0:00:00 - Melody
Hi, I'm Melody and I'm Candi and you're listening to Quirks, Bumps, and Bruises.
0:08:00 - Candi
It's back to school time coming upon us, and I know this because I just spent the amount of money on school supplies for the kiddos.
0:00:17 - Melody
Before we get into that, let's first talk about what happened to going back to school after Labor Day. Oh yeah, that's gone away. I feel so bad. My daughter is a teacher. She's going back to school after Labor Day. Oh yeah, that's gone away. I feel so bad. My daughter is a teacher. She's going back. This week. Teachers go in first, but the next week the kids come in.
0:00:32 - Candi
It's August, it's the beginning of August, which is still to me, summertime. Is Hunter and Wyatt going back to school? Yeah, they go. Yeah, very soon, sooner than I ever did, yeah.
0:00:45 - Melody
So, yeah, they go. Yeah, very soon, sooner than I ever did, yeah, so when I was a little girl, Candi, we never went back to school until after Labor Day, yeah.
0:00:51 - Candi
Did you? I went a little bit.
0:00:52 - Melody
No, I mean I think we went end of August, A little earlier than that I just think to have the three months you know, and now it's basically two months. You're not really getting anything but about two months.
0:01:02 - Candi
I don't know about you, but kids now are off so many days within the school year.
0:01:08 - Melody
Yeah, they are.
0:01:09 - Candi
And I remember we just started a little later and we ended sooner than most, but we always we didn't have a million days off during the school year. So I say, let's you know, bring back the Labor Day school starting. So that's one thing everywhere, right?
0:01:27 - Melody
So that's, that's one thing out of the way. Well, recently I read this. This was from a mother who she's had older kids to already go through school. One's going to college, one, I think, is going to be a senior, and then now she's got like a kindergartner again, oh no. So she says this dear fellow kindergarten parents, I'm not putting together the fall festival basket this year.
Don't ask me to bring cupcakes. I'm not driving to the field trip. Those Candi bars are going to have to sell themselves. I have been the room mom, I have laminated all the sheets, I've taken up donations and t-shirt orders, I've served my time. Here's $100. Do with it what you will. Oh, that's funny. So let's talk about that. There's lots of things that we could break down in that, but first of all, let's talk about, back to school supply list. Unreal. So I know when my kids were in school which has been a while now, but you know they one graduated in 2008 and one graduated from high school in 2011. They had to bring a whole list of things in. Oh yeah, including Kleenex and sanitizer, Lysol wipes, I'm like. So what does the school?
0:02:46 - Candi
buy. Thank you, thank you. Yes, I mean we're bringing it and this is, you know, multiple years of bringing in crayons, markers, pencils. I get the pencils and the paper yes, that's the stuff they use every day, I get it. But I mean we're bringing in like four glue sticks. We're bringing in red ink pens. I mean there is just 50 sheet protectors, what 50. And I'm like I just, I mean whatever, I don't know. I've never worked in school, I don't know.
0:03:20 - Melody
School systems need to partner with the Dollar Tree. Yes, they do.
0:03:25 - Candi
But I have noticed every year they ask every student to bring in. It's required to bring in two boxes of Kleenexes, a box of Lysol wipes and hand sanitizer. And I have a roll of paper towels but yeah, I'm like paper towels like you don't provide. Wait, wait, you have to bring in a roll of paper towels, but yeah, I'm like paper towels Like you don't provide that Wait, wait, you have to bring in a roll of paper towels.
0:03:49 - Melody
Yep, isn't that crazy. Well, next year it's going to be all at paper, for goodness sakes, yeah, it's gotten out of hand. And then the year after that they're going to say could you provide your child's desk? I know right. I mean, it has just gotten to be everything has gotten out of control, ridiculous.
0:04:07 - Candi
Yeah, I don't understand it, and just some of those things. I'm like don't you just have a universal? Crayons are 50 cent a box, whatever, it doesn't bother me to buy them, but I'm like don't you have a universal box of crayons that all the kids can just use together?
0:04:25 - Melody
And are we in such dire straits in America and within our school systems that that cannot be provided? Are we, have we gotten to that point? And it just makes me very concerned and worried for what lies ahead. If the money, you know, and we already pay our teachers, beans Right.
0:04:48 - Candi
And I think a lot of that falls on the. It shouldn't. But I think if you don't buy your kids crayons, your teachers are paying for it out of their pockets.
0:04:57 - Melody
That's not right Teachers are paying for it out of their pockets. That's not right, oh no. But I will tell you, as a former teacher myself, not as bad as what, like my daughter's doing? Teachers pay a lot so that their classrooms can have some of the things that they need, even the decorations. Yes, oh yeah. Now I've been with my daughter to teacher resource stores and she's bought stuff.
0:05:17 - Candi
Yes, my kids have had to have like three and they're very distinct on what you have to get to. Like three pink pearl erasers, not I mean, you can't just bring in an eraser like a little cute fancy, like you can't do that no, it's got to be pink pearl erasers. The glue has to be the purple, non non-staining. Whatever changes, it's just.
0:05:42 - Melody
Now our church partners with a elementary school that's close to our church for kids, low income children who just can't Because you're talking what, how much do you spend on all the things that you have to take?
0:05:56 - Candi
I mean, I try to find really good deals, but you've got two children. Yeah, a lot, a lot, do you think at?
0:06:03 - Melody
least $100? Oh yeah, oh yeah. So you know there are lots of families that can't afford that, no, and so our church does backpacks full of all of those supplies and then we take them to the school. I love doing that, helping those that just can't. I get that, I get that, but some of this I'm just. You know, that's a little bit of a soapbox for me, so I probably better stop.
So now let's like do a pivot and talk about having to sell stuff for fundraisers. Now my kids believe it or not I know y'all are going gonna find this where you can't believe it but both of them were very shy, so they did not feel comfortable going door to door and selling a Candi bar or some wrapping paper or a tub of cookie dough, popcorn, you know all the Krispy Kreme donuts, all that stuff. They didn't feel comfortable doing that, and so I would just usually give the school a donation and not make them do that. I don't like ever having to make a child feel forced to do that, right. So your kids' Candi are more outgoing, do they? Is that a thing still? Do you still have to sell?
0:07:15 - Candi
stuff. Oh yeah, wrapping paper is typically like the big thing, but, yeah, Candi bars, we've had to do it all and I'm the same way. I'm just like, look, I don't even want to ask parents. I have a friend, I love her, and she'll ask me every year to like sponsor something for her kids and I'm like I would love that, but no, like I can't do that I most of the time I just give in and do it a little bit.
But yeah, with mine I'm just like, I'm not going to make you do that. That's not necessary. I mean, if it's something that's going to benefit your school, I would rather just give a donation to the school and you've already given a donation of all the school supplies.
Yes, Right, and not to mention all the parties that they have in classes. Oh, and I mean you have to sign up to bring things. We had a Thanksgiving party last year and somebody brought the turkey. I mean like it's just, oh, my word. So yeah, I mean you're spending so much throughout the year.
0:08:12 - Melody
Yeah, the whole fundraising thing also to me has gotten a little bit out of hand. And I know they offer all these incentives to kids that if they sell so much they're going to get, you know, a new car or whatever. I'm like if y'all would stop spending money on all the incentives you could have a lot more money, you know. Anyway, that's another soapbox. So we've talked about starting school way too early. We've talked about school supply list being entirely too long and too expensive. We've talked about school supply list being entirely too long and too expensive. We've talked about fundraising for these kids.
0:08:45 - Candi
Can we talk about sports? Oh, inside of, like what you have to pay. I mean, we have to pay a fee for our kids to play sports, which maybe that's a, maybe that's a thing. But then I mean, obviously you pay for their uniforms, you pay for other things, other activities involved in that. We have to pay a fee for them to participate and every kid's paying that.
0:09:06 - Melody
So what exactly is the school paying for?
0:09:10 - Candi
Beats me.
0:09:12 - Melody
Well, I'll tell you what let's do. Since we've spent this whole podcast complaining, let's just take a moment. We'll pray for the school year to start. We'll pray for the kids and the teachers and we'll quit complaining.
Candi and then just try to uplift and ask the Lord to protect all that goes on for all the kids during the school year. So happy school year y'all. As our children and grandchildren begin to go back to school, let's spend time this morning in praying for them, Lord. We pray today that the children will experience the peace of God this year. That does exceed all understanding. We pray that they will not worry about things they cannot control, but that you will guard their hearts and minds and keep them trusting in you. We pray, Lord, that they will not only enjoy the peace of God, but peace with God, and we pray that they will develop a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving as they look to you daily for their needs, and we pray that you will give them the capacity for joy that bubbles up from your peace, Lord.
We also pray for their emotional, physical and spiritual protection. Keep evil far away from them and help them to trust you as their refuge and their strength. We pray that you will guard their minds from harmful instruction and grant them discernment to recognize the truth. Make them strong, Lord. Make them courageous in the presence of danger, recognizing that you have overcome and will set right all injustice and wrong one day. Lord, help them to find rest in your shadow as they live in the spiritual shelter that you provide for them. Let them know, Lord, with all of their hearts, that the only true safe place is found in you and in you alone. We lift all of the children, Lord, that are going back to school, up to you today, in your precious and your most holy name that we do pray, Amen.
0:11:12 - Announcer 1
Thanks for listening to the Quirks, Bumps and Bruises Podcast with Candi and Melody. If you enjoyed the show, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast. You can learn more at joyFM.org.
0:11:29 - Announcer 2
Try Peas and Carrots Podcast for more encouragement. Brian and Kayla share life from their piece of the vegetable patch. Expect to laugh, find common ground, and hear stories you can't wait to share. It's a podcast about doing life together, growing in Christ together, and learning to laugh no matter what comes your way. Search Peas and Carrots Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts today.