To Tuck or Not to Tuck: Happy Kids, Marital Bliss, and the First Day of School

This is how we left the house Monday morning, the first day of school in these parts. Note the girl in her 'vanilla' jacket, flirty blouse, edgy jeans, and way-cool purple metallic flats. This is the first year she has been 'so fashion' and she worked out that outfit days ago.

Note the boy, snappy clean, and oh so tucked in. He had the jeans laid out the night before, but asked for advice on the shirt. His dad helped him choose one, which really was just a question of which polo. He came down bright and shiny, shirt tails flapping in the breeze of the ceiling fan, seeking approval on his outfit, only to be met by my husbands irrational need for him to tuck his shirt in.

When you get a job you'll have to tuck it in so you may as well get used to it.

Not being a tucker myself, I feel for the boy. Plus, no other self-respecting grade schooler is tucking. They're just not. I tried to reason with my husband on behalf my fifth grader and his need to avoid winning the geek-of-the-year award on the first day. That didn't go over well. I needed a new strategy. You can't tell from the picture, but everyone eventually left the house smiling. How? Easy - I just talked my son into tucking his shirt in for the ride to school and pulling it out once inside. Unless, by some small miracle, he embraces tucking.

Do I have to figure out everything for this family?

Another way to boost self-confidence at school - make sure your kids have comfortable underwear! Check out more great first day stories this weekend on PBN.