Getting the kids back in
school
 School
days, school daze -- it's almost all I hear at this time of the year. Kiddies
are all excited about their new backpacks crammed with number-two pencils,
three-ring binders, wide-ruled notebook paper, football trading cards, yo-yo's
and whatever else they can sneak in. Yes, I've had those calls from the school
about the rubber snake too.
Been there. Done that!
In spite a few little setbacks, I was always happy when the kids were back in
school. Free at last! After the summer started out as a lazy, carefree, holiday
filled with activities like swimming, bike riding, and picnics; it soon turned
sour and became a boring, whining, barrage of, "Mom, I don't have anything
to do. I'm bored! Mom??"
No wonder I was out throwing rose petals in front on the school bus and
celebrating with a good stiff drink of black coffee before going out for a
manicure and a day of shopping to celebrate my escape.
Been there. Done that.
The kids' excitement over the start of school lasted for about a week of getting
up early, cramming down milk and cereal, and running to catch the bus - or until
those homework assignments start cutting into after-school playtime with friends
and favorite television programs.
Too soon they were dragging home after school with shirttails hanging out and
the knee torn out of their new jeans. "I don't want to look cute," the
ungrateful little snots whined - and this after the fit thrown for $70 tennis
shoes to wear.
Now it's probably, "My backpack doesn't have wheels and neither do my
shoes. I want a backpack like Joey's. Mine is dumb! I hate my dumb
backpack."
So it goes.
Been there. Done that.
I have been in the driveway with the car's motor running waiting for the kids to
get home on the first day of school with "The List". We would go
straight to the discount store as soon as they got off the bus, so we could get
their stuff before it was all sold out. Of course, it never worked since all the
other moms were also in their driveways with motors running.
And why is it that the aisles with school supplies are never wide enough?
Everyone is snatching, grabbing, and bumping as if they are going to quit making
school supplies tomorrow, and they must get a full year's supply today.
Been there. Done that.
I sneaked a peak on the Internet at the list of school supplies that kids must
have nowadays. At least I never had to worry about things like hand sanitizer,
zip-lock bags, and erasable markers. Guess such things were not invented, or
else teachers hadn't thought about putting them on The List yet.
I also couldn't resist going down the school supply aisle at the
Dollar Store, just to see what was there. It was amazing and little resembled
the blue cloth notebooks, painted lunchboxes, and tiny scissors that wouldn't
cut of yesteryear.
Yep, I've served my time in the playpen. I've paid my dues. Kids will eventually
grow up, believe it or not. School days will become a distant memory, revived
only by the sight of a yellow school bus and the knowledge that you no longer
have to worry about whether Johnny remembered his lunch money and if he will
lose it before he gets there.
Been there. Done that.
The start of school to us in the privileged, no school-age children group, means
little except more traffic during morning rush hour as teachers, buses, and
carpools rejoin the madness. It means avoiding certain aisles at certain stores,
where harried parents with The List and hyper children dig through mountains of
school supplies looking for an item that is already sold out.
Been there. Done that.
Good luck! And I'm so glad it's you now instead of me.
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