With three kids, all in high school, just about anything that might affect a typical family, affects our family three-fold—there are three rounds of everything to do just to get everyone back in school by that first week of September.
This is not going to be a diatribe against school fees and such—I do not really think that things are unnecessarily expensive PER child—the price for book rental and sports fees and all that good stuff seems to make sense to me and I live in one of those states where school funding can be a bit precarious. So, I don’t really think that things cost to much, but it does take some serious budgeting and organizing for me to make sure that all three kids get everything paid and signed and ready for another school year.
It doesn’t help that I have one child (fortunately, my oldest, who will be a senior so this will be last year of public school for her) who tends to rack up the late library fees, lost book fees, etc. I cannot remember a school year that didn’t start out with my getting a “bill” from the school for stuff that she didn’t get returned during the previous school year. It has just become the way of things for that one!
We’ve also got all the papers—three of everything. It seems like we should be able to do one “family packet” and not have to sign and fill out each individual paper for emergency contact and home information for each individual child. But, again, I understand that rules are rules and files are files and records are records. Still, a mom of three can dream. I try to focus on a little optimism and wonder what it must be like for those families like the now famous Duggers who have 17 children. I guess they home school their brood though which probably saves them thousands of dollars on school fees, and probably keeps a couple dozen trees alive a little longer too.
Also: Expect to Start Over Every School Year
When Should Kids Return to School?
It’s Time to Get Ready For Homework