The Beautiful Mess: I Don’t Read School Newsletters
I don’t read school newsletters. There, I said it! 🙂
If you work in an office environment, you likely experience email overload. There have been numerous blogs, podcasts and training curricula dedicated for how to better manage email for work. I have employed many of these.
But what about all those personal emails? I have a separate address for those and have found my personal email address is a total magnet for all sorts of what I call “noise.” What has become part of this noise are school newsletters.
Like work emails, it’s hard sometimes to tell what’s important and what isn’t. With three kids in two different schools, but in the same school district, I receive no less than ten per week, not counting notes that come direct from teachers. I will be honest, after a day of email overload at work, I struggle to go through all of this “news.”
So, I find myself “swiping to the left” on many of these.
The consequences? I sometimes miss things but not often.
As much as PTA meeting minutes and decisions affect my kids to a greater or lesser extent, I just don’t have the bandwidth to read through all of it. I notice the important stuff gets repeated and eventually put in the headline of the email so I have reverted to brutal scanning and ignoring or deleting.
How To Keep Up With Your Child’s Events
Juggling work and kids is tough, so ditching the school newsletters happens! Here are some ways to stay on top of your child’s school events as a working mom:
School Apps: Many schools have their own app where they post events, lunch menus, and even homework assignments. Check your school’s website or ask your child’s teacher if they have one.
Shared Calendar: Create a family calendar app (like Google Calendar) and get your child’s teacher or another parent to add school events. This way, everyone’s on the same page.
Teacher Chat: Talk to your child’s teacher at the beginning of the year. Let them know your work schedule and ask the best way to stay informed about important events.
Wrapping It Up
Not keeping up with all the school news might seem like heresy but there may be others out there like me and I want you all to know its okay.
I hope you enjoyed the first story from the Beautiful Mess blog series and this working mom confession.
Stay tuned for more confessions from a working mom and end the week with a little less guilt.
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