❝Hey Mum ... it❜s crazy hair day today .. didn❜t you get the note?❞

Article by ellaslist,  brought to you by schoolparents.com.au

How many times as a parent have you just got through the chaotic school morning routine only to be delivered with the news – “hey mum we need to dress up like a robot / I need to wear colours of the aboriginal flag / I need to bring in a cake /  I’m doing a speech or I need to bring Grandpa to school today”  …  ARGHHHHH – QUEUE UTTER MAYHEM.

Well that’s us! Working parents, crazy busy who rush in and out at school drop off & pick up with little time to chat to other parents or filter through the plethora of email updates  - we more often than not miss the memo to what’s going on – and we know we’re not alone.

We were delighted to see that a couple of smart mums have came up with a great solution. schoolparents.com.au is a virtual school gate to help us connect with other parents, chat about our kids and find out what’s going on at school – and in plenty of time!

We asked the team at School Parents which days parents often miss the memo on and devise a few tips and cheats to help us plan ahead.

Book Week (August 22nd – 28th 2015)
Ahhhh good old National Book Week, a marvellous initiative that sends parents into a spin once a year. There of course is lots of lovely reading going on – but the stressy bit is the prep for the parade where the kids dress up as their favourite book character. This baby sneaks up on us every year! Be warned – Disney characters don’t cut it – so if even if you’ve got an awesome Buzz Lightyear costume lurking around – you’re going to have to think of something else. TIP: Our favourite cheat is to get your kids reading an awesome book with an easy dress up in the month prior. This year we’ll be reading the Fantastic Mr Fox (because we already have a Mask and Tail in the dress up box!).

Grandparents Day (OCT Sunday 25th, 2015)
An annual celebration of grandparents, there may be a special assembly or school visit or asked to bring in photos of their grandparents. TIP: If you’re like us and have most of your photos are stored in the computer – print a couple out the week prior, and lock in the gramps early if there’s a school visit organised.

Clean Up Australia Day (MAR, Sunday 6th March 2016)
Schools are generally involved with clean up Australia – there may be an excursion to help clean up a local facility. TIP: Check if rubber gloves are supplied, if not grab the smallest size at your supermarket.

Harmony Day (MAR 21st 2016)
The message of Harmony Day is everyone belongs. It’s a day to celebrate Australia’s diversity – a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home. Your child may be asked to share something from their culture, from food, national costumes, flags or a map. TIP: A card collage showing your cultural country, with cutouts of food, flags, national dress, language and special celebrations is fun for kids to make and a great show and tell for class.

The Easter Hat Parade (Sunday 27th March 2016)
Where some parents seem to have hired a milliner a year in advance to produce a hat fit for the Melbourne cup, the key here is to stay strong, don’t compete, let the kids do it (not you at 10pm the night before) and keep it simple. TIP: The second you spot Easter Eggs on the shop shelves – get down to your local craft or dollar store and grab some coloured card – give your kids a week to make it as a project and save yourself the stress.

National Sorry Day (MAY 26th, each year)
National Sorry Day is an Australia-wide observance held on May 26 each year. This day gives people the chance to come together and share the steps towards healing for the Stolen Generations, their families and communities. Schools are heavily involved in the week around the 26th and your child may be part of a special assembly, essay writing or wearing the colours of the aboriginal flag to school.
TIP: If red, yellow and black is not in your child’s wardrobe colours (ours is mostly pink and pastel!) – pick up some cheap accessories when you see them. Could be red socks, yellow T-shirt or black pants.

Mufty Days (ready to surprise you anytime!)
One or multiple events throughout the year to celebrate or raise awareness. Kids wear their own choice of clothes to school and often donate a gold coin. These can spring up at any time – luckily they are super easy to manage.

Other events to watch out for:
- Your Kids Class hosting Assembly
- Sports Carnival – book your time off in advance to watch and cheer your kids along
- NAPLAN
- Band Registration

More about www.schoolparents.com.au

www.schoolparents.com.au takes the traditional school gate meeting point online, helping busy parents to connect to the other mums and dads from their child’s class and the broader school. The site allows users to effortlessly log-in and select their school. Parents can easily find parents of their children’s friends and the site has built features like newsfeeds, groups, messaging, a marketplace and even tools for creating birthday and event invitations. Privacy is paramount and parents can choose whether they upload photographs and whether to accept the invitations of other parents to connect. Check it out here