Back to school

Its back to school time here in the land of sunshine and grits and football.  Which means that after I packed backpacks, made lunches, made a halfhearted at best attempt to take a Back to School photo of all the boys I spent hours a few minutes looking over everyone's photos and comments.  And among the sea of backpacks and Vera Bradley lunchboxes and barely managed cowlicks and new shoes and sorority girls in white dresses I see so much to be thankful for.   For teachers willing to teach, students ready to learn, Moms and Dads preparing their children of every age for the world.  But I also know that at my house we barely found a brush (hiding in a suitcase last used 6 weeks ago leading to the conclusion someone hasn't been brushing their hair) and socks (an ongoing and disheartening battle in a house full of boy- matching socks) and I rejoiced not at the idea my kiddos were off to conquer the world but that I had 20 minutes to drink a cup of coffee and look at Facebook do research.  

We all know that FB is for cute pictures of kids, and Pinterest is for crafts that I never attempt but aspire to.  But my own attempt at a FB worthy BTS photo made me think about what isn't on FB and say a prayer for those things.   For the kids who are scared to go to school, for the kids who are scared to go home from school, for the parents who don't know how to afford 12 different folders and for the kids whose parents don't know they need folders.  For the teachers that are burned out, underpaid and ready to quit but hanging on for one more year before retirement.  For the kids who are too sick to go to school, and the ones who go anyway.  For all these and more I said a special prayer and I sent my boys out into the world with the hope they will be kind and compassionate to all those kids in pretty hairbows and smocked dresses and equally kind to the ones in torn shirts and hand me down shoes.  Because  that's the lesson I really want them to learn, to be kind and compassionate and look a little deeper than Facebook or Instagram or Twitter.

Now if you'll excuse me I have a back to school tradition to Pin but not really complete....

Last spring I took my oldest to the pediatrician and when I had to write down "what concerns bring you here today"  I wrote the following : "Someone is leaving her today with a prescription me or my son I don't care who"  While I was kidding (sort of) I often see/hear some version of this from frustrated parents when school begins.   My oldest is very bright, and likely borderline ADHD- but after a thorough assessment with our doctor, teachers, counselors etc we have elected not to medicate him at this time.  (I didn't get any either despite my initial request).  Which is not to say we are not treating the problem, just not through medication at this time.
 Many parents struggle with this dilemma- what exactly is ADD/ADHD and what interventions are available? I found an infogrpahic that may be helpful:

Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.