You know those moms doing a happy dance in the parking lot on the first day of school, then caravanning together to the nearest Starbucks to toast their freedom with Venti Java Chip Frappuccinos?
I’m the mom rushing off to get as much work done before I have to navigate the car line for pick-up.
I’m also the mom who feels like an amputee walking out of school after three straight months of summer vacation.
Three straight months operating as my child’s social activities coordinator and she as my third arm.
So, no, I’m won’t be joining the other moms breathing a collective sigh of relief when school resumes. Rather, my sigh will be peppered with a little sadness and a lot of anxiety.
Whereas I am thrilled that my daughter is joyously entering the second grade with enthusiasm and great expectations, the realist in me bubbles to the surface this time of year dreading the downsides of back-to-school, which include, but are not limited to:
Lice: If you are a parent, this four-lettered word should strike more fear in you than any other in the English language. If it doesn’t, then you clearly have not experienced its wrath. Last year we received no less than seven letters from the principal notifying us that students in the school had acquired the little hair-clinging critters. The doomsday threat lasted for more than three consecutive months and caused me to age a good 10 years in the process.
Lunches: Have I kvetched about this one enough? I’m not exactly sure why I detest this part of back-to-school as much as I do. I think it’s a combination of worrying that my homemade creations will be dumped instead of consumed and dealing with the double duty of preparing breakfast and lunch or dinner and lunch at the same time. Not having to come up with new ideas and prepare for tomorrow’s lunches is one of the best parts of summer.
Routine: Prep uniform, pack lunch, make breakfast, drag kid out of bed, cajole kid to eat breakfast, rush out of house, drop-off kid, pick-up kid, nag kid to do homework, make dinner, drag kid into shower, nag kid about going to bed, wash, rinse, repeat. Need I say more?
What are you dreading the most about back-to-school?