Back to School Woes…Where Are They?

This week brought about a bittersweet moment that moms across the nation alike are experiencing. Back to school for the kiddos.

This meant my oldest (who also was celebrating her 11^th birthday mind you) left for her first day of 5^th grade. My middle child eagerly ran into his kindergarten classroom without a glance back at Mom and Dad.

Ellie on the other hand, well she stayed home to assert her dominance over the house in the absence of her siblings.

Across social media, I see the parents who are posting truly heartfelt posts about how their babies are growing so fast, or how they left the school in tears over their growing children.

Me on the other hand?

Yeah, I shed a tear or two, but mostly, I had a sense of relief.

Relief, guys. You totally read that right.

Don’t get me wrong. I will mourn the loss of our summer excursions for a couple of weeks. I will also find myself doing happy dances around my living room. It’s called balance.

You see, back to school brings about many things for my family.

For one, the anxiety my kids have been harboring for the last couple of weeks, well that shit just flew out the window.

My fifth grader, who is now participating in rotation classes, is learning just how these classes work. Learning through doing, instead of pondering how she is going to forget something or get confused. You get it, girl.

My son, who has been amped up by his big sister all summer, is learning just what kindergarten holds for him. The new experiences it offers differ from his preschool days. Also, he is realizing that he will not be getting to go to recess’s house, and instead that this is an activity he will participate in during the day.

In addition to the kids’ anxieties being put to bed, my life is returning to normal.

You see, this mama lacks greatly in organization. Actually, let’s be real. I kinda suck at it. Like a lot.

Thus, school days introduce a schedule back into our lives that forces me to be accountable. Accountable for the lunches, bedtimes, early mornings, and clean clothes.

Yep, I must be human now.

With the organization, however, also comes the finding of my me time. This my friends desperately needed to be rediscovered.

It comes with the freeing of my house from many of the screaming, yelling fits, and arguments. (At least until after 3pm.) If you have read any about my year so far, you know how much this was needed.

The thing keeping me most in the sphere of happy over back to school is that I know they are destined for an amazing year full of wonderful adventures.

My Addison, who as aforementioned just entered pre-teenhood, will spend her year learning so much about herself, and the world around her. She will test new boundaries, develop deeper friendships, and come to better understand cause and effect in how her actions affect those around her.

Brendan on the other hand, will learn and grow noticeably each day as he grows more comfortable in his new environment. His emotions, thinking, and actions will all be further shaped this year as he is pushed in new ways. I cannot wait to see how he evolves over the next year.

These kids of ours will leave each day looking for a new adventure and return home each afternoon with new and exciting tales of their days. All the while, this mama will be busy finding herself so that I can be the best for all my children at the end of the day.

How are you handling back to school?