Yet Another Blog Post on Getting back to school
It’s an interesting time. Some look forward to it more than others! Whether your little one is going back to school, moving up a class, or going for the first time ever, emotions run high for everyone because change is always involved. There are endless blog posts, advice columns, school booklets, and writings out there advising you on how to tackle the first days back to school, so you probably don’t need me to say more about it.
However, I will share my own mixed feelings, and maybe that will bring some comfort and reassurance—or some might think I’m completely mad and have some serious letting-go issues!
Whatever the case may be, it's a change, and change is always a mixed bag. You’re looking forward to getting back to your routine along with your little ones, but you’re almost already nostalgic for that melting, sticky ice cream and the one night you laughed together staying up late (because, let’s be honest, most nights ended in tears—no selective memories here). You want to see them coming back from school full of stories and tired from a day of learning and socializing, but you’re almost looking around the supermarket, trying to remember which aisle they got stuck in.
Remember those feelings in the morning when you drop them off—they have them and they’re mixed up, too!
For my part I’ll try my best to stop and listen to them. I’m sure if I do, there might be tears, but that’s just because kids are much more expressive than us. I’ll try my best to share that I’m nervous too, but I’ll also share my trust in their school and teachers. I read that as advice somewhere (find my resources below).
I also plan to share experiences from when I first went to school, or when I changed schools or moved up classes and had to adjust to new teachers and classmates. I’m thinking of sharing that in the days leading up to the first day, along with a practice run of our morning route, as some suggest.
If I leave all that talking until the first day, we’ll never get there!
But man, I’m looking forward to that first morning coffee after school drop-off to start the year. (I had to stop several times whilst writing this to wipe things, diffuse situations, dress stuffed animals and retrieve legos). Yet, I just hope an acquaintance, a colleague, or a delivery person doesn’t casually ask me, “How are you today?”—I welled up last year... That’s what I mean by letting-go issues.
Find me for a chat in the second week, though. By then, I’ll be all pumped with new school year projects and plans, probably with a few Halloween costumes already in the making. Ahhh, I can’t wait.
Stuff I read on this topic from:
https://www.instagram.com/mamapsychologists