August has many meanings for us moms here in South Texas. The back-to-school emails are slowly starting to roll in, and the worst of the heat really hasn’t hit us yet. Target seems to think that removing all evidence of summer’s existence will miraculously convince us that “fall” is just around the corner, but really, expecting us to stockpile our carts full of glue sticks and crayons seems rather devious when all we really want to do is hibernate in a cool, 68°F building. The ads in the Sunday paper and the commercials on TV make the back-to-school season impossible to forget, yet we find ourselves simultaneously thinking, How is summer over already? Whether your kids are trying to get that last trip down the water slide under their belts or begging you for the latest back-to-school gear, one thing is for sure: time is ticking, and the ring of the first school bell will be here before you know it.
August is a tricky month in that she entices us with the thrills of summertime yet tightens those reins a few weeks in. Some schools welcome the kiddos back with open arms the last week of the month, while others hold off until Labor Day weekend has run its course. Whatever your schedule may be, we moms must armor ourselves and be ready for the days that are quickly upon us.
If there is ever a situation that breathes life into the meme of a mother starting out as Mary Poppins and ending as a Disney villain, it is transitioning your child from the summer slumber to the crack-of-dawn school-time wake-up. If you are dreading that first morning or week when you have to force your cubs out of the den, try installing a few “practice runs” before that first day. Yes, I realize this is more work. Yes, I realize you can always do it “next week.” And yes, I know it sounds ridiculous. But trust me—it works. Instead of making it a chore, turn it into a game where you try to beat your time from the previous day. Treat it almost like a house fire drill and keep track of what you want accomplished, how long it takes, and your goal time for the next day. You may find that siblings push each other to complete tasks and make it out of the door or into the car without any prompting from you. It is amazing how hard kids will work when competition is involved, and even more so when they are competing against a parent! Dangle a carrot in front of them in the form of a special breakfast or one last trip to the water park or destination of their choice. These trial runs also allow you an opportunity to designate spot(s) in your exit route for backpacks, lunchboxes, important papers, and where all those new school shoes will reside.
Another fear may set in when you dust off the backpacks and find the summer reading lists that were handed out in May with strong hopes of checking off each book, list, and then some by the end of June. With that sheet in trembling hand, you may come to find that the boxes remain unchecked, the titles are not ones you are familiar with, and you have no idea where to start with this daunting task. Before you dash out to the SAPL and bribe every librarian in town to help you track down all 64 of these suggested books, take a deep breath and make a plan. Bring your child up to date, as in reminding him/her of the list, and go from there. Of course, the plan for attacking this list varies with your child’s age and abilities, but the best place to start is at the starting line. If the list seems overwhelming and you don’t know where to begin, start with what you know: he/she must be reading. If your personal library won’t fulfill the requirements, get that library card ready for action. Make the so-called plan reasonable and achievable: you don’t want to set your child up for failure before school even begins. Set goals that keep your child motivated yet challenged, interested yet accountable. My three-year-old thinks it is hilarious to be read to in the bathtub, while I consider getting clean and hearing how the Berenstein Bears went on a road trip a win-win for my household. Buy a special marker and make a special chart (again, age appropriate here), and use all the glitter and stickers if that is what excites your child.
If, by chance, the suggested book limits were not met by the first week of school, don’t sweat it. Be honest with your child’s teacher about your summer. Tell him/her that the only reason you found the reading log is because you were looking for something else and stumbled upon the backpack that housed the reading log. Buy the teacher a coffee. Have your child draw an insanely cute picture of his/her summer vacation. Buy more coffee. Volunteer for a class party. Keep bringing coffee.
I compare the first week of school to the first week of sleep training an infant: it’s one of the hardest weeks you will ever endure. You will want to quit what you are doing at least 12 times an hour. You will want to pull your hair out. Tears will be shed, and everyone will be tired. You will forget things because you are tired. You may contemplate locking yourself in the bathroom for an extended period of time (that’s me on a daily basis, and I don’t have a newborn). In those moments, remind yourself that with each new school year comes learning curves. Grant your children some space to learn and make mistakes while granting yourself some breaks as your mama self adjusts to their growth spurts.
The first week of school will be exhausting for everyone involved. You may be a working mama who juggles morning routines, after-school activities, dinners on the table by a reasonable hour, and getting enough done the night before to eliminate morning meltdowns. You may be a stay-at-home mama who is watching your eldest strut off to Kindergarten for the first time without so much as a tear as you clutch the box of tissues and her baby book for dear life. No matter the situation, mishaps, burnt breakfasts, forgotten reading logs, broken pencils, and first-day-of-school outfit shenanigans, your child will come running back to you, empty lunchbox in hand, willing and ready to fill you in on how amazing his teacher is, how much she loved your lunchtime note, and how he can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow. As she throws her arms around your neck, take in those crayon smells and marker tattoos, for those homework charts and reading logs will be there tomorrow.
