Five on Friday: Kidspeak These Days

Here's a fun game, adults! Try to choose the correct meaning of the phrases I have recently heard my teenage sons say:

1. Waking up is such an L

    a. Waking up every day with a roof over my head, clothes to wear and food to eat is such a privilege that I am eternally grateful for

    b. Why does High School have to be so damn early?

2. On god

    a. Facts

    b. Let's take up fencing, but with a British accent

3. Straight litty

    a. Very cool

    b. Vertical and tiny

4. This pasta slaps

    a. I can totally hit you with this item intended for consumption

    b. A tray of this vodka penne made to feed about 25 people wasn't quite enough, more please Mom.

5. The back of your sweatshirt drips so hard

    a. Dude, ever hear of an umbrella?

    b. The graphic design on the reverse side of your sweatshirt is visually appealing to me.

Some folks memorialize their kids' childhoods by bronzing their baby shoes, I do it by writing pithy weekly blog posts.

ANSWER KEY: 

1-b (but surely they also mean a)

2-a 

3-a 

4-b 

5-b

Five on Friday: Back in My Wheelhouse

I won't ever feel comfortable using the term "post-pandemic" since I've been burned before thinking this might be over. I believe now it's something we'll perpetually live through with various breakthroughs and occasional setbacks. 

Will we need to wear our masks indoors again soon and at times in the future? Sounds like that might be a yes. But since we're continually adapting, evolving and returning to doing things we love, I'm okay with that. When I look at our lives, almost everything has gotten back to a near-normal state: work, school, shopping, going out, traveling . . . 

One of the only things I hadn't gotten back to was my seasonal part-time work of leading school tours at the local historic mill. As time passed, I began to wonder if leading tours was something I wanted to get back to or not. Then in December, I led a private tour for a friend's visiting family and remembered how much I love interacting with kids that way. So when the email came asking who was in for giving tours this spring, I looked at my busy schedule and my never-ending to-do list and said, "Count me in!"

I'll admit, I had a few lingering doubts about whether or not this was a good idea or not . . . but if there are any divine forces out there trying to convince me to keep at it, they were hard at work yesterday. 

1. The weather was PERFECT. The buildings on the museum grounds are old, not insulated and don't have heat. So even if the temperature is a mild mid-60s outside, inside is very cold and I hate cold. But yesterday it was in the 70s by 9 am, which I loved. The sun was bright, the skies were blue, it was just lovely.

2.  As the buses pulled up and the kids began spilling out, it occurred to me: this isn't just my first school tour in three years, this is their first field trip in three years. This made the day feel that much more special and exciting.

3. All of my old friends were there! Other guides I haven't seen in years, of course, but it was also comforting to see the animals have kept their routines: a goose has a nest on the millrace wall again and the snapper turtle family is still hanging out by the turbine.

4. The kids were terrific. I was a little worried they wouldn't remember how to behave on a field trip but they were polite, engaged and fun. Bonus: the chaperones (who can frequently be worse than the kids, believe it or not) were also wonderful.

5. There were some challenges, like there always are, but all my old tricks came right back to me. Lead the kids through a building that hasn't been part of the tour before? Got it. Bus arrives twenty minutes late but  the four groups of kids still need to be done by noon? No problem.

So I guess you could say (ready for a little docent humor?) it felt really good to be back in my wheelhouse. 

I can't even look you in the eye that was so corny.

Five on Friday: This Year's Back-to-School "Must Haves"

Just like everyone else, our back-to-school checklist looks a lot different this year. Since none of our kids are going to school in person (at least not yet: the younger three are working towards a hybrid schedule and I really hope they get to get into school, even if for just a week or two), we don't even need to stock up on face masks and sanitizer yet. 

But we still have five students (ages 10-19) starting their school years learning remotely all under one roof. So what are our family's back-to-school "must haves" this year? 

They include:

1. Noise cancelling headphones for the college freshman with a downstairs bedroom, a noisy family and an intense workload.

2. Frozen burritos and packages of ramen noodles for the two college students to have an easy, quick lunch option as well at the illusion of a more regular college experience.

3. A steady stream of easy-to-grab snacks for all five students.

4. Two new desks and sneaky spots to squeeze them into for improved work stations. Last spring's quickly put-together folding table in the family room got the job done but wasn't sustainable.

                                         Wasted space + free desk = learning nook!

5. A Mom who has offered her services to the children to not be entirely at their beck and call, but very willing to help them fetch that snack or burrito, find them a charging cord or refill their water bottles. Because while they may have their nooks and technology and amazing teachers doing the best they can under the circumstances, remote learning just isn't anybody's favorite around here. Since I can't do anything to change the situation, I can grab that granola bar for them.

Five on Friday: Advice from a Pacifist Passivist

The last week or two have been hard for an optimist. Well, the last three months have been, really, but the last week or two have taken the cake. Because when you’re an optimist and activist and have two Black boys with ever-increasing height and deepening voices . . . it’s hard to be hopeful.

The result is that I’ve been taking a slightly more passive role in exercising my activism lately. (A passive activist? Does that make me a passivist? A pacifist passivist?) At the same time, many people have been turning to me for input and advice. So while you may not have seen me at last night’s protest, I did act as a consultant in its planning.  

As a person who is used to being very visible in my activism, this is different for me and at first felt a little strange and somewhat ineffective. But when I saw this, it soothed me, so I shared it on my page and I will share it here again:

As people continue to turn to me for advice, the optimist can’t help to find hope trying its hardest to trickle back in. I can’t ever remember this many people reaching out to me for advice at once before. Something is different this time and not just in my circle of friends. Local authority figures and organizations have never made this many public statements surrounding a Black man’s murder at the hands of the Police before, though there have been countless opportunities. At least 1,000 people marched in last night's local protest even though we've only ever gotten a handful at similar events in the past.

This doesn’t make everything better or my worries for my children dissipate, but it does strengthen me. I embrace my new role as a more behind-the-scenes activist and hope that people continue to reach out to me for advice. I am far from an expert but am happy to share the knowledge I have been able to gain and welcome discussion.

If I were to give general advice on what a person new to the world of anti-racism work could do, I would narrow it down to these five things:

1. VOTE. You hear this one again and again, but can we move it away from lip service please and break it down into how exactly this can be effective? First of all, make sure you are registered and you know how and when to vote (some dates have changed due to the pandemic) Do you want to vote by mail because of COVID concerns? It’s time to figure that out. Now. Most importantly: voting is not going to help if we continue to elect politicians that support white supremacist policies and actions. Use your vote wisely.

2. If you are raising white children, talk to them about race and racial disparities. There are so many resources online to guide you, including this list of book ideas.

Additionally, strive to include books on their bookshelves that include People of Color as main characters and NOT just as heroes in stories of slavery or civil rights. Read books where they are main characters, kids like them whose skin (or gender or abilities) are  a different color than their own.

3. If you are not raising any children, apply all of the above to yourself but swap out the above suggested reading with this list instead.

Not much of a reader? Watch instead. There's so much available online, including Just Mercy which is free this month.

4. Be brave and forthright in your conversations. When I was performing with The Meta Theatre Company we’d hear from white audience members again and again: “I don't speak up because I am afraid of saying the wrong thing.” 

I implored them then and you now to say SOMETHING. Even  “I am not sure what exactly to say here but I know this is wrong, please stop” is a million times better than allowing racist behavior or language to go unchecked. We are all learning how to be effective anti-racists together. We all make mistakes. We must be receptive and willing to learn when People of Color point out our mistakes. We will learn and try harder. We will inspire others to be courageous.

5. "Racism isn’t getting worse, it’s getting filmed."

Would you have the courage to film? Do you know how to safely do it? Prepare yourself in advance in case the moment ever comes up. Here's some advice and here's one app to help you do it.

*PLEASE REMEMBER:

I am not Black. 

I am not an anti-racist scholar.

I am a white anti-racist, continually-learning Mother of Black (& white) children. I can only be a sounding board, a stepping stone, a sharer of resources. Thank you for reaching out. Thank your marching. But please now, pick a lane and help us keep things moving in the right direction.

Five on Friday: That Escalated Quickly

Hey friends . . . that escalated quickly, huh? How’s everyone doing out there adjusting to our collective new isolated reality? My family has every privilege and convenience for getting through this and I can still find it completely overwhelming to think about at times.

So, if you know me, you know that means it’s time for some gratitude and maybe a little humor:

1. Oh, these kids! They are doing great so far. I am really, really proud of them. I’m thankful for their willingness to adapt, for their teachers and administrators for making this as smooth as possible on very little notice, for the technology that keeps them real-time learning from their educators and laughing with their friends.

2. "Mom can I have a play date with (insert name of a child who has been terribly mean to my child so I don't know why she wants to be her friend and she most certainly will not ever have a play date with) ?" 

"Sorry, honey, Governor says no play dates"

  

3. Sometimes they go to their rooms for more privacy during class. Sometimes they are too lazy for stairs and then I find ridiculous scenes like this:

4.  I'm also grateful for the many wonderful massive road and camping trips we've taken as a family, I feel like those experiences have really provided for us many tools for spending extended periods of time together, entertaining each other and being resourceful.

5.  Me: "Did you . . . uh, get dressed today or did you sleep in that?"

12-year-old son: "I changed! I put these pants on this morning."

Me: "Okay. Sometimes it's hard to tell with you."

Him: "But I don't have a shirt under this sweatshirt . . . oh yeah and no underwear."

Five on Friday: Best Quotes from the School Tour Season

Teaching is a career I had considered but didn't pursue. Being a tour guide provides me with the opportunity to work with kids and get them excited about learning, which is something I really enjoy.

I never have to lesson plan or grade papers. I also get a brand new crop of kids every day (twice a day, usually, with how the schedule works) and I never know what to expect out of them. 

Now that the season is wrapping up, it's the perfect time to look back on the most memorable moments with kids this year:

1. I'm not sure why, but I've had more than one kid comment on my hair--I don't think it's that unusual? I'm not sure what's so fascinating about it to them. This year, a young boy asked me repeatedly if my hair was a wig. He was 100% serious and I eventually bent down to let him tug at it which was a bit of mistake since he pulled kind of hard, but at least he stopped asking me after that.

2. While walking from one building to the next . . .

Second grader: “Have you seen Back to the Future?”

Me: “Heck yeah!”

Him: “They could film Back to the Future Four here with the Mill and the Blacksmith shop and everything. Just saying.”

Me: “You might be on to something. I’ll write to Hollywood.”

Him: “It’d only cost 30 grand.”

3. In the schoolhouse, one of the 5th graders wrote "YEET" on his slate board. I asked him if he could tell me what it means, since my own kids can't seem to define it.

"Well, it means . . . it means yeet."

Yeah, that's what my kids said too. Thanks for the clarification, kid.

Only picture of the school house I have, my daughter and me in a photo taken for a special event

4. First graders are the worst when it comes to wildly raising their hands to ask a question that turns out to be a comment along the lines of "My cousin? She went on vacation? And this year I'm going with her."

It makes it very hard to keep the tour on track. So when I was explaining that the double turbine water wheel actually generated electricity for the town in the early 1900s and got a wild hand-raiser, I almost didn't call on him. 

But I did and he asked, "Isn't electricity and water not supposed to go together??"

I was not expecting that at all. Had to take a few seconds and then admit, "Well. Yes."

5.  The best kid quote of the season, by far: 

"That was an excellent learning trip and I can't believe my teacher spent so much time on the phone missing it."

Ah, out of the mouths of babes. Maybe that teacher needs to brush up on my tips for chaperones before coming back next year . . .

 

Five on Friday: School Trip Season! Chaperoning Pro Tips from a Tour Guide

This is my 4th year working as a tour guide and workshop leader (that means I get to do things like dress in costume and make candles) for school field trips at a local historic site.

When the tours are over, the kids pile back on the bus and then wave to us wildly through the windows. The tour guides stand together smiling and waving back . . . and unloading to each other about the problems experienced during that day's tour. Very frequently, chaperoning parents were part of the problem and rarely part of the solution.

If you've volunteered to chaperone a school trip this spring, here are some tips to keep your tour guide from complaining about you as the bus drives away:

1. Please don't talk while the tour guide is talking. This means on the phone or to other parents. If you have an urgent situation, step away to carry on your conversation.  I wish I didn't have to say this.

2. If you're the only other adult in the group--sometimes it happens that teachers have to divide their time between groups leaving only the tour guide and chaperone--please help if it is an unruly bunch. Most tour guides know how to handle kids but it's always helpful when another adult--particularly one who might know some of the kids' names*--can pitch in.

(*Otherwise we're all, "My little friend in the blue shirt, can I have your attention please?")

3.  Don't hand out hand warmers  to every single kid while the tour guide is speaking. (And it's not like we were touring the tundra. They could have just put their hands in their pockets.)

4. This one is for some Dads: stop giving all the Dad Chaperones a bad name by being loud, disruptive and rambunctious. You're there to have fun with your kid and help when needed. You don't have to become BFFs with every single first grader on the trip.

5. Lastly is the complaint heard almost every single tour: When the tour guide asks a question to the group during the tour: DO NOT ANSWER. THESE QUESTIONS ARE FOR THE CHILDREN. We are all super proud of you for knowing that builders in the early 1800s couldn't go to Home Depot to get lumber, but we really wanted to hear what the kids thought about that.

Five on Friday: I Was Life-Coached. And I Liked It.

Last week a friend of mine asked if I would attend a workshop she was holding, it had sort of a life coach-y vibe. I'll admit I'm usually the type that rolls her eyes at such events but my friend needed a practice audience so I gladly attended.

I don't want to sound like a total jerk with that whole eye rolling thing; it's just that I'm a naturally motivated person so when I want to make a change in my life I normally just figure out how I'm going to do it. Except that one thing, of course . . . and after the presentation when my friend asked us all to write down something we wanted to work on, I knew just what mine would be.

Get back to memoir writing.

I thought she might have meant things more like "figure out a new career" or "make my marriage happier" but this was really what I've been struggling with.

I started out so strong at the beginning of the year and kept exceeding my monthly word count for myself. I was worried about the summer but I was way over my goals by then so I got lax. And after our road trip, I just stalled. Could. Not. Get. Back. To. It.

Granted, my days are full from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep. But I had gotten to 30,000+ words with the same sort of hectic schedule already, so why couldn't I get back to it now?

For today's Five On Friday list, here are some things my friend taught me and the goals she encouraged me to set for myself. Thank you, Susan.

1. She taught us about the regrettably named "Five Second Rule" It has nothing to do with floor cereal (which you may remember, I have no problem with). It has to do with making a conscious effort to NOT talk yourself out of something. For example, when I finally get to sit down on the couch at night and relax, and I think, "I should work on my memoir," I should immediately make the decision that YES I should before I can talk myself out of it. Which brings me to goal #1: Say yes.

2. So the thing about saying yes to writing or any other creative endeavor is that sometimes things just don't flow. But lately I'm not even trying, I just assume I'm too tired. I realized I have to at least give it a chance and that there are things I can do that don't require a muse. Things like these other goals:

3. Touch base with those people who agreed to be early readers and I said "maybe in about a month" and then they never heard from me again. That's a job I could do at night while lazing on the couch. (*Note: I still haven't. But I will!)

4. Bring some articles and photos to work to scan. At night I can always trim and add them in where they belong. (*I have done this!)

5. Pick up Sherman Alexie's new memoir and get to reading. ("Oh, good," Susan said, "Looking for mentors!"  I might just have to add my life coach to that list too.)

A picture of real me really writing could go here but it'd be pretty boring . . . because it'd just be me in my pajamas on the couch.  But this metaphorical mermaid me, tattoo and all, painted by my daughter a few years ago, makes a lovely finishing touch.

Five On Friday: Lessons from Working

Working as a tour guide and workshop leader for school groups at a local historic site, I've actually learned way more than five things in the past few weeks. I'm so fascinated but human ingenuity and resourcefulness . . . and don't even get me started on the myriad uses for limestone!

But this blog is all about me, you know, so my list is going to reflect that:

1. I've learned which shoes are okay for wearing out on my feet all day and which ones not so much.

2. There's been an  addition of new words in my lexicon like "coworker" and "abecedarian"

3. I'd been on a good fitness kick before starting this job and recently increased my almost daily 3 mile jogs just a tiny bit more so I could say I started my day with a 5K. But on the mornings I have to get out to work I only have about 20 minutes to exercise. An amazing thing began to happen--knowing I had a shortened run, I began running faster. Much faster!  I never knew I could run this fast! (But my 8- and 10-year-old track star sons are still way faster than me.)

4. Another lesson from the running analogy: I can run that fast because it's only for one or two miles. Likewise, I have been managing to still juggle it all (the kids, their activities, keeping the house clean, making most of what we eat from scratch,  etc) without dropping any balls. However, this job is short, it's only going to last another few weeks of school field trip season. If it was much longer than that, I'd really have to slow down.

5.  I make a cute Colonial lady but one that is much better at candle making than using a drop spindle to spin wool.

Five on Friday: Pro Tips--Holidays with the Kids

 Overwhelmed by the upcoming holidays? 

I can help.

 I've learned a thing or two in the past fourteen years as a parent and I'm going to share some of my knowledge with you today. Most are Christmas-specific but the first three could be easily applied to other holidays as well.

1. Want to get all of the kids smiling at the same time for a holiday photo? Have someone stand behind the photographer and moon the kids. (At least that's how we got our best holiday picture ever . . . and on THE VERY FIRST TRY)

2. If you see something super cheap or free and you *think* your kid might like it, get it. Then start talking up how great one of those things are and how they should TOTALLY ask for one this year.

3. Never, ever take out the holiday decorations with the kids present. You know there's going to be some kind of really ugly, falling apart, jingle bell taped to a paper plate project that your kid won't remember if you chuck it . . . but if they see it, they will insist it is their most beloved thing EVER. You can put everything back in the box once you weed it out so the kids get the joy of unloading it with you.

4. Screw the Elf on the Shelf. Too much commitment. Instead, make sure you've got Santa's number on your phone for emergency threats in moments of bad behavior desperation.

5. Got cousins? Get Secret Santa. Cuts down on the spending, consumerism and chaos.

Five of Friday: Best Things the Kids Are Thankful for (So Far)

Every November we make a big featherless paper turkey and for some unknown reason the kids give him a food name (Cheeseburger or Bacon, for example. This year it's named Waffle. My youngest wanted to name it "Frozen" after the movie and I thought "Frozen Turkey" was funny but we were voted down.)

We also cut out paper feathers and leave them with some pens in the dining room. After dinner, we write things we're thankful for and then stick the feathers to the turkey.

Waffle the Turkey

Waffle is looking nice and full already even though we still have two weeks until Thanksgiving. My favorite feathers so far are:

1. Carrots. This guy just LOVES his carrots.

"I am thankful for carrots because I can snap them loud."

2. Every one my youngest has dictated for someone else to write for her. She starts off each one with, "I'm thank you for . . ." 

3. The other night we were playing a really silly game at the dinner table with lots of giggling. I finished eating so quietly began writing on my feather and then B and then Daddy-O did the same. A minute later we realized we all wrote pretty much the same thing:

"I'm thankful for family games" "I am thankful for family games at dinner time" "I am thankful for fun family games"

4.  He may or may not be talking about me, but I like this one that Daddy-O wrote either way.

"I am thankful for a strong female role model for my children"

5. Last night after dinner Z asked if we could write on our feathers but there was only one left. I didn't feel like cutting more right then so I suggested a group effort and we came up with this:

Five on Friday: Wintering With the Wild Child (or Five. A Survival Guide)

 Once when my older two children were ages three and four, it was a late winter day and they were happily playing in the play room. I told them that I was going out to dump the compost and that I'd be right back in. I went out the back door, down the hill and dumped the compost. I tried walking back in and realized that the hill was so icy that I actually could not get back up.

Though I will admit I'm prone to hyperbole, I swear to you it took me a solid twenty minutes to get back in the house. I was honestly starting to wonder each time that I stepped forward a foot and slid back three if I should try shouting for help.

When I got back in, they were still playing and hadn't even noticed my prolonged absence.

The thought of that happening with my three younger children makes me shudder in fear with the thought of what the state of my house would be if there were left alone for twenty minutes in the winter. These children are ACTIVE. When it gets too dark/cold/rainy/icy to be outside playing sports, they come in and pick up exactly where they left off, jumping off furniture, kicking balls, tackling, sliding, throwing things. Sometimes they jump so hard upstairs they make the entire kitchen ceiling shake and I'm certain it's going to crash down on me one day.

Quite frankly, I don't enjoy living like this but I cannot change them so instead I'm working on my list of ideas to harness their energy and keep them engaged indoors in a way that doesn't cause me such agita. (They will get as much outside play as much as possible, of course, so long as it's a winter that's not too bitterly cold or icy!)

1. Keep a running list of hands-on activities that they will actually like to do. My 6 and 8 year olds are not big into crafts but they love messy-fun experiments, like making flubber and ooblek (corn starch and water--really fun), baking soda "eggs" with toys hidden inside and droppers of vinegar to dissolve them, painting with toy cars and trucks. (Driving toy cars through blobs of paint--plus you can save these giant paintings to use as wrapping paper.)

2. Cooking and baking is something they all like. I think I'll employ them in making baked goods as holiday gifts.

3. Active games that they can play without (hopefully) breaking anything or each other: cars and ramps, freeze dance/dance party, Simon Says, Hide and Seek.

4. Setting up board games in different spots in the house and then continually switching games and partners. Also coming up with ideas for lego building contests.

5. Saving this one for a day when they're really wound up and driving me crazy: I want to work out some sort of system of points...for example, for every five minutes of calm play with nobody getting hurt translates into points and a certain number of points will earn them time on the Wii.


Anyone else saving up ideas now? I'd love to hear what you've got in your bag of tricks!

Rocket Math

So, uh . . . you got kids?

Do they go to school?

Are they old enough to have homework? Do they have . . . Rocket Math? Or  Mad Minutes? Or some other kind of name that attempts to disguise a timed (read: stressful for some kids) at-home math test as a super fun game??

If so, you know that Rocket Math means homework for you, too. Two minutes doesn't sound that long but when you're helping multiple kids with homework while trying to cook dinner and get them ready for soccer, it can be a tight squeeze. If it wasn't every single night I wouldn't mind as much.  And I guess when it comes down to it, I'm not the biggest fan of homework anyway, especially for my younger kids. They work hard all day, as made evident by all the papers coming home and how tired my first grader is. After school I really want them to just play, chill, read and generally enjoy themselves.

As I helped my third grader with his Rocket Math last week, I started getting a little punchy and belting out "Rocket Ma-aaa-aath!" to the tune of Elton John's "Rocket Man." Naturally I had to then write lyrics for the entire song (see also: trying to juggle five kids, cook dinner, get ready for soccer. No time for helping with homework but plenty of time for rewriting lyrics. Hey, I know my strengths.)

So if you are an occasionally frustrated homework helper or a homework-doer yourself, cue up this karaoke version of "Rocket Man" and sing along! I'm particularly fond of the last verse, written with some help from my 13 year old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyVF7khh6eo

Mom unpacked my bag last night, after school
Zero hour, four pm
But I wanted to fly my kite right then

I miss my yard so much, I miss my life
Summer was so great
It was such a stress-less time

And I think it’s gonna take a long, long time
To get my homework done so I can find
Time to hang out with my friends and play
Oh no, no, no  . . .
No more rocket math

Rocket Math 
Two minutes never seemed so very long

Math ain’t the kind of thing to teach your kids
In fact, it’s dull as hell
And there’s a calculator on my phone---- anyway
And all this science I don’t understand
It’s just my class five days a week

No rocket math, no rocket math . . . 

Five On Friday: Tips for Having Kids Pack Their Own Lunches

1. Pack the night before so the morning goes more smoothly. I like to do it when the kitchen is still dirty from making dinner. I'll walk one or two kids at a time through the packing process.

2. Packing the night before poses a few problems though: certain sandwiches tend to get soggy overnight. But if you--for example, lightly spread the peanut butter or cream cheese on BOTH slices of bread and then add a little jelly in the middle, you can avoid the sogginess. What about hot meals? We actually do those a lot (leftovers, soup, macaroni and cheese) so I have the kids leave their thermos on the counter and pack everything else they need the night before (spoon or fork, water bottle, napkin, side dishes).

3. Have pre-cut fruits and veggies ready for them. I found my kids kept going for the snack sized apple sauce packages as their fruit which I didn't really want them to do every day. I'd rather save those (more expensive/wasteful) snacks for when there was no fresh fruit left in the house. I realized they weren’t choosing the applesauce because they like it better, they were choosing it because they are lazy. If I do the cutting, they take the fresh stuff.

4. What about pre-cut apples turning brown (and becoming unappetizing)? Two solutions that work for us: either sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on the cut slices to mask the browning or throw in an orange slice (or few drops of orange juice) so the orange's acidity can counteract the effects of oxidizing.

5. Throw them a bone once in awhile...my kids have packed lunch every night for the first ten days of school. They're tired. I'm proud of them. Happy Friday,  kids. First one to complain about what I packed for them gets no more lunch-packing breaks.