My minions went back to school last week and we are already feeling over-scheduled, overly tired and pretty much OVER the excitement. I have enjoyed reading on Facebook and hearing from other mom's their reaction to the start of school. Some are super excited, some are super sad and everyone has an opinion. Mine opinion falls somewhere in between those two sentiments. I shed plenty of tears when the boys boarded the bus and when I dropped Harley off at her first day of REAL preschool. They are growing up. They are another year older and they think they are another year wiser too. I am also another year older and therefore they will never catch up to the wisdom of their mother. For the first time in ten years, I have 2 hours to myself per day. At first I thought like Harley when she said to me, "How depressing it must be to go home without anyone there to play with." I have to admit though, that part is pretty AWESOME. The house is finally getting back in working order and I am so caught up on life that I am contemplating a mini-Teen Wolf marathon this afternoon. Guilty Pleasures. THAT IS THE GOOD PART!
What I hate about school is the 4 hours between the end of the school day and bed. There is no longer time for fun or adventure or playing. In fact, most days I feel like their is no longer time for childhood. School forces me to become the ultimate TIGER MOM. The boys have oodles and oodles of homework each night. Not to mention this week alone we have piano, soccer practice, two soccer games, baseball practice, two baseball games, theater try-outs, trumpet practice, cub scouts, ballet and two back-to-school-nights where the teachers, administrators and PTA princesses make me feel like my child is not involved in nearly enough after school activities to ever become a well-rounded, successful adult. So, they throw 3 dozen more options at me and tell me how any or all of these activities are vital to my child's development. And I go home exhausted and totally confused. I need a cookie and a Diet Coke. To me back-to-school means this: You better enjoy those 2 hours of alone time this afternoon because the rest of your day is going to be a living hell of driving, yelling, helping with homework, yelling, making dinner, yelling, driving, yelling, encouraging the practice of piano or trumpet or baseball, or soccer, yelling, driving, yelling, trying to get kids showered or bathed, yelling,reading e-mails about bad behavior, yelling, trying to get kids in bed, yelling, making lunches for the next day, crying. Hold on, I need another cookie and another Diet Coke. That is why I HATE SCHOOL! It is TOO MUCH, too much work, not enough recess, too much competition, not enough fun, too much to do, not enough down time. Let some things go you say, don't over-schedule yourself, you say. Go ahead and let your kid be the ONLY one who isn't proficient in three languages and can solve calculus problems in his head while dribbling a soccer ball, you say. Is this life everywhere or do I just live around a bunch of pretentious overachievers?
BREATHE! As you can see we are still trying to find the right balance in our home. That happy place where everyone is doing well enough in school, getting daily exercise, learning a musical instrument, developing their talents and mom isn't a raving lunatic.
AHH, but look how cute they are on the first day! Atley is now a SAFETY PATROL. (Terrifying, right?) And of course Harley is running the world of miniature people. Did we ever really have a doubt?
No comments:
Post a Comment