by Mo Willems
Published by Disney Book Group Genres: Back To School, Humor

This post is sponsored by Disney Book Group as part of my role as a Mo Willems ambassador. Which is the luckiest opportunity EVER!

With this new school year just weeks away from starting, my kids are a little anxious. It can be scary to start a new school year. I still remember being nervous in High School. It takes a few weeks to settle into a new school schedule and figure out where you will be meeting up with friends to eat lunch. It doesn’t help that this year my kids will be starting at NEW schools and in a NEW town.

So, my sister and I decided to throw a party based on the new The Pigeon Has to Go to School! book, that was released July 2. The kids had a blast and were laughing out loud at Pigeon’s usual antics and surprise ending. Plus, they realized they aren’t the only ones nervous about school, EVERYONE feels the same way and EVERYONE goes any way. And EVERYONE…even Pigeon, can find things to love about school when things feel scary and hard.

 

This book paired with a little family party or inviting some friends/neighbors over before school starts would make the beginning of the school year a little more fun, and a little less intimidating. You really can never go wrong with a party.

At our party we also talked with the kids about goals and how to set SMART goals. While I did not invent this system of creating goals it is one of the best ways to make goals happen. So, here are the ways we set up SMART goals…

 

-Specific

-Measurable

-Actionable

-Realistic

-Time Based

 

Specific: Write out clear concise goals

Measurable: The ability to track your progress

Actionable: Lay out a plan to get to your goal

Realistic: Make the goals challenging, but not overwhelming.

Time Based: You have a time when you start, time when you finish, and maybe check-in points along the way.

 

We had them set goals in three categories:

 

-Physical: Something they want to do better physically: like learn how to skip, jump a rope, or run the mile in PE in under 7 mins, etc

-Mental: Learning something new or strengthening a skill: memorizing a poem, learning their times tables, strengthening their reading skills, etc.

-Kindness: Looking for ways to help others: Setting a goal to find one way to help their teacher each day, picking up garbage left behind in the lunchroom or on the playground (helping the janitor), inviting new kids to play, learning as many names of kids in their grade as possible and calling them by their names etc.

 

Once they picked a goal we went through each of the SMART steps on their goals to make sure they would work and had a way to have accountability. The kids were excited to have some new fun goals and realized that going back to school isn’t easier with goals, but it gives going back to school more of a purpose and helps them realize why they are there.

 

About The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!

 

The Pigeon is about to get SCHOOLED. Do YOU think he should go?

Why does the Pigeon have to go to school? He already knows everything! And what if he doesn’t like it? What if the teacher doesn’t like him? What if he learns TOO MUCH!?! Ask not for whom the school bell rings; it rings for the Pigeon!

 

Grab your copy of the book today, and make sure to share it with any little ones in your lives who are anxious about going back to school! What tips do you have for staying on top of goals?

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