Wednesday, August 22, 2012

My love hate relationship with the Back to School season



It is that time of the year again. You can always tell this time of year because, besides being inundated with Back to School commercials, the air starts to smell differently. The days are warm but the mornings are cooler, sometimes even cold.

I have a love-hate relationship with this time of the year. 

I ♥ the idea of the kids having a routine, but by mid-winter, I hate that routine. I ♥ the cooler mornings, but that also means that cooler days are sure to follow. I ♥ the quiet afternoons, but I miss the hum of children playing. I ♥ an early bedtime, but I hate the morning rush. I ♥ the family dinners around the table, but I hate packing lunches and book bags. I ♥ the school concerts, but I hate finding a parking space. I ♥ watching them grow, but I hate watching them grow.

But what I really dislike are the "typical" Back to School articles and lists that are produced by magazines, blogs, and news stations, all recycling last years "tips" in a slightly different way. It puts unneeded pressure on parents to be perfect. 

Parents already know that this time of year is exciting, stressful, and expensive, we most certainly do not need a list to tell us that or dictate what we should be doing about it. This year, instead of stressing out about Back to School preparations, I'm just going to allow summer to live out its existence without interruption.  


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