I don’t know about you, but this last half of the year went fast. It’s already November and we are heading into the holiday season. I never feel completely ready, but there’s always that excitement of spending time with family and gift-giving.
I’ve always loved giving gifts more than receiving them. It’s even more fun when you have kids. It’s my pure joy to see my sons’ eyes light up because they received that one present they wanted.
Honestly, it’s difficult not to think about the holidays this month as we are inundated by decorations, music and movies as soon as Halloween is over.
Although, it does feel like we are all spending more during the year on the family. Between the expenses of extracurricular activities and outgrown clothes, shoes and electronics, along with food prices, it’s hard to keep up. While Amazon packages do accumulate on my porch at times (mostly due to Mom), this year I wanted to find different ways to shop, and to support the businesses we have in Ohio. Thankfully, we have a lot of local shopping options, with many right in our own backyards.
That’s why, if you look in this issue, you will find some made-in-Ohio finds, in addition to some budget-conscious toy options.
With the end of the year in sight, I’m struggling with decisions for my high schooler. It’s his senior year, and I wonder if everything we did was enough. Is he in the right school; did he take the right classes; is he ready for the next stage? Last year was our first college visit, but we are still not sure what will happen. For those parents of high schoolers and incoming freshmen, we provide some pathways in our High School Guide. As it says in the article, it’s okay if things change, as this is the time in our children’s lives where they are trying things out to see what works best.
If you haven’t noticed, since August, Northeast Ohio Parent has put out Education Guides for preschool (August), elementary (September), middle school (October) and high school (November). The goal was to talk to each one of you during the educational stages your family is in. The special guides are about helping kids be successful this school year. If you missed it, read them all on NortheastOhioParent.com.
Finally, our family does a lot of thrift shopping. Last year, my sons picked up a little Scottish Terrier scrubber to add to my collection. It was a second-hand item, but it was perfect and I loved it. Believe it or not, my husband and I are reviving our CD collection. It’s fun to have those nostalgic moments and find old music for $1 a CD. While gift-giving is a big part of the season, I hopefully am teaching my kids that it’s okay to not have the latest and greatest. Even if they don’t understand it now, at least they will hear some good music.
