10 Items Every Teacher Mom Needs

10 Items Every Teacher Mom Needs: Being a teacher requires the purchase of many items for your classroom. Being a mommy requires the purchase of many items for your home. When the two roles merge, there are a few extra items that can save the day. As a mother of two children, let me share with you 10 items every teacher mom NEEDS.

Teacher Moms Need Snacks

Each year for back to school, we make sure to buy a stash of snacks and drinks for after school. My daughter gets a morning snack this year, then lunch. But when dismissal comes she is HUNGRY. It also provides the perfect chance to grab a snack and chill while mommy finished her afternoon duties.

I have learned to get a variety pack of snacks. And I don’t replenish until this stash is empty. I also know my daughter grabs snacks from other teachers from time to time, so keeping extras and sharing is always a good idea to repay the favor.

This method is also easier and cheaper than vending machine purchases. Plus, sometimes I need an afternoon snack as well. Okay, that was a nice way of saying chocolate is sometimes a last-minute necessity.

Teacher Moms Need A Spare Toothbrush and Toothpaste

 Getting our teeth brushed is the last step my family does before we head out the door. And sometimes my little ones run out of time or forget. I always buy a new toothbrush and toothpaste and keep it at school for my daughter.

If we are running late, she can brush her teeth at school. I also love using the toothbrush and mini toothpaste the dentist’s office gives instead of buying our own. This also helps as your children get older and orthodontist visits come into play.

 Teacher Moms Need An Extra Shirt

Every momma knows that little, little ones make messes all the time. I had to start layering my clothes when each of my girls was a baby. This helps with spitting up and formula messes as well as sticky fingers. I take off the extra shirt just as I am walking out the door.

I also keep a share shirt for myself at school because messes happen! My own daughter gets a full outfit, but I honestly don’t have enough clothes to leave a whole set at school. And an extra shirt has come in handy several times a year.

Some of the time it is for me,  while other times it is for student messes. And sometimes a teacher has to jump in to help paint or clean something unexpected. Or a student gets sick on you… or blows their nose on you. It happens. Just plan ahead.

Additionally, keep a change of clothes for your children in your classroom or in your car. This has also saved the day a time or two. My school is a 20-minute drive from my house. I appreciate the backup kid’s clothes.

Teacher Moms Need ProBiotic and Vitamins

This is a MUST. Buy and use probiotics and vitamins daily. It is just smart. And your whole family needs them. Most teachers develop an amazing immune system pretty fast. BUT… it doesn’t matter if you are well, because if the baby gets sick you are taking a day off work!

We use both Probiotics and vitamins daily to help our immune systems. We wash our hands often too, but germs happen. Sickness is going to occur. I would rather spend $30 a month on these items to prevent sickness.

I can’t leave the doctor’s office with a visit and a prescription for less than $50 per kid! So if we get bad germs, I am sure we will be out a few hundred. And this doesn’t count time off work. I budget probiotics and vitamins monthly and never skip them. The most important part of using whatever healthcare items,  there is nothing worse than a sick child! Prevention is key.

Teacher Moms Need a New Book Or Activity

I like to find a new book or simple game to bring to school each year that is specifically for my own child to play with after school. Teachers have lots of meetings and duties. It can get a little boring if there are no other staff children to play with as well. Books are great for faculty meetings if you need to keep your child next to you. I also recommend Lego sets. They are quiet and the creations are endless.

 Teacher Moms Need a Good Quality Camera

Just buy one… a good one! It is worth it to have good pictures you can cherish. Plus, I love to have someone grab my camera and capture a good pic for me when I can’t be there. It is not fun to miss an event only to get crumby phone-quality pics in place, as a teacher.

I offer my camera up to the classroom teacher if she wants to use it and I also always share my photos with other pictures. Other mommies (including my students’ families) are beyond appreciative to get good-quality images. I am not great with lighting and angles, but a good camera can help ya out!

And we know what good cameras give us… GOOD pictures. I keep a picture of S on the first day I went back to work after having her. I look at it daily as my reminder that I AM INTRUSTED in the lives of these students who are someone’s babies.

Teacher Mom Needs Lip Balm and Lotion

I buy several lip balms and a classroom lotion for back to school. I always give one to my daughter in her book bag. It is one less thing she might need to come to see me about.

I also put another in my small container of Vaseline and Q-tips on my desk for my students. And I put another on my desk for my students. I have used Q-tips and Vaseline too, whatever works for you. It is just a cheap way to resolve problems before they start for your child, yourself, and your students.

Teacher Moms Need Planner or Organizer

Your life went from busy to crazy during the week of preplanning. And it gets insane the first month of school. You simply have no time to spare. Get organized now to save your brain space. I personally enter all dates into my iPhone. It shows up on my iWatch so it is very helpful. My county also uses Google Calendar. Those events can connect to my phone and watch if I allow them to.

This means you can keep all your errands and events in one place. Lots of people use fancy planners or organizers. I love them too. But I carry around too much stuff now. Most don’t fit in the diaper bag either. Nor do I want them to smell like the diaper bag smells sometimes. So this is the system that works for me. If a paper planner works for you, awesome! Totally do it.

Teacher Moms Need a Back-Up Babysitter

Too bad you can’t just run out to pick up an awesome, backup babysitter at the local store. They are very hard to find. But so valuable. I highly suggest securing a grandparent, reliable neighbor, or paid sitter who you can call last minute to help take care of your personal kids when needed.

My own children seem to get sick on the day of a field trip or an end-of-the-year performance, and so on. I also make sure to add this person to the emergency consent card at the beginning of the school year. You have to make plans for your children in the event that you yourself get hurt too.

 And as teachers, we do get hurt from time to time. If the mommy does down, we are all in trouble. PLAN now and get someone lined up.

Teacher Moms Need

Lots of you drink coffee. I do not. I am a HUGE fan of Spark instead. Whatever you go to the source of energy is… plan ahead and have backup ready for those bad mommy days and/or bad teaching days. For example, our first day of school was Friday.

My littlest woke up and was ready for the world at 4:30 am. Yes, the two-year-old. Seriously. We tried to get her back down, and so did she. By 5 am mommy and baby were having some great bonding time before school started.

Did I mention hubs got home at 11 pm from a business trip the night before? Then we had to plan out who was taking who and where for the first day of school. And 4 hours of sleep the night before school starting isn’t ideal for anyone.

But I am a mommy first, then I am a teacher. Spark was my friend on Friday. {If you don’t know what Spark is… click here.} What items did I miss from this list that NEED to be added to part two?

Did this help any NEW teacher moms out there?