Tis The Reason For The Season - Back To School Shopping

If you live in Cherokee County in the suburbs of Atlanta GA, yesterday was the first day back at school. The county takes the prize for sending their kids back to school for the fall semester before anyone else in the nation. Yep, it’s crazy I know, back to school on August 4^th when most of the kids of the northern hemisphere are just starting their summer vacation.

For most parents, back to school shopping is about the list. One dozen #2 pencils, 1 pack of colored pencils, 5 spiral notebooks, 5 pocket folders, 2 highlighters, 1 pink pearl eraser, binder, zipped pencil case, scissors, 2 glues sticks, pack of markers, USB flash drive, earbud headphones, the list goes on. The binders, the books, the supplies all need to go into a new book bag or back pack.

Fortunately for me, my wife takes this Herculean task on each July. She plans well and gets started early and not just because our kids are back in school at least a week before everyone else. If you’re a hand sanitizer manufacturer, August is your boom season. You don’t want to waste hour after hour traipsing from one store to the other to finish the list. And that’s just half of it.

If like me you have girls, then there’s the new back to school outfits that need to be planned for that all important first week, and of course there’s the shoes. A good pair of sneakers that will hold up to the rigors of recess are essential. A visit to the outlet mall is mandatory. There’s no avoiding it. Well, not if you’re a Mom.

Unlike my 14 year old daughter and like most Dads, the mall is not my idea of heaven. I’ll go if I’m shopping for me and even then I’m in and out like a commando on a mission. 15 minutes maximum. I tell the kids that I’ve been clinically diagnosed with MMAS, Male Mall Aversion Syndrome – a condition brought on by the stress of shopping.

The wife is smart to my ruse, but the kids haven’t figured it out yet and I’m sticking with it. Her reward is that I indulge her “birthday season” that stretches from the start of August through to the end which coincides with our anniversary.

Smart lady that she is, my wife has worked out that the longer you leave anything that needs to be done, the harder it is to get the job done. And that’s true for healthcare too. Healthcare needs to be planned, you need the right “school” supplies to help you get back on track and you need a “bus” schedule to meet every morning to make sure you stay on track. And if you’re struggling to find footwear to help you get started, we’re here to help.

The first step is often the toughest challenge. But just like the kindergartener who’s stepping on the bus for the first time, once you’ve done it, there’s no looking back.