The Gag is… Podcast

The Gag Is...Navigating Back-to-School Chaos and Empowering Education

Charli Shanta

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Ever wondered how to balance the chaos of back-to-school season while keeping your sanity? This episode of The Gag Is Podcast is your survival guide. I share my personal rollercoaster experiences from this whirlwind time—from cheering on New Face as they tackle a dual high school and college program to the emotional journey of sending my eldest, Marco Polo, off to college. And yes, you'll laugh along as I recount the epic battles of packing school lunches and meeting my son's picky food demands.

Parental involvement isn't just a buzzword; it's the cornerstone of our children's academic success. Drawing on my dual experience as a parent and former teacher, I spotlight essential tools like Canvas and Parent View, helping you stay on top of grades and attendance. Forget the headaches of missed school forms and homework woes—we've got strategies for it all. From debriefing your child's day to maintaining a weekly grade check, this episode is packed with practical tips to keep your child on the path to success.

In a world where social media often overshadows the joy of reading, how can we cultivate a love for books in our children? With alarming statistics showing that many middle schoolers are reading below grade level, I emphasize the role of parents in turning this trend around. Discover creative ways to encourage reading, whether it's during car rides or through public library resources. Remember, "books before distractions" is our guiding principle. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, follow us on Instagram at thegagispod, and hit the notification button on YouTube to stay updated with new episodes. Until next week, this is Charlie Shante reminding you that education is the real MVP.

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Speaker 1:

Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of the Gag Is Podcast. I am your girl, charli Shante. Thank you for joining me on another Friday. Welcome back. Like I'm super excited about today's episode because parents, these children are back in school. Yes, I whoo-wee, I thought whoo, I thought I thought we was having an infinite summer, because I was like, when did when did these children go back to school? Because when I tell you, it's been one of them summers, it's been one of them summers. So I'm back, the kids is back in school and you know, I got on my mom morning gear. You know, my little hoodie, or whatever you know. You know, don't little hoodie acts, you know, you know, because you know it ain't about the messenger, it's about the message, you know. But these children are back in school and I couldn't be more elated.

Speaker 1:

So we're going to dedicate this episode to the first week of school. So go ahead and get your snacks, get whatever you're going to have while you listen to this episode, so we can go ahead and jump on out there and get started. Yeah, so if y'all hear a little rumble, rumble in the back, it just it. It want to storm during my record time. So just Florida, florida, just Florida, do what it want to do, when it want to do and how I want to do it. So we ain't got no control over that. But oh, my gosh, like back to school. Like it is so crazy. Because, my gosh, like back to school. Like it is so crazy because me and New Face are in a new territory this year. Like Marco Polo has graduated college. So you know he's, I don't have to worry about a back to school for him. New Face is back in school. But you know we have a new thing we're not in middle school anymore. So he started high school this year and he's in a program where he started high school and college on the same day.

Speaker 1:

Like how am I supposed to digest that? Like, okay, high school is one thing, but college too. Like I thought I was. You know it's going to be like high school boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Then it's like, was you know it's going to be like high school, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Then it's like, okay, like my baby's going off to college now, but now it's kind of like man, it's happening at the same time. So when he graduates high school, he'll have an associate's degree as well. So I mean, you know that's a very good accomplishment and thing, but it's kind of like dang.

Speaker 1:

So when he actually goes off to college, like am I still going to be like super emotional, like super sad because, like he's gone, or is it going to be like, okay, you know going off to college, but you know, like you've already graduated college once, like now you're going off to college. So it's kind of like I have mixed feelings. Um, I have some mixed feelings about that, cause I know, when Marco Polo went off to college, um, you know, his first day I was a wreck. Like he went to school in New York and you know, like that's a two and a half hour plane ride to get to my baby if I need to. And when I tell y'all, I bawled all the way to the train station the first time and then when I went back the second time, I bawled all the way to the airport in the Uber, your girl was a mess.

Speaker 1:

So, since school has started, I want to talk about let's talk about lunches. I want to talk about let's talk about lunches, let's talk about transportation and let's talk about how we can better help our kids during the school year. So, as far as lunch and food go, most kids want Lunchables. Most kids want, like, a little ham and cheese sandwich, little bag of chips, little applesauce fruit roll-up snack, capri, sun. Well, there's my kid. My kid think that I'm supposed to pack his lunch or I'm supposed to make food, like he a construction worker, for the first day of school. He was like can you pan, sear me some fish with some rice and some cauliflower and sear me some fish with some rice and some cauliflower.

Speaker 1:

Sir, who construction job is you about to go on? Like who construction site? Did you, finna, go on? Because last time I checked I thought you were going to school. I ain't even going to lie. It thundered real hard and it scared me and I jumped. So if you're watching this on YouTube will see I said I jumped.

Speaker 1:

But, bro, who construction site as you go on, the fact that you think that I'm finna, get up, like you go. You get on the bus at 7 30, what makes you think I'm finna, get up and pan, sear some fish for you, like I can make the cauliflower and the rice you know, or the potatoes, the baked potato, or whatever I can make. All of that you know, like the night prior. Well, not more so the baked potato, but you know the cauliflower and rice. I can make that the night before. But for you to think that I'm finna, get up, clean some fish and pan, season it up and pan sear it for you at five o'clock in the morning, it's crazy, crazy. Like bro and like I don't know about y'all, leave it down in the comments.

Speaker 1:

I like my fish fresh. I don't like like warmed up fish unless it's like salmon croquettes or something like that, but like warmed up fish unless it's like salmon croquettes or something like that. But I don't like no pan seared fish that's warmed up. Like that's just, that's just me. But I'm like bro, like what? Like I don't even take that kind of stuff for lunch. Like I have like little simple stuff and you want a whole, you want dinner for lunch. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1:

I understand breakfast for lunch or brunch or something like that, but you, boy, you done lost your daggone mind. Like you better get this, um, this, this crock pot chicken and this rice and this cauliflower and these green beans have gone on somewhere. Now I won't. I am not a chef, I am not Gordon Ramsay, bro, you, you not finna, get all that. That's no you, no, you, not, finna, get all that. I bought bagels for breakfast. Um, I go and get the pre-made bacon already. Sometimes I I'll fry bacon fresh if I'm home, or something like that. But like you have ready to go stuff, like you have cinnamon swirl bread, you have juice, like you have different stuff.

Speaker 1:

So why are you expecting me to get up at five o'clock in the morning and grill you some fish, like I'm? I'm not, I'm not finna, do that. And then he was like oh mom, next week I want some roast, bro, what he's like. I want some roast and some again. Who job is you, finna? Be on to where you need this type of food? Like what? What happened to just eating cereal toast? Something quick and simple and easy in the like? I don't understand why you need like a whole breakfast buffet spread Like what. Like this is crazy. And I'll tell him I'm like you know you can eat lunch at. I mean, you can eat breakfast at school, like it's free, like they have like mini pancakes and different stuff. And he'd be like I know, but I like it when you cook breakfast. I like it when I cook breakfast too.

Speaker 1:

But for the fact that you think I'm finna get up at 4.30, 5 o'clock in the morning before I go to work and cook you this extravagant meal is like crazy, I don't know where you. And then you want me to cook roast. I mean, I got to go get the roast, I got to get some potatoes, I got to get some carrots, some onions and stuff like that and actually soak it and prep it and do all this stuff for you to have some lunch, like not even dinner lunch, because since you didn't eat it for lunch, you're not gonna want to eat it for dinner. So then you're gonna be expecting me to provide you with another meal outside of this because you can't you feel like you can't eat the same thing twice in one day. No, not, finna, do that. Like you, you lucky. I don't slap you with a lunchable, you know, but I know that you're a growing boy and you know I want you to have nutritious food and you know stuff like that. But let me comment down below.

Speaker 1:

What do you do for your kids when it pertains to their breakfast and their lunch? Like, are they outlandish? Are your kids? Pretty simple, like, let me know. Also, let me know, do your kids take water bottles to school? Like, do they take water bottles or do they have Stanley cups? Or tell me what they. What do you do for their hydration? Do you send juice? Do you send soda? Do you just have a setup where the kids can go pick their own kind of stuff and kind of like build your own lunch. Tell me what, tell me what your setup is in your home when it comes to feeding your kids.

Speaker 1:

And I know also, like prime example, this morning now it was storming outside and I was like, okay, I'm like if it's storming, I'm like I'm not finna, go get him no donuts and no juice. So he sent me $5 last night and he's like can you please get me you know, some Dunkin this morning? And I was like, we'll see. So he gave me $5. So he thought that he's like, oh, if I just sent her five dollars, she gonna get my usual anyway and she just gonna cover the rest. No, not doing that today.

Speaker 1:

He used to getting a large refresher and three donuts with his morning. I humbled him because within his constraints of his five dollars, he could only afford a small fresher with light ice and he got one donut. And he only got one donut because I had a Dunkin' reward so I use my reward on that because I don't really be eating the donuts like that. So he had to stay within his little budget constraints, so spent the whole $5 because I use that 60 cents as a delivery charge Sure did. And he came and he's like where's the rest of that? I'm like the rest of what? I'm like I had to work within your budget constraints and I'm like your budget only allowed you to get a refresher, but my nice kindred spirit allowed you to get a donut because I had a free reward for it. He looks so defeated but you're not, finna, defeat my pockets. Okay, like you got to work within your constraints. It's stuff downstairs Like you wasn't.

Speaker 1:

Finna, go hungry. I mean no, and then I'll be trying to be nice and get the little stuff to make the little refresher or whatever, so he can have one before school or take it in his little cup or whatever. But no, he like to sneak down in the middle of the night, make him refreshers and then it be gone. And then he don't have nothing for breakfast and my rule is, once I buy it, I know how long it's supposed to last and if it don't last as long as it's supposed to. Last, guess who? Not finna. Go to the store and buy no more Me Once it's gone. It's gone because you're not finna just sugar my pockets. You're not just finna, drink my pockets down. That's not what you're not just. You're not finna. Do that. No, sirree bob, not finna. Do that.

Speaker 1:

So, moving right along, because I'm getting worked up thinking about these outlandish food requests that he has, because what Pan seared fish for lunch, bro, you know. But let's, let's, let's skirt, skirt right on along over transportation. Luckily for me, transportation is provided. So he rides the bus and actually the bus has been pretty on time. Our school district has an app that allows you to track the bus and you can go in there and set parameters. It tells you what time it picks up your student when it gets to the actual stop. It actually tells you what time it picks up your student when it gets to the actual stop. It actually tells you what time it gets to the school and then, like, it tells you, like the in-between, the route that they're taking and different stuff like that.

Speaker 1:

So I like that app and I have the parameters set that it tells me when it's within I believe it's within a mile of the bus stop. It sends me an alert like, hey, the bus is within these constraints, within your zone, so the bus will be pulling up to the stop momentarily. But the good thing about it is it circles like our little square area, so it's going to pass by the stop first, but it still triggers, so that lets me know and it lets him know also, like, hey, the bus is getting ready to circle the loop. So you probably got about five to 10 minutes before you need to be to the bus stop, which is a good thing. Then in the afternoon it's been pretty on time, which is a good thing, because last year which is a good thing, because last year, I mean, we had problems the bus run an hour, two hours late in the way new phase work, I'd be like you want me to come get you? He'd be like no, I'm going to wait on the bus. And I'm like okay, like, but you wait on the bus when you get to this house. Like the rules are still in play playboy, like I haven't Playboy.

Speaker 1:

I've noticed an uptick in traffic in the mornings, but it hasn't been too bad and I haven't had to deviate too much from the time I leave to go to work, which is a good thing, which lets me know that you parents out there that take your kids to school have done your due diligence and you are starting to be on time. Y'all are not out here rushing. Y'all are not out here zoom, zooming, skirt, skirting and just causing chaos and creating havoc, and I greatly appreciate that, because y'all don't need to be out here, christian, and crashing at seven o'clock in the morning. I great, totally, greatly, um, appreciate it. I have yet to pick the boy up from school. Um, I don't know, I guess he too cool to be picked up from school. No, maybe, maybe not, I don't, I don't know, don't matter to me, because I don't want to go up there and get caught up in the traffic anyway. So I mean that's, that's cool. I mean I don't, I don't know. So my last thing that I want to discuss with y'all forgive me, because my timer is messing up and so I just got to pull it down real quick and put it right here. So, when it comes to being, we're starting the school year off fresh, right. So, as a parent, there are just some housekeeping things that I like to do to make sure he stays on track and I, as a parent, I help him stay on track, and I just want to share a little of those thoughts and pieces of advice with you.

Speaker 1:

Every school district is different, so some of the things that I say may not necessarily pertain exactly to you and your child. However, there are. I have friends who have kids all over the country, so I'm pretty familiar. It's the same concept, different program. I guess we'll say that. I know we've been previously using Canvas, but now I think there's this thing called Parent View or something like that that they use, but, like, parent View talks about the absences and different stuff like that, and Canvas is more so for grades. They said they're supposed to talk and interact, but I haven't seen it yet. I haven't went around and played around enough in parent view to know, so I really don't know.

Speaker 1:

I guess it can be a good thing to tell you if your child been tardy or if they skipped a class or something like that, and I guess it's a good thing, but I'm one of those parents I'm more focused on Well, I'm focused on if he's making it to class on time, but I'm more focused on grades, turning in assignments. So, even though it's the first week, you know I've already gone in there and because I know I used to be a teacher, so I know that sometimes there's forms that need to be signed and different stuff like that, parents, make sure you're signing those forms, make sure you are sitting down and actually reading those forms, make sure, if it's a form that your student has to sign, make sure you're reading and having them understanding what they're signing, because later on down the line many times I've seen parents sign stuff and they send it back and then later on down the road something pops up, the kid gets in trouble or something like that, and the parents be like oh well, I didn't know. Well, it's kind of like okay, ma'am, but you signed this paper stating that you acknowledge you, you understand. Well, I ain't know what I was signing. Okay, well, do you just always like not read what you sign and you just sign because they say sign here, like, make sure you're actually signing the papers and reading the papers. I know LJ brought home a packet the first day and it had 20 pages in it and it wasn't all stuff that needed to be signed, it was just stuff that was just like information about dress code, about sports, about eligibility.

Speaker 1:

In Florida they have crazy book bans, and so it was talking about the ban books. And then there was one that was talking about the books that they're going to read this year that have like sexual content and different stuff like that. So I made sure that I went over that with him to let him know, like, hey, these are the books that y'all going to be reading, but with him I don't have to worry about stuff like that, cause he's pretty on point with um, what it is that he's reading in different stuff like that. Um, let's see what else we got. Um. So with canvas, I just make sure I go in there because, like, you can get points for turning in those forms and stuff. So I'm like I always want to make sure, even if it's like extra points or bonus points or stuff like that, I always make sure that he's taking advantage of that, because every little point helped, because you may have a test that you don't do good on, but you turned into this form in the beginning, so it'll give you five extra points, you know, on the lowest test grade, or it could be five extra points on the end of your grade. You never know. So parents, make sure that when your kids are bringing home papers and stuff like that, you're actually reading the papers and you're actually signing the papers, because they're very beneficial.

Speaker 1:

The second thing that I do is I always make sure I debrief his day. I always make sure that I debrief his day to see how his day went, to see if he has any homework, to see what kind of homework that he has. To always offer my assistance. That's the first thing that I do. When he gets home, I let him like if you want to get a snack or you want to relax, you know I allow him a 30 minute break once he gets home, just to kind of unwind and you know it's just like work, like you've been at school all day. So I allow you the opportunity to unwind, get your snack or whatever, and then, if you have any homework, we're going to jump into this homework. I always make myself available to him so I'll not do some stuff that I do when I normally get off from work. Just so I can make sure that, can make sure that he has my undivided attention and he has my full attention when he gets home from school. He used to get home later than me last year so I could do stuff in the house before he got home. Now we get home at the same time and so I just go straight from leaving work coming home to assisting him, from leaving work coming home to assisting him.

Speaker 1:

I do a weekly grade check just to ensure if I see something was due yesterday or whatever. I'm ensuring like hey, where is this? Have you turned it in? Do you need help with this? Is there something you're not understanding? I try to understand why something isn't turned in. He'll let me know. Hey, this is something that we had to directly give to the teacher. Most of his stuff is uploaded on Canvas or the college portal, but some stuff he does have to do and turn into the teacher as a physical copy. So I just try to make sure I stay on top of that, just so he doesn't get behind, because it's easier to catch one or two assignments versus you waiting for the mid nine weeks report and then you go and check your child's grades and you see they are missing 15 assignments.

Speaker 1:

It's easier for a kid to catch up on one assignment than it is to catch up on 15 assignments, because then you have defeat set in and you're like I'm never going to accomplish this. Have defeat setting in and you're like I'm never going to accomplish this. You're not going to get your child's full potential when it comes to completing assignments. The information may not be as fresh on their brain and then they have to dig for it and you know discouragement. You know they're less likely if it's a worksheet. They're less likely to have that worksheet still, and a lot of times teachers make the number of worksheets that they need and they don't make any more Um and so then they may have lost the opportunity to complete that work all together.

Speaker 1:

Um. Another tip is I make sure that I'm not too hard. Um, a lot of kids are not academics, but they also have. Probably like one in three kids has a actor, afterschool activity or something extracurricular that they work with, whether it be sports, whether it be a club or different stuff like that. I know he told me that this week they're coming around. Um, is it today? I think today they're coming around to talk about the different clubs and stuff like that and I'm just like, damn, like you already do swim that take up four days out the week and then you have a personal trainer on saturdays. And now you're talking about adding a club into the mix. Like when am I gonna sleep? You know you gonna find a way, but when am I gonna see? Because it sounds like I going to be doing a lot of ripping and running around here. But it's okay. That just lets me know that I have to find the balance to be able for him to do these activities, as long as they are not taken away from his sleep, they're not taken away from his homework, and they're not taken away from his homework, um, and they're not taking away from him from his mental well being, um. So you know, whatever, whatever new face trying to do, you know we gonna, we gonna see what he do, you know. And then I have help. You know Marco Polo can come through in a clutch on time when he ain't working, through in a clutch sometime when he ain't working, his work schedule allows, you know. So I'm grateful to have that.

Speaker 1:

Parents, just make sure you're staying active. If they have, if the teacher reaches out to you, please be courteous to them, because when kids are in school it takes a team and you're the teacher sees your child more 10 months out the year and kind of knows and understands patterns, and we're not calling as a former teacher. We're not calling because we want to tell you a child in trouble. We want to call to get your help with your child because your child may not be doing good in certain areas or something like that, and so we may be calling with the resources. So please, parents, make sure you are being kind and courteous to the teachers. That's not to say, let the teachers just be any kind of way, but be kind and courteous and work with your teachers, because in the long run it only affects your student. You don't want to be that parent at the end of the school year going well.

Speaker 1:

What can I do to help my child? Well, ms Smith, when I was trying to contact you on day 10 to tell you that little Juju was having issues, you didn't want to hear all that. You told me that that was my problem. But now it seems that my problem has turned into your problem and little Juju going to have to repeat this class because you wasn't trying to help me when little Juju needed help. There's nothing that I can do about that. Now little Juju going to get his F and little Juju can either repeat this next year or little Juju can take this online, or little Juju can go to summer school. Yo pick, okay. Next time, ms Smith, call, talk about little Juju. I suggest you answer the phone. So little Juju get the best help that he or she may need. Okay, that's what I need y'all to do.

Speaker 1:

A quote that I always say, and it holds true, is reading is fundamental. A statistic came out the other day that said that most kids in middle school can't read above a third, fourth grade level, and that is super sad. That is super sad because they can read TikTok, they can read all these social medias, but you can't. You mean to tell me they can't read a chapter book, like they can only read books that got pictures in it, like that's unacceptable, like you should not be in high school. Still, if you don't have a medical disability of some sort that hinders you from learning, you cannot be out here and be a gang banger and be a thug and can't read. Okay, because you look real stupid, you look real dumb.

Speaker 1:

10, 30 minutes a day. Kids spend more time on that on social media. I always make sure new face read it. And I have a thing If we're going somewhere. He's not allowed to use his phone or his iPad in the car. He has to bring a book and when you think about it, when you go somewhere, you're in the car one way, maybe 20, 30 minutes, boom, knock the reading out, just like that and with New Face, he can read a book a week.

Speaker 1:

I like to read, like behind me is my bookcase and I probably have like 20 books that I have to read. I just finished reading a book last week. I started another book this week. Reading is fundamental. Reading is very fundamental and I wish they would bring back the thing that if you don't pass eighth grade reading, you can't get your driver's license until you're 18. Because if you can't read, I don't need you out here on the streets because you probably can't read these signs. That's out here and now you running into people and all this other kind of stuff Like that's just dangerous. So, parents, if you don't take away anything else that I've said, please sit down and read with your child or encourage your child to read.

Speaker 1:

There are many resources online to help your child. There are many in-person resources to help your child. There's after school stuff, there's weekend stuff, there's follow along stuff that you can do. Books are free. I know where we live. You can take your child's lunch number and you can go to the public library and they're able to check out three books. I believe you're able to set the permissions on there so that they can only get certain type of books If you don't want them to have, like adult romance novels and stuff like that, you can set those permissions.

Speaker 1:

But, parents, we have got to step up and make sure that we are assisting our children the best way we know how. Yes, I know it is very tiring, I know I get it, but we have to support our children because the children are the future. You want to set them up for success? Okay, we can have all these hoop dreams of playing basketball, football and whatever else, but your child sustained. There's too many instances where children sustain injuries and their sports career is over and they don't have an education to fall back on. And I always make sure if Marco not Marco Polo, if New Face was to unfortunately, god forbid ever sustain an injury, I at least want him to know that he has his education to fall back on.

Speaker 1:

All right, so now you can't make this up. It's first week, school, y'all, and these children right here talking about some they got girlfriends already. And I'm like bro, we're not finna do. And I said, I said new face. I said what, what, what, what drew you into Miss Ma'am? And he's like, well, we realized we have a lot of common. And then we realized we have four classes together. So that make y'all compatible. Because y'all got four classes together.

Speaker 1:

I said, look here. I said I need for you to focus on these books, you know, and I can't even tell y'all what, because somebody going gonna take offense. But I told them bitches can wait, books before bitches. Okay, I just said it to her like that, because if you know me, do you know I keep it real with my kids books before bitches. But that's not to call the kids bitches, you see, that's why I didn't want to say that, cause now somebody gonna take it out of context Like oh my gosh, she's calling the little girls bitches. No, just figure speech. But you would know that if you paid attention and you know you read and you know ELA, you know if you mind your business, yeah, and you know, I told him, you know girls will come. You know there's a time and a place for the girls. Uh, you know, I think it's cute. You know that, uh, that, um, that, that you, that you got to, um, that you got this cute little girl, whatever. He's sending me pictures and stuff from the pep rally. I was like he's like we had a pep rally, you know, and I'm just like, all right, cool, all right.

Speaker 1:

Well, we have come to the end of the show and y'all know what that means. When we come to the end of the show, you know it's time for me to give y'all the song lyric of the week. So for this week, we're going to keep it nice, blessed and kosher. We're going to keep it very demure. Okay, oh, my God, I wish that word would go away. Tell who let's loop it back real quick. Demure it lets me know who didn't have vocabulary words and who didn't have spelling words. Okay, that's just where I'm at with that word. Demure. Okay, y'all get a new word and y'all, finna, run it in the ground. Lord, how mercy.

Speaker 1:

So my song lyric of the week, because we are starting off a new school year, is Grateful, by DJ Khaled and Vori. I think I'm saying it correctly. Um, grateful, um, because I'm grateful that we have made it to another school year. Um, I'm grateful that all the babies are back in school. Love, the first day of school, first week of school, picks, um, so, yeah.

Speaker 1:

So, parents, keep up the work. Make sure you are staying and you're staying on top of your kid's education, staying on top of their work, staying on top of their grades and just being the best parent that you can be for your kids. Until next time, if you have not already, please make sure you are hitting the notification button on YouTube so that every time a new episode is uploaded, you are getting that. Please follow us on Instagram, at thegagispod, or you can follow my personal page at smartfit underscore oki on Instagram as well, and, last but not least, on Apple Podcasts and on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast from. Make sure you become a subscriber, you become a follower, so that every time a new episode is uploaded, you are getting that notification and it automatically downloads for you. All right, so until next week, I am your girl, charlie Shante. This is the Gag Is podcast. Bye, guys.

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