Allrecipes – August-September 2019

ALLRECIPES.COM 98 AUG/SEPT 2019

For Kids

FAMILY

The start of a new school year can be stressful for everyone.

And despite what many parents show outwardly—all those

perfectly coiffed kids holding “first day of school” signs

on Instagram—the reality often is far less polished (but still

priceless). We asked some moms to share a few behind-the-

scenes moments and school-day mishaps, now that they can

look back at them and smile.

JOIN THE

CONVERSATION!

Share your

back-to-school survival

stories on Instagram

with @Allrecipes

and #realmommoments

A SWEET SURPRISE

“I had lost my patience with the kids and felt like I had

been barking orders at them all day. After I put them

to bed, I made myself a cup of tea and found a note

Gemma had left me on the counter. Inside, it said:

‘Mommy I love you so much your the best mom ever ’

I just about died.” —Mia Minoletti, Denver, Colorado

“School-supply shopping is always a struggle—especially when you have to find very

specific items. Color-specific plastic folders with pockets and metal brads are my

nemesis. After kindergarten, I stopped following these supply lists quite so carefully.

I’m sure my daughter won’t somehow fall behind in second grade because I could only

find a 10-pack of markers instead of the 12 requested.” —Kelly Tomlinson, @liveluvtx

L is for late notice “While we were

in line to drop him off at school, my oldest son said

to me: ‘MOM! Today is letter L day for show-and-tell.’

I told him, ‘Dude, you have your lunch. Lunch begins

with L. Share that.’ He is now fully grown and working,

so all is well that ends well!” —Tamara MacDuff, Rochester, New York

REWARDING

TIMELINESS

“I use a sort of scavenger hunt

for my daughter who just cannot

get herself downstairs on time

for breakfast. Each day she gets

to the table on time, she gets a

clue. It usually builds up to a travel

destination we’ll set out to see,

and it keeps her on track.”

—Gabriella Ribeiro, @theexplorateur

HOOKY OR HOLIDAY?

“When my oldest was in kindergarten, we

were accidentally responsible for his first

absence! My husband and I had a holiday

off from work, so we assumed it was a

holiday for our son as well...until we got the

robocall from the school saying our son was

absent. We felt so guilty for having our son

play hooky so early in his school career!”

—Ramona Cruz-Peters, @fabeverydayblog

ADVERTISEMENT

HEALTHY

EATING

HACKS

Mother-of-two Patricia Chang

on how to tackle meal time—

especially when you’re short on

time this back-to-school season.

GRAB A QUALITY

BREAKFAST

“If we’re running out the

door before school, I grab

Mott’s new Clear Pouches

for the kids for breakfast

— they love them! They

contain no added sugar,

and I like that I can see

what’s inside!”

MAKE DINNER AHEAD OF TIME

“Every time my husband cooks, he

makes huge batches and sets aside a

few servings in the freezer, so we can always

have home-cooked meals in a pinch.”

PACK A WELL-

ROUNDED LUNCH

“When I pack lunches for
the kids, I include a home-
made meat dish, a veggie
such as carrot sticks, fresh
fruits, and a small side of
carbs like pasta.”

MOTT’S NEW CLEAR POUCH

APPLESAUCE HAS NOTHING

TO HIDE. TO LEARN MORE,

HEAD TO MOTTS.COM.