Tuesday's Top Ten - Back To School Lists!

Top Ten Items that should be on the Back to School List

It’s that time of year, when the kiddos are getting ready to go back to school and teachers are asking for crazy things and crazy amounts of things for the school year. Parents are scrambling for the brand and type of glue sticks, crayons and folders teachers ask for, as well as the money to pay for it all. So I thought it would be kind of fun to think about the things that SHOULD be on the list. So here are my top ten:

10. Library Paste. When did that go by the wayside? There has been a lot of talk about hungry kids and poor nutrition in school lunches. The real reason? They don’t have library paste to eat anymore.

9. Fat Pencils. When’s the last time you saw a fat pencil? Do they still make them? Have they quit using them because they send the wrong message that it’s acceptable to be fat? Are they just calling them “gravity challenged” pencils now?

8. A compass. Kids can’t carry a plastic knife to divide a sandwich in their lunchbox anymore, but I remember when we had these metal things with a point that you could have shanked a convict with. Where’s our sense of adventure?

7. Book Satchels.  There was a time when our children carried a small bag with a handle, instead of a backpack worthy of a sherpa on an Everest expedition. Mark my words, if we don’t take the load off, we are gonna see a ton of kids with spine problems before they are 30.

6. Lunch Boxes. I’m talking about the cool metal ones, with a cartoon or movie character on the outside and a matching thermos on the inside. It’s not just for lunch- it’s an investment. Have you seen what a vintage lunch box brings at the antique mall? It beats the return on a savings bond!

5. Snacks for Recess. Do they even have recess anymore? If so, do they have snacks? I can’t figure out why they complain because kids don’t exercise, then take away the chance to play, and complain because kids are hungry and then take away the chance to grab a mid-morning snack while they are playing. Make up your mind….

4. Milk Cartons. The last time I looked, kids were getting their milk in a kind of clear plastic i.v. bag with a straw. We had real, honest to goodness milk cartons. The advantage was that they became instant craft supplies- a little tempra paint, some glue and a few scraps of felt and those lowly milk cartons became Easter baskets (when they still celebrated Easter), valentine mailboxes and buildings for small milk carton cities!

3. Pipe Cleaners. I think they still use these, but call them something else, because nobody’s dad sits around smoking a pipe and reading the paper anymore. But these things were awesome for making animals, bracelets, and handles for the afore mentioned milk carton Easter baskets.

2. A Recorder or a Flutophone.  These are basically the same little plastic instrument that could be bought for a couple of bucks, but I personally preferred the Flutophone, because the bell on the end made it look legit. Add to that a real elementary music program with somebody that will teach the kids to enjoy music. Oh Fran Powell, where are you when we need you?

1. Prayer. If we ever needed it before, we surely need it now. How does the same Supreme Court look at the same Constitution and interpret so differently over the course of a few decades that they have eliminated prayer, religion, and a fair amount of free speech from our children’s schools? By simply reading it the way they want to read it. Teach your kids that they answer to a higher court. Teach them to pray, no matter what, by starting at home…because that’s where the real learning happens.