Green Child Magazine Back-to-School 2012 | Page 5

from our publisher & editor A Second New Year For many parents, a new school year signifies the passing of time far more powerfully than changing the calendar on January 1. Whether it’s our baby starting kindergarten or our teen heading to high school… we tend to prepare ourselves for the big ones. But those smaller leaps can hit us unexpectedly. Realizing your 3rd grader is halfway through elementary school is enough to send the calmest parent into a panic that time is passing far too quickly. Add in the tasks of getting back into a routine, meal planning, organizing things that were neglected over the summer, plus nerves about the transition… and you might find the whole family on an emotional rollercoaster. Every family is different, but what works for us is giving ourselves plenty of grace. So while you’ll find plenty of green Back to School advice in this issue, I hope you’ll also spend some time enjoying the articles on family activities and ways to put simple routines in place for your mornings, packing lunches, and planning dinners. We only have 13 “first days” of school with each child. So go ahead and take her picture that morning, or make his favorite healthy dessert for dinner that night. Most of all, ask questions and LISTEN to how their day went. It’s the Second New Year, and I think we should celebrate it :) Amity ON THE COVER: Photo by Ana Schechter, Clothing by Tom and Drew Boys, Water Bottle by S’well 5