Local Mom Uses Magic to Cure Back to School Blues

Mary Susan Buhner, author of Mommy Magic.

As any parent can attest, the end of summer break brings a mix of relief and anxiety. Relief that the long, hot days spent trying to keep kids occupied is almost over, but anxiety about trying to get organized to begin the new school year. Mary-Susan Buhner, Mom to three young girls, understands these feelings as well as anyone, but her unique background gives her a few extra tools to help contradict the anxiety in getting school started successfully. Thankfully, she’s made it her goal to share her knowledge with other moms and, what she suggests, might just end the back to school blues for good.

About four years ago, Mary Susan grew concerned about raising three girls and the “drama” associated with all those females in the house. She wanted to make sure she was raising confident women who were assertive, not catty. She became a certified life coach in an effort to achieve that goal. She soon learned that the techniques she acquired as a life coach could be helpful not only to herself, but to other moms as well. She began writing Mommy Magic, a book that through laughter and honesty gives mothers permission to accept the imperfections in the journey of motherhood and, to release the guilt someone might feel as a result of those imperfections. The response Buhner received from other moms was overwhelming and affirming so she decided to launched www.mommy-magic.com.

“I wanted to be able to share effective and easy tips to help make the lives of other moms a little easier.” She also shares those tips through her Facebook page, which currently has over 6,500 followers. In addition to the book and website, Buhner also writes a monthly column for Indy’s Child and Cincy’s Child and appears on a regular segment on Fox 59’s morning show. It seems like an enormous amount of activity for someone who is also busy taking care of three kids, but Mary Susan emphasizes the importance of having interests outside of childcare as an essential tool in raising confident kids, “I realized that I couldn’t keep telling my girls to get involved and be passionate about something when I wasn’t living as an example for them. I really want to be a voice that gives other moms the permission to pursue their passions and not feel guilty. I truly believe kids will be better for having watched you pursue goals and, not have a life that simply revolved around them.”

Obviously, organization is key when you have as much going on as Buhner does especially at the beginning of a new school year. For Buhner, being prepared for school doesn’t just center on gathering supplies and new clothes, but focuses on the bigger picture of starting school with the right attitude to have a successful year. Here are her top tips for getting started right:

1. Start creating your back-to-school schedule two weeks before the start of the new year. This means eating dinner at a regular time and getting to bed at a consistent time (no more playing outside until dark every night).
2. For elementary school age children and older, start setting an alarm about 45 minutes before their current waking time. They don’t necessarily have to get out of bed at this time, but it begins to get their bodies ready for an early waking time.
3. If you’re child is just starting school for the first time, or has any anxiety about going back to school, do a “drive-by.” Take the route that the bus or carpool will take to school, get out and walk to the door and, if possible, go inside and check out the classroom. Talk your child through the routine and be upbeat to reinforce that this is a positive experience.
4. Read with your children throughout the summer and a few weeks before schoolwork with flash cards, workbooks, etc. to reintroduce your child to structured learning.
5. Make sure to ask open-ended questions of your child when they get home from school especially in the first few weeks. Encouraging them to talk about their day will help ease the transition from summer fun to school work.

One final tip that Buhner hopes to communicate to parents for back to school also reinforces the Mommy Magic theme. “Give yourself permission to not make (starting school) a bigger deal that it really is. It is an exciting milestone, but your child will still succeed if they get on the bus without every single supply or the perfect backpack,” says Buhner. Hopefully, utilizing these hints and giving yourself permission to not be perfect will end the back to school blues for good.

Mary Susan Buhner’s book, Mommy Magic, can be found on amazon.com and, for daily tips and conversation, check out www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Magic. You can also watch Buhner’s Fox 59 segments on her website at www.Mommy-Magic.com.