As the year draws to a close, Sally Obemeder is looking forward to the school holidays and the relief it brings from the lunch boxes and uniforms and notes and excursions and calendar reminders and … well, the list goes on.
“These end of year holidays are always a welcome relief,” laughs The Daily Edition host. “Term three holidays come around and I’m always a bit ‘What? Again, we just had holidays, didn’t we?’, but now I have that end-of-year fatigue and I’m really looking forward to the break.”
Sally with her daughters, Annabelle Grace, 7 and Elyssa Rose, 2. Image: Instagram/SallyObemeder
The mum-of-two has a couple of years of school-mumming under her belt now – daughter Annabelle Grace, 7 is just wrapping up her second year of primary school – and as a freshly minted ‘school expert’ Sally Obemeder took some time out of her busy day to speak with Now to Love about what she’s learned along the way and how she’s managing the juggle.
“There really is so much to manage,” says Sally. “I have this system when the notes come home, I pop the information straight onto a wall calendar in the kitchen, and again into my personal paper diary as well as in my email calendar.
“If I don’t have reminders everywhere, information just falls through the cracks.”
If that happens, Swiish founder Sally relies on the best piece piece of advice she was given as a new school mum – her school squad.
“My girlfriend gave me the best advice when I was starting out,” Sally shares. “She told me that it’s important for the kids to make friends, but it’s also so important for you to make them as well. You have to find your school squad, and they’ll be your safety net.”
Sally Obemeder shares the best advice she received as a school mum. Image: Supplied.
“When it’s 10pm at night you can find out if it really is a mufti-day the next day, or if that project is actually due as soon as your child is saying. Your school-parent friends become a life saver at those times when you have so many balls in the air and you just don’t have time to go back over all the notes and find the information you need.
“You can just get that quick yes or no answer and carry on. It’s been one of the best things about this whole experience, those friendships that you make with people who are all in the same boat. It’s actually vital, I think.”
Read: Sally Obermeder makes a public vow to her husband to repair their relationship
With the school year drawing to a close, Sally is already thinking about the planning for next year as Annabelle enters year two, her third year of primary school. Sally has partnered up with Athlete’s Foot to come up with some back-to-school hacks to make her life, and your life, run a lot smoother.
For Sally the partnership was a no-brainer. “I’m all about The Athlete’s Foot for school shoes. Obviously, I know we’re getting the right fit but also, I’ve learned $5 from every shoe purchased goes to your school. It’s great. I feel like I’ve already ticked a school fundraising box before term even starts!” she says.
As a working mum-of-two Sally knows organisation is key from the very start so that the overwhelm doesn’t get the best of you.
Read Sally’s best tips for managing ‘back-to-school’ after the video …
Sally Obemeder’s best ‘back to school’ advice
Hooks and baskets: Set up a bag hook and basket station for each child near the front door. This needn’t be expensive. Places like K-Mart and Ikea have some great-looking options. Have the kids place their bag on the hook and their school shoes, hat and any other paraphernalia in the basket when they get home from school. That way you know where to find things like lunch boxes and school notes each evening and no-one is desperately running around the house trying to find shoes and bags in the morning. Image: Supplied.
Terrific tea bags: Freshen up smelly shoes with dry mint tea-bags – they soak up the odour and scent them! You can use any lovely smelling tea but mint is especially good for counteracting that stinky foot smell. In warm weather or for particularly active kids, popping fresh tea-bags in school and sports shoes each evening could help prevent odour by soaking up sweat before it really settles in. Image: Supplied.
Shop early: Buy any uniform needs and especially shoes early – December or early January ideally. The Fit experts at The Athlete’s Foot can ensure you allow some wiggle room but not too much (this is very important for foot health). It’s best to allow the kids to run and play in their new school and sports shoes a few times before school goes back. This should prevent any complaints about stiffness and gives you a chance to arrange inner soles or specific socks if needed to prevent rubbing and ensure a snug fit. Image: Supplied.
Bathroom checklist: List things like “Brush teeth”, “Sunscreen” and “Hair up” on the bathroom mirror in whiteboard marker. There can be no excuses for the kids not to be clean and prepped when the checklist is literally in front of their face! Annabelle loves ticking off the list as she goes. Image: Supplied.
Lone socks no more: Place a cork board in your laundry and when a lone sock appears pin it to the cork board. That way when another lonely sock appears somewhere in the house (or car, or sports bag…!) you know exactly where to find its partner. Image: Supplied.
