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Teaching Sam and Scout

Teaching, Motherhood, and Life In-Between

My First Grade Son’s Favorite Graphic Novels and Chapter Book Series

I vividly remember reading my first chapter book independently in first grade: it was The BoxCar Children, and I was immediately hooked. My dad had been reading The Babysitter’s Club (I know, he’s adorable) to me at night for a while by then, but there was something about reading a book all on my own that I fell in love with… I couldn’t have articulated this when I was six, of course, but I think – even more than the stories and the characters – I loved being a part of something. Reading let me experience a world much bigger than my own and go on adventures I’d never have in reality (like, um, living in a boxcar with no parents). On top of that, there was a “game” element to reading books in a series (how quickly can I read them all?!? what will happen next?!?) that I imagine is similar to what makes us love a good Netflix TV show binge today.

I have zero memory of learning to read, but I can still see myself sitting on the playground during recess (yes, yes I did) tearing through books just as quickly as I could check them out of my little school library. I was the kid who got in trouble for reading during class, who read while walking, and who spent summer days sitting under a tree with a book. So many of my earliest memories include a book; so, naturally, I was DELIGHTED to see my son catch the same reading bug this summer that I did all those years ago…

Eighteen months ago, Sam couldn’t read at all; a year ago he was just starting to sound out picture books for himself, and now – halfway through first grade and 7 years old – I literally can’t keep enough books in the house for him. (Our family “policy” that it’s *always* OK to buy books has even had to be amended to keep him from breaking the bank!) This past summer – which was when he first got into chapter books and series – he read 37 books from June to August! 37!! And, he’s kept up a pretty solid 1 – 3 books per week pattern ever since.

I don’t say any of this to brag. The truth is, I really haven’t had much to do with it… I’ve never once *taught* Sam how to read – he’s been fortunate to have great teachers in Kindergarten and First Grade who get the credit for that. In fact, I was intentional about NOT teaching him to read. (See my post on this here: Why I’m not Teaching My Five Year Old to Read.) Instead, I’ve read to him since he was a baby, modeled an active reading life of my own, and given him access to lots of books and the freedom (even when it is hard) to read what interests him. All that, plus a little bit of luck/nature I think, has turned him in to quite the reader!! YAY!!!

Anyway, my real purpose in this post is to share some of the books (OK, a lot of the books) that he has enjoyed and that – I hope – have set him up for a lifelong love of reading! If you’re kiddo is already a reader, I hope you’ll find a few new titles to check out here; and, if he/she isn’t into reading, I hope you’ll be encouraged to try some of these out with him/her. As an English teacher and, now, as a mom, I am CONFIDENT that the single best way to establish a reading habit in kids is to help them find books/stories that they ENJOY. So, with that in mind…

Graphic Novels:

One thing I didn’t realize, or plan on necessarily, was how great GRAPHIC NOVELS would be for Sam’s reading life… We stumbled across the Dogman series (linked below) at the beginning of the summer and – though I admit a part of me was hesitant because they weren’t of the “literary caliber” I wanted for him, I’ve been telling everyone that they were the “gateway drug” to reading for Sam. He could read them quickly ad easily understand what was going on (because of the pictures), so he tore through these and several other graphic novel series available at our library in no time. This, in turn, built his confidence and excitement about reading, and prepared him to pick up other “big books” with fewer and fewer pictures moving forward. *If you have a non or disinterested reader, I STRONGLY recommend starting with graphic novels! Below are some of Sam’s top recommendations —

Dogman by Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants, but slightly less “potty talk”ish (there are currently 5 of these, and the latest is called Lord of the Fleas — how hilarious is that?)

Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot also by Dave Pilkey (there are 8 in this series and, from what I remember, have a little more text than Dogman so are a good next step.)

Press Start! by Thomas Flintham (7 in this series; and, for what it’s worth, a friend with a little girl recommended this series to me saying her daughter was obsessed)

He read a bunch of others too, but they were library books, and – to be honest – didn’t leave much of an impression on either of us. Regardless, by the time he’d read a few graphic novels, he was hooked and (much to my delight) ready to move on to some more text-based chapter books.

Chapter Book Series:

I don’t know what it is about series exactly, but Sam’s been pretty adamant that he “only likes series” books. Haha! As I mentioned above, I suspect that it has something to do with feeling like a challenge or a game, but I really don’t care. At this stage of the game (ha, no pun intended), honestly, access to LOTS of words, sentence structures, etc. is really all that matters for developing reading skills. (Of course I try to monitor content too, but I tend to be fairly liberal when it comes to that kind of thing — that’s another post for another time, but I guess worth pointing out as you look at my recommendations… Do you own research if age-appropriateness etc. is super important to you. ;))

*Most of these DO have some pictures – some more than others – but they are decidedly more novel than comic book to me.

Captain Awesome by Stan Kirby (there are 21 in this series right now, but they are short and Sam wanted them to go on forever! There’s a new one coming out in March too!)

Galaxy Zack by Ray O’Ryan (17 of these, though I don’t think Sam read them all!)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (there are 13 of these out right now, and Sam says they are his #1 favorite — Many also have movies that go along with them too, which I think is a fun treat after you read a book.)

Stink by Megan McDonald (Stink is the younger brother of Judy Moody and has at least 10 books of his own!)

Big Nate by Lincoln Pierce (7 in this series, which Sam considers his “second favorite”)

The Treehouse Stories by Andy Griffiths (Not to be confused with The Magic Treehouse series, which we haven’t really gotten into yet, these are silly and have lots of illustrations. Sam got the first 6 for Xmas and read them all – plus #7 and #8 to complete the series – before the new year.)

And, just this week, we got a bunch of these Blast to the Past books AND the corresponding, nonfiction Who Was…? books to dig into some history. (The verdict’s still out on them, but if he likes them, there are 8 Blast to the Past books – on people like Martin Luther King Jr., Sacagawea, and Benjamin Franklin) and more than 150 !!! Who Was books on everyone mentioned above and – clearly – tons more famous people.)

Again, these aren’t all the chapter book series he’s read, but most of his favorites. If you have suggestions for other great ones along this vein, please send them my way because I fear we will exhaust the library’s options sooner rather than later, and I want to keep the momentum up while we’ve got it!

My little reader on the day the latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid came out this fall – we went to Barnes & Noble on release day and got this free hat too!

Bonus — Great Read-Alouds & Audiobooks:

Finally, I know this isn’t technically what this post is about, but I had to throw a little plug for read-alouds (books for parents to read their kids) and audiobooks in here too. I was just talking to a student this week about how important it is that you are able to picture a story in your mind as you are reading, and being read to is a GREAT way to develop that ability in kids. (I haven’t done any research to confirm this, but I suspect that this “ability” is what distinguishes kids – and later, adults – who love to read and – as a result – are strong readers, from those who don’t/aren’t. If you can’t “see” a story coming to life when you read, book are really just words on paper, you know?) Anyway, I started reading chapter books to Sam when he was about five, and we worked our way mostly through Sarah Mackenzie (a true expert on reading aloud)’s Favorite First Novels to Read Aloud list (you can get it for free when you sign up for her emails here: https://readaloudrevival.com/booklist-2/). Our very favorites were —

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (this was our first, I think)

The BFG also by Roald Dahl

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (+ 2 more in the series)

And Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe (not on the list but one of my favorites as a little kid)

I might add, this was SUCH a sweet time for Sam and I to bond over a shared love of books and the characters/stories inside them. Now that he’s reading so much on his own and doesn’t really want me to read too him, I really miss it. (I still think it’s important though, so I hope/plan to read Harry Pottertogether some time soon.)

And last but not least, I have to sing the praises of our three FAVORITE audiobook series. Each of these would also make great first chapter book series to read, but all of us (Nora included) absolutely LOVED the narration on the audio books. They are PERFECT for road trips or just daily commutes. (I was able to get all three for free through our library’s Overdrive system, so make sure to check there!)

Ramona Quimby by Beverly Cleary (narrated by Stockard Channing)

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (absolutely hilarious, but slightly more PG than I’d remembered – Sam LOVED them)

and, of course, Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park (There are TONS of these, and the kids and I listened to them ALL last summer – even Nora fell in love with Junie!)

OK… There you go! This post has been a LONG time coming, so I hope you took something away from it! Please share with your friends, etc. 🙂

Also, I’d love to know what some of your kids’ first favorite books were – we’re always looking for more ideas. And, if you have questions for me, I’m happy to try to answer in the comments or via email!

E

When Is the Best Time for a Teacher to Have a Baby?

Spoiler Alert: You Need to Get Pregnant NOW!!!! Go ahead, I’ll still be here when you get back! 😉 I’m just kidding… mostly. (You’ve still got a couple of weeks!)

I know you teacher-types though (I’m one too, after all), and you like a good plan. SO, if pregnancy is on your master To Do list for the 2018 – 2019 school year (you know you have one), you’re inclined – because of anxiety, compulsiveness, or out of actual necessity- to plan your due date for maximum maternity leave convenience, and you’re one of the lucky few who’s body actually does what you ask it to when you want it to*, then I’ve got some advice for you:

Plan to get pregnant between June and August for a spring due date.

To help this advice feel a little more tangible, I did some highly sophisticated research using a “due date calculator” (found here) and made an equally sophisticated chart to show you some sample due dates and maternity leave options —-

Before I get to the whys of my “ideal” timeline, here’s a little about my own experience (warning: this gets a bit “technical,” but it really is important stuff I desperately wish someone had told me prior to my own family planning)…

My first baby, Sam, was born in July. Because I was silly and knew nothing, I was super excited when I found out I had a summer due date: I’d be able to finish out the school year with my students, get to spend my last month of pregnancy sleeping until noon and blobbing around in the pool (which was pretty nice), and *most importantly* not have to worry about my water breaking in class (seriously, that’s my worst nightmare).  As it turns out, however, the summer – especially late summer – is actually a terrible time for a teacher to have a baby from a logistical standpoint….

My school system’s policy – and what seems to be the norm – is that teachers receive six weeks (eight for a C-section) of official maternity leave. During that time, teachers may use sick days to be paid for their leave. So, if you have thirty days of  acquired sick leave, you will be paid for six weeks. If you have fifteen days of acquired sick leave, you will be paid for three weeks, and the remaining time will be unpaid. Make sense?

After the initial six weeks (or eight) of maternity leave, the Family Medical Leave Act kicks in for an additional six weeks to get you to the standard American twelve-week maternity leave.  But, here’s where it gets tricky: Let’s say you are a rockstar  super planner and you’ve saved sixty sick days for your leave — TOO BAD! You can only use sick leave for the designated medical portion (remember, six or eight weeks depending on the type of birth you had) of your time off. After that, though FMLA guarantees you a job when you return (and some schools/districts may even allow longer breaks), it has to be unpaid. Are you following this?

So, back to my story… Sam was born on July 13th and for reasons I still don’t understand, my doctor only approved six weeks of medical “supervision” even though I had had a C-section. If you’re doing the math (if you’re not, I don’t judge), that meant that my “paid leave” time ended about mid August… Right when I was  supposed to be going back to school. I couldn’t use any sick days for that time because I wasn’t technically paid then anyway (summer break), but I couldn’t use any sick days for the next six weeks either (even though I had them) because my official medical leave was over and I was now only under FMLA. Have I lost you? The bottom line: I ended up having to take twelve weeks of UNPAID leave because of the way the dates fell.

We made it work, and I was fortunate enough to still be able to take that time at home with Sam. However, it wasn’t what we were expecting, and it would have been enough to throw many women right back in the classroom much earlier than they would have liked. On the bright side, I had lots of sick days left when I did return to work which came in handy for sick baby days and doctor’s appointments – a problem many women run into if they’ve used all their time off for paid maternity leave – but still; it was not ideal.

Four years later, when Nora was born in late March, things went MUCH better. I was able to use my saved sick days for the first several weeks, come back for just a short-stint to finish out the school year, and then take the full two-months of summer at home for which I was already accustomed to being unpaid. Basically, I’m now making it my life’s mission to tell everyone I know that SPRING BABIES are the way to go for teachers! 😉

Typically, I’d recommend taking the maximum amount of maternity leave you can swing; but, with Nora – because she was my second baby and the end of the school year was so close – I actually only took 7 weeks. (The first four of those were paid with sick leave.) Then, I came back just in time to see my students off to their AP exam, distribute the next year’s summer reading, pack up my classroom, and record final grades (about two weeks total). I actually LOVED those two weeks. They were a great “trial run” for the fall, and the transition was easy because I had a “I can do anything for two weeks” attitude. Plus, I had genuinely missed my students and wanted to see them – especially the seniors – before summer. This probably wouldn’t matter for everyone, but I also really liked having a clear distinction between “maternity leave” and “summer break.” The distinction really helped me use my maternity leave time to rest, heal, and bond with Nora and then to use my summer time to have fun with both kids and adjust to “normal life” as a family of four. 

Have I convinced you yet?!?!

Obviously, there are TONS of factors to consider when you are deciding when to have a baby. How much sick leave do you have? How much time can you afford to take unpaid? How do you feel about someone else ending your school year? How do you feel about someone else starting your school year? All of these are incredibly important and individual, and what worked well for me, might not be good for you.  If you really can’t afford to take much unpaid time or don’t have any sick leave, it makes more sense to try to have a baby at the very beginning of the summer – i.e. getting pregnant at the beginning of September – for example. Or, if you want to have an exceptionally long maternity leave that bleeds into your summer, it would be ideal to shoot for an early to mid-March due date and planning to take the full 12-weeks. (If you play your cards just right – and a have a good amount of luck on your side – you may even be able to swing 6 full months at home this way!)

In the end, only you can decide what is best for you, your family, and your career. BUT, hopefully, my experience and advice will be helpful to you as you consider your options! If you have questions, please feel free to email me – samandscoutblog@gmail.com – or leave them in the comments! ALSO, I’d love to hear from some of you about your own experiences! Do you agree with me about the “best” time to have a baby? Please share!!!

 

Finally, if you’ve liked this post and want to read more like it, check out my Maternity Leave for Teachers eBook!! Much of the above comes from Ch. 2: Logistics to Consider and Questions to Ask HR where I outline ALL the important work-related things I didn’t know to think about before having a baby but wish I had. And, that’s only the beginning. My eBook covers everything from first announcing your pregnancy at school, to planning for a long term sub, prepping your students and classroom for your leave, and returning smoothly. If you’re having a baby soon, this will be well worth your $10. (Learn more about the book HERE or go directly to buy HERE.)

Not ready to buy the book yet? Come back next week for some of my top tips for returning from maternity leave! In the meantime, happy planning!

E

*I’m absolutely sensitive to the fact that not everyone – in fact, MANY people – are not able to get pregnant at all, much less “on demand.” This post is meant to be taken lightly with the full acknowledgement that ANY time you have a baby is wonderful and a blessing. Please don’t stress yourself out trying to get the timing just right. If it works, great. If not, you’ll forget all about the “perfect time” when you hold that screaming little squish one day. Promise.

What Was the Thing You Stressed About Most As a New Mom?

Some friends and I were talking recently about how every new mom seems to have one thing she stresses about more than anything else with her baby. For some, it is feeding: Is my baby getting enough milk? Will I have enough milk? Will I need to supplement? When should I start solids? For some, it is sleeping: How often should my baby nap? What time should I put her to bed? Should I wake her? When will he start sleeping through the night? Should I sleep train? Is it OK to rock him to sleep?  Maybe for others it is developmental milestones: Why isn’t my baby rolling over yet? Shouldn’t be sitting up by now? Is it bad that my baby isn’t crawling yet? When should she start walking? Clearly there is no shortage of things to worry about when you are suddenly in charge of a tiny human for the first time…

For me, I remember worrying SO much about Sam’s schedule (or lack therof). I really felt defined as a mom by whether or not my three month old was eating, playing, and sleeping in that order at the right times. When he wasn’t (which was… well, always), I felt like such a failure. I literally drove myself crazy.

Later, when he was a little bit older, I was a nervous wreck over the fact that he wasn’t talking when I thought he should be. No joke, from about 14 months on, I called my pediatrician every month on his “birthday” to report that he still wasn’t talking (I know). We had tubes put in his ears (which he did need, but they didn’t magically make him start talking), and even paid for private speech therapy starting at 18 months (because the doctor wasn’t concerned AT ALL and didn’t think he would qualify for any free services). I thought he would NEVER talk and spent many a day crying/worrying myself sick over it.

Flashback to December 2011 when I was a mere five months into this whole motherhood thing. (Photo by my talented friend Mary.)

Not surprisingly, both of those things worked themselves out over time… I’m happy to report that Sam, at age 6,  is now on a very consistent schedule that includes sleeping every night (mostly all night), playing/learning from 7:45AM – 2:45PM at school, and eating three solid meals a day (plus 423 snacks). 😉 He also starting talking around two and a half, and hasn’t stopped since. In fact, people often comment about how “advanced” his vocabulary is or how he “sounds like a little adult.”

By the time Nora came around four years later, I had loosened up SO much. When she was two weeks old, I deleted all scheduling apps from my phone and never looked back. I also have no idea what her first word was (oops) and don’t recall worrying about her language a single time. There is something SO nice about the perspective you have parenting the second time around…

So, tell me, what was the ONE THING that really kept you up at night with your first baby (besides a hungry, crying baby, of course)?!?!

Also, for bonus points, tell us how that one thing played out over time, and what was different for you the next time around (if you’ve had other babies since)…

Hopefully this will be a fun convo for veteran moms and an encouragement for the new moms deep in the trenches to know that they are not alone and #thistooshallpass.

Love you guys!

E

Coffee Date 8.17.17 — Back to School, Audiobooks, Meal Ideas, and Charlottesville

In case you missed it last week, I’m launching a new (semi) weekly series (on Thursdays) here called “Coffee Date” (super original, I know). Checkout my plans and purpose for it here if you want, or just read on for the first official edition. 🙂

Let’s pretend we’re just two friends meeting at Starbucks to catch up… I’d order an iced coffee sweetened with cream* and look for a spot by the window where we can see the outdoors but feel the air-conditioning… Here are the things I’d probably chat about…
*Confession: I started ordering this a couple of years ago after I read one of those Buzzfeed articles titled “The Best Kept Secrets of Starbucks” or something. I actually have no idea if it means the drink is sweetened and has cream OR if it means the cream itself is sweetened thus making the entire drink sweet. This distinction only really matters when I go somewhere other than Starbucks (they can never quite get it right), but if anyone has a deeper understanding of this and can help me, I’d really appreciate it. In the meantime, I DO know that it is delicious (and way too sweet and caloric for my own good).

It’s still dark at 6AM. I know because it’s back to the grind around here – and, confession: it had been a while since I’d seen 6AM before this week. 😉

Monday was Nora’s first day at a brand new, full-time preschool and yesterday marked the start of my 11th year of teaching. Next Tuesday, Sam will start Kindergarten. (Where in the world does time go?) Once my students come back and everything officially starts rolling, I’ll have to be at work at 7AM, and Sam will catch the bus at 7:15. Our new morning routine is, for sure, the thing I’m the most nervous about right now… We’ve all been practicing getting to bed earlier, but my kids are not ones to wake up before the sun (which is a good thing most of the time), and being late has always been a *huge* struggle for me. (Though I loved the insight and advice from Laura Vanderkam here  – and the articles she links to. I’ll definitely be implementing some of these tips.) My plan right now is to get up about 5AM to get ready and have a little time to myself for reading, blogging, etc. (at least right now, that’s more important to me than the extra sleep, but we’ll see how it goes), then wake the kids up around 6:15 so I can help get them dressed and start breakfast before I leave at 6:45. Jeff will be on official drop-off duty from there. I know millions of families run this ship all around the world, and we will adjust eventually – we have to! – but your prayers and advice are welcome! (Specifically, for my fellow working moms with little kids: How much earlier do you wake up than your kids? Do you set an alarm for them or wake them up yourself? How much time do you usually plan on for getting them dressed, fed, and out the door?)

Speaking of new routines, you may have figured this out by now, but another big change for us this year is that our wonderful babysitter/nanny will not be with us… This was a decision we made together many months ago based on what we truly believe will be best for both of us, and she will *always* be an important part of our lives, but we are still super sad that that little season of our lives has come to an end… I can’t even talk about what a gift she was to our family (and to me as a friend) over the last five years. She saw both of our kids grow up, loved them as her own, and walked right beside me in the mess as I learned how to be a mom. It will definitely be very different without her; but, as I mentioned, Nora started at her new preschool/daycare this week; and I can already see how it will be so good for her! She’s definitely a little social butterfly and will, for sure, benefit from more structured “school” days and time with kids her age. So far, she’s done really well – no tears from any of us at drop off, but we’re still working on getting her to stay on her cot and go to sleep at nap time! (Haha, can you even imagine a room of twelve two year olds all napping at the same time?!?! Oh to be a fly on the wall!) Side Note: We randomly found this cute book at the library a couple weeks ago and read almost every night leading up to her first day. It was perfect, and I really think played a role in helping make the adjustment so smooth this week!

Believe it or  not, I’m not super emotional (at least not yet) about Sam starting school next week. Without getting into all the specifics of our decision again, I really think that waiting the extra year to send him off was a great choice for us, and it’s made this next step feel very natural. He is ready. Other than a little bit of anxiety about the logistics of our new schedule etc., my only other big prayer is just that he would fall in love with school this year… Of course I hope he learns to read, improves his math, and makes lots of friends; but, really, I just want his first exposure to school to be a good one. We still don’t know who his teacher is  yet (orientation is tomorrow), but I’ve already been praying for her and this little group of kiddos… I don’t think one bad year can make or break a child’s entire education experience, but I do think Kindergarten is especially important as its their “first impression” of school – and we all know first impressions are hard to change… Sam is very excited, but I also get the idea that he has no idea “what’s about to hit him.” He’s the oldest of all of our friends’ kids, so he really doesn’t have much experience being around older kids, etc. I also have some worries that the long day is going to be super hard on him… I’ve been warned to expect a very exhausted kid + breakdowns, etc. the first few weeks, so we’ll see… I guess this time next week we’ll know…

Also…

– Here’s the backpack my sister gave Sam for his birthday that he’ll be carrying this year (it looks SO big), the lunch boxes my mom gave both kids (Sam’s and Nora’s), and the labels I ordered to mark everything we own. (P.S. Cool Mom Picks has a great post up right now about how to use these personalized labels AND a 25% off code that I – sadly – didn’t see until two days after I placed my order.)

His has his initials on it (not “Jackson,” obviously) because I read somewhere random not to put his name so a stranger can’t walk up and call him by name… Who knows?!?

– I focused most of my “back to school shopping” on the kids this year, but I did buy myself these two dresses: from J.Crew Factory, and from Loft. (Which one should I wear for the first day with students next week?!? Jeff says the second one makes me look like I have wings! Haha! Teachers, what are you wearing on the first day?!? You think about these things too, right?!) 

– I really want this and this too (both under $40), but I’m practicing self control… For now.

– I waited too long to order this adorable Honey Bee Tees school bus shirt, and it sold out in Sam’s size, but he still has this one from last year, so we’ll probably work that into his first week wardrobe!

– I’ve been singing the praises of audiobooks (for my students, myself, and my kids) for a while, but it was nice to hear some confirmation that they really do “count” on the Read Aloud Revival Podcast recently. This is great guide to get starting with audiobooks if you think you’d like to start listening with your little ones.  (P.S. Sam and I are currently listening to the Ramona Quimby series narrated by Stockard Channing from our library’s Overdrive. It’s fantastic!)

– Do you have plans to watch the eclipse on Monday?!? We are set to experience about a 90% eclipse here, so it isn’t the big event it is in some cities, but I’m definitely excited to see it. Glasses were a hot commodity around here, but I finally found some, so we’re all set. The big bummer though: it’s right in the middle of the day so I’ll be at work and not with the kids. I hate that!!! <These two podcast episodes for kids had some great information – I learned a lot too – and helped get Sam excited to watch with his grandparents — Wow in the World Episode 23: Total Solar Eclipse (When the Moon Photobombs the Sun) and Brains On: Everything You Need to Know Before the Solar Eclipse>

– One of my (many) goals for the new school year is to cook dinner and pack lunches more often! I made this last week, and it was delicious, and I ordered this cookbook recently, but I still need help!! I honestly don’t *enjoy* cooking, and I’m not very good, but – obviously – we have to eat so… Please give me all your EASY dinner and lunch ideas!! (Bonus points if they are crockpot, healthy, and/or vegetarian!)

(Recipe & photo from Table for Two Blog)

– And, finally, though this is a big tone shift, I’d be remiss not to mention the devastating events of last weekend right down the road from me in Charlottesville… Like the rest of the world, I am heartbroken to see (yet again) how much hate and evil exists in our world. It would be easy to say it doesn’t involve me because “I’m not racist,” but that very attitude is evidence of the privileges I’m granted because of the color of my skin. This is about ALL of us, and *I* am just as much the problem as anyone else… I owe it to my brothers and sister of colors, my sweet innocent children, my students, and myself to NOT turn my back and be silent. I’m working on a special blog post about books in which I’ll share more ; but, for now, I love these words from Jodi Picoult in the author’s note of her novel Small Great Things:

Let’s change the world with hard conversations in love! (P.S. This article is a great read from Picoult until you can get to the book!)

Ok. That’s all for today! I hope you’re enjoying this new format! I’d love to hear what you’re talking/thinking about this week in the comments!

Have a great Thursday!

E

P.S. These posts are NOT sponsored and ONLY contain products I truly like/love/use, but they may contain affiliate links (Amazon links are NOT). This simply means that I get a teeny-tiny payout when you purchase through my link at no additional cost to you. Anything I get for free/discounted in exchange for a blog post will be clearly stated. You can read more disclosure info on my sidebar if you want, but THANK YOU for supporting Sam & Scout.

The Perfect School Bag for Teacher-Moms

If you’ve been in the blog world for any amount of time, chances are you’ve heard of Lily Jade – the amazing leather diaper bag company. I’ve been drooling over them for a while but, honestly, felt like my “day” had passed; after all, my “baby” is over 2 now…

Then this spring, just as the school year was wrapping up, I realized that the straps on my old Target teacher bag were hanging on by a thread and decided it was time to upgrade to something a little nicer (I guess after ten years at this it’s fair to say I’m in it for the long haul). I started searching the internet and asking around about the best bags and kept landing at Lily Jade. (I know, I know, they make diaper bags… Stick with me here!)

Long story short, once I got over the fact that it is *called* a diaper bag, I realized that LJ bags totally fit all the criteria I’d made for my “perfect school bag” and then some. Even better, when I emailed them and shared my idea to use this as a school bag for lugging my computer + books + allthepapers to and from work every day, they offered to send me one to try out!!!! I chose the Rosie in Camel and Jade and, y’all, I’m in love. It is PERFECT.

(P.S. That’s my disclosure. I got this bag for free from Lily Jade. To say I was giddy would be an extreme understatement; but, I promise you, the below comments are my honest opinion/review – I didn’t get paid to write this and none of the links are affiliate or anything like that. Scout’s honor. #seewhatIdidthere? #scoutshonor )

So, what exactly makes a bag the PERFECT SCHOOL BAG FOR TEACHER-MOMS?

I was hoping you’d ask!!!

(1) Size — not too big (this teacher refuses to be the rolling suitcase/crate type. I’m sorry. I just can’t) and not too small (on any given day, I’m carrying at least my laptop, a binder, my planner, and a stack of papers that I probably won’t grade). When it comes to bags, size matters.

All of the above fits – comfortably – inside.

(2) Pockets — on the outside, there are two big zipper pockets (one on the front and one on the back) that work well for extra notebooks, books, or chargers; and, on the inside, there’s an open pocket that fits my phone and wallet perfectly (so I don’t have to carry a purse too) and a smaller zipper pocket that’s just right for pens, paper clips, highlighters, post-its, etc.

(3) Easy to carry — probably one of my favorite features of this bag (and all of Lily Jade’s bags as far as I can tell) is that it easily converts from shoulder bag to cross body/messenger bag to backpack. Most days, I stick with a simple over-the-shoulder carry, but I love having the hands free options – especially the backpack – for the days when I’m also carrying a kid, coffee, and 17 thousand student-journals (it’s hard work avoiding the rolling crate scenario mentioned above).

(4) Beautiful — this may not be essential to everyone, but I carry this thing to and from work five days a week and – often – to at least one coffee shop or library on the weekend… I want it to look good. My Lily Jade bag is GORGEOUS. I’m not even kidding, I literally gasped when I opened it. The leather is super high quality (so soft), the camel color is perfectly neutral (gotta match my outfits) and the interior jade color is perfect. There are even tons of little details – like the gold hardware and that adorable beaded tassel – that just finish off its elegantly simple look. I feel about 10x more sophisticated and professional with this thing on my shoulder. #truth

(5) Versatile — honestly, when I ordered this bag, I intended to just take the little diaper bag insert out and shove it in the back of my closet or something; BUT, I was pleasantly surprised to see how easy it is to leave it packed up with all the things I need for a day out with my kids (read: diapers, wipes, snacks, sunscreen, toys, books) and then to simply take my school stuff out and put it in on the weekends or over the summer. The insert is fully removable, washable (key!!!), has twelve pockets (12!!), and comes with a matching changing pad. I like it so much, in fact, that lately I’ve kept it packed in my car on its own so I have all the essentials for my “mom life” on hand and can easily do a switch-a-roo with a moment’s notice when I need to. I LOVE that I can get more “bang for my buck*” out of this beautiful bag by using it in both of my important jobs – teaching and momming – and it makes that transition super streamlined (and stylish).

*A quick note about the $$… This bag isn’t cheap and, trust me, I know we teachers don’t exactly make the big bucks. I realize that a purchase like this isn’t for everyone, and I totally get that. THAT SAID, if – for whatever reason – you are willing/able to splurge, this bag is absolutely worth it!!! The quality is SO obvious – it’s durable but not heavy, feels amazing, and wears wonderfully (so far – I’ve been using mine daily since about April and it still looks brand new). I’m not sure I’ve ever really believed this before, but this bag is proof to me that “you get what you pay for.” (It would also make an AWESOME gift for a recent grad/ new teacher or just a well-loved teacher-mom in your life. She will feel SO spoiled!!!)

So there you go… The perfect bag for teachers, moms, and teacher-moms.

If you’re ready to treat yourself, you can pre-order the Rosie in Camel & Jade, like I have, at a discounted price now and it will be shipped some time in July — in plenty of time for a new school year!!! There are also lots of other great styles and colors – I like the Madeline myself, and the canvas Meggan is bigger AND cheaper than mine – available at www.lily-jade.com.

I’m, of course, happy to answer any questions about my bag if you have them AND, if you already own a Lily Jade bag, I’d love to hear your opinion in the comments!

In addition, please tell me: what’s the criteria for a perfect school bag in your book?!?

Have a great week friends!

E

Thanks to my sweet (and talented) friend Trent for all the photos in this post!! If you need a southwest Virginia photographer, make sure to check out Trent Currin Photography!