We Made It Through the Start of the School Year

We made it!

Not only have I not had that crazy chest tightening feeling about the stress of school, I am also volunteering at the school so more than I could have before. I do have some observations of the new school year that I am dying to share:

1. The determination of whether or not your child is "in a good class" is based on how much you like the other parents in that class.

2. 2nd graders do not want their mommies to kiss them goodbye at school. You can walk them in sometimes, but no kisses, not ever.

3. Everyone loves a good mojito, margarita, or martini. This isn't some cryptic/ code language, it's the truth. I just want you all to know it. The may come up at the next parent meeting you attend.

4. If your kids are not enrolled in a school that they will attend for sure next year, you have already started having anxiety about where they will go next year. Take a deep breath and pray about it. It will all work out.

5. You cannot make every soccer game, every tennis lesson, every event that surfaces. You can do your best and prioritize. Everyone has conflicts all the time. Don't beat yourself up (or let your children beat you up) over it.

6. Schools that encourage children to interact with their teachers from last year are amazing. I can't tell you how many kids I know (including my own) who get to school a few minutes early so they can grab a quick hug from their previous teacher. Its' still happening, and we've been in school for a month already.

7. Breakfast clubs are back, and here to stay. (That one was a little cryptic, but it referred to my earlier post from the summer. I'll blog about it more this fall, I promise.)

8. If you have a 1st or 2nd grader, homework should NOT be a horrible existence for your family. If it is, something is wrong. This subject alone was the topic of my prayer and meditation this morning....I don't have anything else to say about it, because I haven't figured out how I am going to rectify it in our family. Bottom line though, it should not be stressful.

9. The public library is a very cool place to take kids afterschool for about an hour to chill out. My kids love it, it's free, and there are no battles about the tv.

10. Volunteering at the school gives you an excuse to be nosy. My precious firstborn who just turned 8 had a mishap where his backpack encountered another child's face yesterday. (ie, the boy made him mad and he used his backpack to hit him). Because I was there "volunteering," I got all versions of the story (my child's, the other child's...2nd graders love to tattle, my younger child's...1st graders are so nosy too, and an eyewitness...the kids' cousin also goes to school with them...she saw everything! In my words to the children, "You might as well tell me the truth...I'm up at that school so much...and I know everybody...I'LL FIND IT OUT!"

What are your thoughts on the new school year? Share! Share!