safe and well cared for.

And parents? I see you. You’re spending all the money on school supplies, downloading six different apps just to stay in touch with every teacher and coach, signing all the permission slips and acknowledgment forms—and on top of that, you somehow managed summer schedules, summer expectations, and life in general.

If you’re starting to feel a little overwhelmed by the back-to-school hustle, take a second and remember the joy of picking out your favorite folder when you were a kid. I like to imagine myself listening to Candy Rain by Soul for Real on repeat, organizing my whole life into my Trapper Keeper, imagining it could somehow keep everything about my life under control.

And while I am excited to get back into the set schedule that school brings, the reset to the back-to-school routine can be a tough one. I’ve started prepping my teenager now that her bedtime and screen time will be vastly different in a couple of weeks.

Adjusting sleep schedule, getting back to the reality of homework, managing friendships, sticking to routines and setting limits on screen time is a lot to adjust all at once. If you could use a little support navigating any of it, we’re here to help. Call us at 828-698-0674 and ask for Becki Woolf (beckiw@childrenandfamily.org).

And if school supplies are feeling out of reach this year, you’re not alone. Thankfully, our generous community is full of Back-to-School drives. Give us a call and we’ll help connect you to the resources you need.

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Jamie Wiener is executive director of the Children & Family Resource Center.