Back to school with BIC!

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of BIC and The Motherhood,
but all opinions and photos are my own.

A new school year is almost upon us! It’s especially exciting (and maybe even a little nerve-wracking) for us because Maya is starting middle school in just a few weeks, and Maura will be going into the 4th grade. I remember their first day of Kindergarten like it was yesterday… where does the time go?! Here school doesn’t start until after Labor Day, so I still have plenty of time to reminisce, do some back-to-school shopping, and get my kids excited for the new school year.

Buying school supplies is actually one of my favorite parts of back-to-school preparations. My kids love it, too! We go from store to store looking for sales, checking items off their schools’ supply lists and stocking up on paper and writing tools to use at home. I’ve come to realize over the years that the tools they use make a big difference in how motivated they are to do their homework or simply write letters to family and friends.

BIC sent us a variety of products to try out and you know Maya and Maura were all over it because BIC makes handwriting so fun! Their colorful products encourage handwriting and help the girls express their creativity. To get them inspired and excited for school, I spent some time asking them several questions and invited them to write down and decorate their responses using the BIC products we received. From four-color pens to pencils with stripes to highlighters, they had plenty of tools to choose from. I find that Maura still prefers to use pencils because she can erase her mistakes, whereas Maya is all about different color pens!

You can do this fun writing activity with your kids, too. Just ask your children some open-ended questions and encourage them to write down their responses. Not only does this give your kids something to think about as the school year begins, but it’s also a fun keepsake for you! You can even do a ‘Last Day of School’ interview later on to see how things change over the school year. Download and print PDFs with questions here: First Day of School Interview and Last Day of School Interview (they’re slightly different).

Maura’s principal was recently promoted to another position within the school district, so we’ve talked about this job quite a bit lately, as the search for a new principal for her school has spanned most of the summer. She didn’t hesitate at all when I asked her what she would do if she were principal for a day, and it’s no surprise… she’d give everyone the day off, but “teachers would get paid anyway” – isn’t that great?! She’d also have a disco party. Sounds pretty good to me (though wouldn’t everyone be at home?)

When asked about what she’s most looking forward to her first year of middle school, Maya said “Having a locker!” Meeting new people, continuing to play in the band, and taking Spanish were also on the list. She also wrote about her best friend. I gave her this journal in the hopes that she’ll keep writing with all her new pens!

Maya’s obsessed with the BIC® Atlantis® Bold pens, which come in vivid colors and write super smoothly, and Maura loves the BIC® Velocity® Side Clic™ Mechanical Pencil (pictured below) so she doesn’t have to worry about sharpening her pencils. They also really like the BIC® XTRA-Fun #2 Pencils with Stripes because they’re so different than the typical #2 pencils.

Look for the bright yellow packaging when you go shop for these new BIC products!

Enter BIC’s “If I Were Principal For A Day” Contest!

What would your kid(s) do if they were principal for a day? Have them write out their ideas, take a picture of their handwritten response, and your family could WIN a $10,000 scholarship! Visit BICFightForYourWrite.com now through August 15th to enter BIC’s If I Were Principal For A Day Contest and learn about more ways to celebrate handwriting.
No Purchase Necessary. U.S. only, 21+. Ends 8/15/16. Visit BICFightForYourWrite.com/official-rules for Official Rules and details.

What would YOU do if you were principal for a day?