Today was the first day back to school for lots of little darlings. It is always a hard day for me because I get to wear two hats. On one hand, I am so grateful that my oldest daughter draws little happy faces all over the calendar to signify the start of school, but on the other hand, it ends around the clock “mom time”. I feel guilty because I can’t make it to things due to my own work schedule. Now comes homework, soccer, and bedtime routines. Carving out a niche just for us is hard, but not impossible. I have vowed not to open my computer until we do our nightly routines, snuggled and finished with a story or two. We need to giggle about the day and make jokes involving the word “butt”. I don’t know why, but it is apparently funny, and I like to oblige them with material for jokes.
I find it hard to be the adult at night when I also need to laugh with them. I like puppet shows, cartoons, and funny voices. If I don’t make time for that, I need to give up my day job. Okay, so technically I get to play with puppets during my day job, and use funny voices, but it’s not the same. My children need to see me in that role as well. I saw lots of photographs of children going to school today on Facebook, and some were going for the first time. My advice to parents is to make time for your children to unwind each night. Yes, you had a stressful day, and just when you thought it was over someone calls you on the way home about something important you didn’t get done at work today. It will be there tomorrow.
The “proud parent” moments are sometimes the ones that don’t get seen by other people. The stories they tell you about their day or the little things they need to be reassured about. The most important thing is to be there for your child. Relax, take deep breaths, and have a great school year. Everything else will be there.
“You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back.”
~William D. Tammeus
