Creating our prepackaged customized school supply kits the past 11 months during COVID-19 has been quite a roller coaster! Difficult decisions and stressful situations leave us tired. COVID-19 can be scary, but there have also been some silver linings. We all handle new situations in our own ways and although you may feel alone, you are not. Here at Bright SchoolKitz® we understand the difficult decisions that you are making, and can empathize with how COVID-19 has changed your life in many ways. We relate! We are a women-run company, most of us moms, from all over the country, in all walks of life, working and adapting to the situations we face today. Luckily, we all work from home to provide you with the best school supply pack program possible!
Our work family at Bright SchoolKitz® has been affected in many different ways. We wanted to share a little bit of what we have been going through in an effort to remind you that you are not facing this alone!
- Hi, my name is Bethany and Covid-19, althought it has been hard, has also been a blessing in many ways for our family. It has forced us all to slow down and focus on what really matters. We have had more family time, more outdoor time, and it has really made us think about what we value in life. This year we have done more swimming at the lake, snow skiing, bonfires, picnics, pickleball and hiking. Anything to be outside. In addition, my family is closer! Our oldest
daughter and her husband moved home from college because their dorms are closed, and my mother did not go south for the winter and stayed close to us. It is heartbreaking to see so many things cancelled...my youngest daughter's state gymnastics meet, her recitals, plays, etc. have been cancelled. But she has picked up new hobbies like soccer, hoverboard riding, and piano via FaceTime. She continues to go to school in person. Our church is open, and many people still attend. Since I work from home, I have been busy planning for a great 21/22 school year so that parents can stay home and purchase school supply kits from the convenience of their living room. - Hi, my name is Reynolds. I am used to having the house all to myself when my hubby and kid were at work and school. All of the sudden, they were both at home. I have to make sure to have enough lunch for 3 people instead of just heating something simple for myself. More dishes and messes as well. I finally had to put my foot down where everyone must put his/her dishes away! I didn't realize how much of a mess 3 people could generate (actually 2 since I already have the mom-curse, where the older I got, the more dirt and messes I see.) But on the flip side, I had time to learn to program a shopping cart using Shopify and installed a new CRM system so we can offer you better customer service with our school supply packs! I also got to spend time at the piano again (Für Elise, here I come!) My kid and I also got to ride our bikes around our new neighborhood when the weather was nice. Oh, we also learned to play pickleball since it could be played right on our driveway!
- My name is Kim and I have two teenage boys. One is in high school and attends a private school, the other is in middle school which is a public school. It is all virtual. COVID-19 has thrown me into being a homeschool mother with our younger son. His classes are not even live Zoom classes, they are pre-recorded, and he has assignments. This has caused him to not really be on a schedule and it is a fight every day to get him to watch the videos. My oldest has been pretty normal, other than wearing a mask to school if they are exposed or anyone is sick. Every class is on Zoom daily, so those children are the only ones zooming, while everyone else attends school. I know like many of you, we are ready for life to get back to normal. Sometimes I wonder if it ever will. Work has pretty much been the same for me since we already worked from home planning your school supply kit program.
- Hi, my name is Erin! In the beginning when everything was being shut down, toilet paper and cleaning products (disinfectant wipes were really hard to find for your school supply kits last year, but we found them!) were being hoarded, I was not scared of the virus itself but by the way people were acting. Then we started learning about the virus, and with knowledge and safety measures, people started to calm down. I had many sleepless nights, and my anxiety was nearly unbearable with the worry I had for my children (two teenage boys) and how they were handling it all. They both have been so calm and adaptable! COVID has actually brought us closer as a family. It made us slow down and enjoy the small things (that are really big things) like eating dinner as a family, my husband and I taking walks together and talking to our neighbors, playing board games as a family, my boys tossing a baseball in the backyard with each other and/or with their dad. We all started talking to each other again, really talking, and really paying attention to each other. Those things became our routine and we were very happy in our little bubble. Now that things are pretty much back to normal where we live, I am missing those slow days and wish there was a way to slow down again without sacrificing the things we love that take up so much time.
- Hi, my name is Beth, and I am a mother of two young girls. The oldest - a 3rd grader - started the school year off in a hybrid schedule where she only attended two half days a week, wearing a mask all day. My youngest is in preschool. She receives speech therapy and occupational therapy through our school system, and trying to attempt these virtually with a 3-year-old is not a task many are built for; in fact, I’m still not sure I am. COVID-19 has forced my everyday life into a home-schooling parent/therapist. Our normal everyday struggles have turned into heightened tasks. Our everyday routines are no longer, and just making it through the day is an accomplishment. COVID-19 also forced me to see just what I can do as a parent. I wish I could say that being forced into my home gave my family extra time together, but it was the opposite for us. My husband traveled for the first several months building pop up hospitals all over. This made me step out of my comfort zone and forced me to expand my parenting style. I am also the president of our school's PTO. One of the biggest PTO changes and challenges we have faced is being forced into virtual fundraising for everything. But the biggest change in my life is I now work for this great company selling school supply kits.
- Hi! I'm Amanda and I'm one of the Account Liaison's here at Bright Schoolkitz®. I have two little girls, ages 4 and 2, who were in daycare full-time before COVID. Since the pandemic, they are home more, and I feel like we have gotten so much more precious family time together. It's very difficult to be a parent, work, and try to homeschool all at the same time, but the time we have gotten together is irreplaceable. Silver linings!
- My name is Kayla, and I am an Account Liaison with Bright Schoolkitz®. COVID-19 has definitely impacted my family- We were planning on a big move (jobs and location!) in 2020, and we had to cancel it for another year. Like many people, most of our plans this year have been ruffled in some way. But we are thankful to have our family close to us and healthy in the midst of the chaos. I am also thankful for a steady job at Bright SchoolKitz® that can be done from the safety of my house. I enjoy helping PTO volunteers put the best school supply kit program together for their school, and I love knowing that I get to play my part during this pandemic by helping parents stay out of the stores.
- Hi, my name is TaNisha! Like many, at least I think, at first COVID-19 was something I heard of in the news, but it never really captivated my attention. Then I remember hearing about the first case in the United States, then in our county. While I cannot say I was scared, it certainly had me now paying more attention. Throughout the pandemic, my husband and I have been guided by and continually try to apply Bible principles, namely: 1) Place a high value on life (Ecclesiastes 7:12); 2) Listen to the authorities (Romans 13:1, 2); 3) Do not develop a casual attitude (Proverbs 22:3). While our daily lives have changed drastically, we're certainly grateful to have access to the technology needed to perform activities remotely. Whereas sadly so many do not.
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Not one person is going through the same changes or having to make the same adjustments, but we have all had to adjust our lives in some way to accommodate this new way of living. Please know that we can relate and sympathize with you, even if it's on the most basic level. Yes, Bright SchoolKitz® is a business, but we are also a team of people - of moms and volunteers - with heart and compassion for our customers. We are here for you.