Random Back to School Thoughts

It's about time to go back to school, and the Son of Never Stops Eating is having none of it. Earlier today, someone asked him if he was excited about starting high school; he responded by saying "Don't say school words! I still have one week of summer left!".

Oh, the suffering. Oh, the angst. Oh, the inhumanity of it all.

So here, in commemoration of summer and in honor of school starting back up, are some random thoughts from the Mom of You Have to Go Back To School Whether You Want to or Not:

1.  It's okay to use the same lunchbox or backpack several years in a row.

2.  It's also okay to get a new one; sometimes, nothing is as empowering on the first day of school as a new backpack or lunch box with a superhero on it.

3.  When I really want to torture my kids, I say "I think school should be all year long!".  Sometimes I follow this up with "And I think uniforms should be required!".

4.  In about two weeks, the Christmas displays will start going up at the mall.

5.  Some people send their kids to school with healthy lunches of vegetables, fruit, lean meats, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.  My kids pack their own lunches and based on the grocery list, Oreos and fruit snacks seem to be a favorite choice.  Don't judge me.

6.  I predict much social media angst over the school drop-off and pick-up lines.  Remember the Golden Rule: Behavest thou in the school car line as thou wishest other people to act towards thee.

7.  If you try to take a great back-to-school photo of your kids to share with your friends and family and all the kids do is roll their eyes and complain- join the club.

8.  Deciding where to sit for lunch can be pure torture for some kids. If you're a kid, and you see another kid looking uncertain in the cafeteria, invite them over.  It's lunch, not a lifetime commitment- and you might make a new friend.

9.  The Son of Never Stops Eating has one favorite shirt, and he wears it all the time.  If you are his teacher, I just want you to know that he does have other clothes; he just chooses not to wear them- and I am the Mom of Choosing my Battles Wisely.

10.  I have to remember that I need to start leaving for work 10 minutes earlier now because I go through a school zone. 

11.  The start of school means high school football, great marching band shows, and delicious band nachos!

12.  I completely forgot that I was supposed to order my high school senior's yearbook this summer.

13.  If you can, you should definitely go to your teenager's school open house.  Not everyone goes, and it's a great opportunity to meet your adolescent's teachers and get the scoop on what they're learning in class.  Also, your mere presence in the school could be embarrassing to your teen, which  is reason enough right there to do it.

14.  Back to school also means fundraising season is now underway.  Start saving your money for those band pies!

15. I haven't actually done any back to school shopping.  It's kind of hard to envision wearing sweaters when it's hot enough to cook an egg on the hood of my car.

16. I still haven't sorted through all the paperwork from last school year.

17. I live in absolute terror that something will happen to the teenager's marching band uniform while it is in our custody, and I will have to pay for it.  I have no idea how much those things cost, but I'm willing to bet they're not cheap.

18. It still feels weird to drive by the elementary schools my kids went to and realize all over again that time of my life is over.

19.  Kids, when project at school are assigned, remember the P6 rule for maximum academic success: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.  Also, a mother who has to run to the Big Box Store at 8 PM the night before a project is due to buy 8 pieces of neon orange poster board is an unhappy mother.

20. If you are a friend of mine, I might have put your name down as an "alternate emergency contact" on the school paperwork.  I would have put the Grandpa of No, but I suspect that they want someone who lives closer than 250 miles from the school.  

21.  The Son of Never Stops Eating is already hoping for ice days.

22.  To all the kids out there who are sad that summer is over and school is starting back up, not to worry.  One day, you will graduate and then you won't have to worry about going back to school in the fall- you'll be at work year-round, and the seasons all kind of blend together as you toil away.  Adulting is fun that way.