Before break, all of ODA saw you, Ms. Young, “on the daily” as our little, ready-to-pop, music teacher strutting around in a cute outfit and sassy heels. But now we will miss you for awhile.

We all know you won’t be back for a while–so we, the students of ODA, have come together to make a few suggestions to help you get through the next few months with your new baby boy.

We all know that for the next month you’re going to have to wake up at unpleasant hours of the night to tend to your crying babe, so we put together some artists that you can listen to at 3 a.m. when you’re sitting beside the crib waiting to see if your little one is actually asleep. Jack Johnson, Bon Iver and Ben Gibbard are great for relaxing. Jack Johnson has his classic “Better Together” that I’m almost certain no one has been disappointed by. Be sure to give that one a listen.

This next one might have you rethinking life at some points, but all in all Ed Sheeran is the man when it comes to late nights, his new hit “Thinking Out Loud” is a little slow, but definitely a song for the heart.  Listen to this one when you need something to calm the mania of a new baby crying too much.

If you’re not in the mood for music, we thought of some Netflix shows you could check out too. If you want some funny girlie prison drama, Orange is the New Black is the one to see. If you want to develop a serious man-crush on a cute doctor, Grey’s Anatomy can definitely fulfill that goal; And being an instructor for the arts, you might also enjoy Glee. It’s a funny, drama-filled high school musical that’s sure to remind you of Arts Building lobby.

We girls especially know the powers of comfort foods for the soul and body. You probably will get stressed at times, so we again are here to offer our expertise. Some of the top picked comfort foods we recommend for you are mashed potatoes (whipped and creamy are best). Ribs and fried chicken are also winners. The best ones can be found at the side of the road. Try the gas station on 70, just west of I-75. Honey barbeque are the best ones there.

But if you want something quicker, Ben and Jerry’s cake batter ice cream and Whole Foods cupcakes. Get the brownie batter frosting ones. They’re the best. Anything high sugar and high fat will for sure make you feel better.

But now for the serious stuff, we teenagers have put together some things that we hope you will keep in mind when raising your children–some things we wish our parents practices with us. Always be accepting. Think of the things you did as a teenager and put yourself in our shoes. Make your children feel like they can come to you with anything.

Don’t make some rules to harsh–most of the time that’s why they get broken. Being a friend is just as important as being a mother. Don’t shelter them from the real world. Prepare them for what’s to come. And lastly, know that if they say they hate you at least once, that you’re doing your job right, and know that they really don’t mean it.

From all of us students at ODA, we wish you and your family the best of luck and memories to come. We hope this helps with the next few months, and we hope to see you and the kids at Arts Day at the end of the year.

Love,

ODA student body