Every August, I feel the same mix of excitement and hope. The start of a new school year feels like a fresh notebook: blank pages waiting to be filled with lessons, laughter, and maybe a few unexpected adventures.
As a music mom, I can’t help but think of it like the first notes of a song. The tempo hasn’t been set yet. The melody is still finding its way. We get to help our kids decide how the tune will play out. For me, the best place to start is with gratitude and curiosity.
Gratitude is a quiet superpower. It reminds us to see what’s good, even when mornings feel rushed or homework piles up. I’ve learned that when I model gratitude—thanking teachers for their hard work, appreciating my kids for their effort, even on the small stuff—it changes the tone of our home. It’s like turning up the warmth in a song. You can feel it everywhere.
Curiosity is the other piece of the puzzle. Kids who feel free to ask questions, try new things, and explore ideas tend to light up in and out of the classroom. I’ve noticed it with my own kids—when they’re curious, learning becomes an adventure, not a chore. As parents, we can feed that spark. Ask them what they learned that surprised them. Encourage them to try something unfamiliar. Remind them that “I don’t know” is just the first step to finding out.
Of course, every year brings challenges. There will be days when backpacks feel too heavy and attitudes a little too grumpy. But when we approach the year with open hearts and a sense of wonder, we teach our kids that learning is more than grades and schedules—it’s a lifelong rhythm.
I hope this school year is full of small victories and big moments of discovery for all our families. I hope our kids meet friends who lift them up and teachers who inspire them. I hope we find ways to celebrate progress as much as achievements. And I hope we all keep listening, to each other, to our kids, and to the music that plays quietly in the background when gratitude and curiosity lead the way.
Here’s to a year of learning, growing, and remembering that every day holds a little something worth noticing. Like the perfect harmony in a song, gratitude and curiosity can blend to create something beautiful, one school day at a time.
The Music Mom: Eileen Carey 