If you listen closely, you can hear moms across the country breath a collective sigh of relief… The kids are back in school!
As much as we love our children, and have fun spending quality time together at the park, the beach, the library, the movies, bowling and putt-putt golf, some of us are more than ready to reclaim a few hours of time for ourselves. There are days over the summer where I feel like a one- woman social director on a cruise ship, whose job it is to provide non-stop entertainment. (Other days I feel like I should be wearing a red, rubber nose and giant clown shoes and rent myself out for birthday parties.) By the end of the summer, I’m ready to take a mini vacation to recuperate from the rigorous “playtime” spent over the previous two and a half months.
It’s not just stay-at-home moms who are glad to see the school year roll around. My friends with careers have their own set of challenges about their kids and summer vacation. “I could have practically paid for college for my daughter rather than sending my son to camp all summer.” I hear them lament over the high price of camps and daycare.
The education administrators, who are trying unsuccessfully to convince the public about year-round school, are going about it all wrong. Instead of extolling the virtues of “ the continuity of learning” and the “power of retention”, all they really need to do is time the vote strategically. If they took a vote for year-round school on the last day of summer vacation, it would pass with flying colors.
Until then, however, I’m going to sit back and say a small prayer that our kids are back in school to learn about the three R’s. Meanwhile, I’ll be practicing my three R’s: Relaxing, Recharging and Reclaiming some time for me.
Ah, yes it's back to school time. I however have just started a new job as a teachers aide in a classroom full of 3 year olds. My daughter who is almost 18 months old gets to attend school with me everyday and her class is right across the hall. This has definitely been a blessing for us, but boy do I realize just how much I did love being a SAHM!
Posted by: Kate | August 19, 2007 at 12:34 PM
Meanwhile I'm on the other side of the fence having missed the first day of Kindergarten for a STUPID meeting out of town last week. There are just certain moments that we don't get back. I'm an accomplished spin doctor so he didn't know that he had missed anything, as for me... YIKES!
Posted by: Ava Hamman | August 20, 2007 at 12:36 PM