Today is my kids’ first day of school. My daughter is now a 4th grader and my son is in Kindergarten. And for the first time ever, they are AT THE SAME SCHOOL.
Just one drop off. Just one pick up. I am SO EXCITED.
I only get this for two years, if that, so I’m going to try to really appreciate it. (I also plan to let my daughter get herself to and from school starting in 6th grade so hopefully my days of dropping off and picking up in two spots is really and truly over. We shall see.)
Of course, I’ll be doing all the dropping off and all the picking up again, despite SO MANY conversations with my husband about how unfair that is, and how it makes me resentful and angry. We may be able to swing it so that once a week he does pick up, but right now that is the most I can hope for. I really hope that eventually he takes over one drop off too, but I’m not holding my breath.
{For all the people who just need to tell their spouse that they need to take on more and they do it, YAY FOR YOU! But please remember that some of us aren’t married to people like that, and I promise you, we ARE trying to change things. I am trying so, so hard but the progress is so, so slow.}
I will say that I am SO READY for the school year to start. I’ve had a LOT of quality time with my kids this summer, especially my son, and it hasn’t necessarily been pleasant, so I’m ready for us to get some time apart. I also think that a lot of my son’s “attitude issues” this past month are an expression of his unconscious anxiety about starting at a new school, and I’m REALLY hoping that a week in the classroom will help him process some of that, because I’m am SO TIRED of being yelled at and hit and kicked and having stuff thrown at me. I AM SO, SO DONE.
Students are back at my district on Wednesday so I have a couple more work days to get prepared. I’m no longer commuting between the two middle schools in my district, which is AMAZING news. Now I just have to teach one 4th grade class at the upper elementary school that shares a campus with us, so it’s just a walk away. The students will actually be coming back with me to my classroom, so I’m teaching all day in my own space. Woot! (I really do think sometimes that employers make life miserable for their employees so that returning to the status quo feels like a luxury.)
I really am happy with my schedule this year. Things aren’t necessarily in the order I would have preferred, but I like everything I am teaching and I got first period prep so I don’t have to worry about being late to work after drop off four days a week so yeah, I’ll take it happily.
Good luck to everyone that is facing the first day of a new academic year, be it on the parent-of-student(s) side or the educator side, or both! I hope you and yours have a fantastic year!
Gosh we are heading into 2nd and kinder as parents and 2nd year as PTA Vice President… Here we go is all I can think!!!
Yay 1 drop off/pickup! I’m lucky to have this for 3 more years. Then for middle and high school my kids will only get 1 year together. Fortunately for us, our elementary, middle, and high school are all close together (closer to each other than to our house) so the drop offs/pickups won’t be horrible. I may let my older one walk between them…haven’t decided yet.
I’m glad you no longer have to go to two schools or pack up all your stuff for each class. Yeah, interesting how sometimes there’s a threat of a bad change at work (or in your case, you actually experienced it) which makes the status quo with all its problems seem like paradise.
I have twin boys, and one advantage of twins is that they are always in the same grade, and thus at the same school! 😉 (Believe me, there are lots of disadvantages, too.)
Hope your school year goes well.
Totally celebrating the improved commuting and classrooms arrangements. Really pleased there is some relief this year.
Your son will grow and relax and change. Transitions can be so difficult for so many children at this age; hang in, there will be new stage and hopefully he will find it easier to manage his emotions.
Parenting is hard and even worse for some individuals. Your husband seems to be a person for whom the demands and needs of childhood are more difficult. He did, for him, tremendous effort with last year’s drop off and pick up issues so he simply may need more time to get ready for the next time he needs to expand way beyond his comfort zones. He is so lucky to have you, a co-parent who is more flexible and super creative. And maybe he will discover he actually misses some of the parent/child interactions that occur during commutes when children often share more of their private worlds. Or not.
In any event: Welcome to the new school year, I am SO very glad you are back and am really looking forward to hearing about your adventures with school, PTA, parenting, landlord life, the world! Keep the memory of summer alive.
My similarly aged son has been SO DIFFICULT the past few weeks. He’s staying at the same school, but I suppose he could have anxiety about being in a different wing for kindergarten. He actually won an award for most joyful camper last week — you would never know it from the way he behaves at home. So much whining and hitting and refusing to do anything that doesn’t involve a screen and getting in his little brother’s face. It’s so rough!