The transition from summer to being back in school isn’t only hard on the kids. The first week of school can be chaos for us moms too as we re-adjust schedules and remember what it’s like to be on a more consistent routine.
Each year, I love complying varying fails that myself and other moms experience that first week back to school. One common theme I have seen is that the majority happen during the elementary years. Moms of younger school-aged, just know that you are in good company if you had one or several moments where you dropped the ball on something that first week back. My kids are in middle school, and I still can’t seem to get that first week just right.
Here are some of my favorite fails over the years from myself, my friends and our wonderful AllMomDoes Community.
These really did happen:
Forgetting your kids’ lunches. On the first day. Some of you are thinking, that should be the kid’s responsibility. I agree. But it just simply isn’t a good start to the year to leave it at home on the first day. I laughed hard when my friend then said how her “Happy First Day of School” note was opened on day number two since day one resulted in a cafeteria lunch.
Thinking extended care was open until 6:30pm. Getting a call at 6:02pm asking where you are because it closes at 6pm. Oops. Enough said.
Driving into a ditch in the carpool lane at school. With the kids in the car. Holding up the entire drop off line. With the principal standing there.
In the rush of morning drop off, my friend thought she had found a quicker way to get through to drop her first grader and preschooler off. She soon found why nobody else was veering that way in line- because that way took her straight into a ditch. Wheels spinning, she finally was able to reverse out but only after holding up the entire line and causing the principal to literally walk over and knock on her window to check on things. I can feel myself turning red just thinking of that happening!
Sprinting to make it to pick up on time and causing a mini scene. Park and dash used to be my daily motto when I had to physically pick up my kids versus a carpool line up. As I sprinted down practically shouting, “I’m here!” I realized that my heels were loud on the pavement and that several parents and teachers were left looking up at me like, “who is this crazy lady running at us?” Luckily now that my kids are in middle school, they just walk home.
Being too tired to help with homework. On the first day of school. With your first grader. This could be seen as a fail. But I think the true fail is giving homework out on the first day of school.
Deleting an email about being the “class parent”. One way to get out of being a class parent is to mistakenly delete the email. When asked if you received it, you can genuinely say you didn’t. Meanwhile, another parent may have been selected. Oops, oh well. Maybe next year.
Showing up at dance class at the wrong time. The first week of school involves getting so many things organized. We can’t also be expected to show up to extra-curricular activities at the right time.
Getting locked in your car. Sometimes we have random notifications go off on our car dash. We tend to get to it when we get to it. But in the case of my friend, hers indicated the battery was dangerously low. It then went completely dead. Luckily her kids were already dropped off and she was on a road with a big shoulder so she could pull over. She was then literally trapped in her car because it was locked up with no windows or doors being able to be opened. Thank God for cell phones.
Being told your after school sitter is too young to pick up your kids. For us working moms, it’s often impossible to pick up our kids from school. Some of us hire people to help with this. My friend hired a fifteen-year-old student at a nearby school to walk over and get her kids each day. Until the school somehow found out they were only 15 and informed her that a person must be 16 or older.
Putting your kid in the wrong uniform. Why the school would create an extra challenge of the first day being “chapel uniform”, I don’t know. But this mom definitely didn’t get the memo. Ok, they may have gotten the memo, but who has time to read all those school emails?
Coming to school a day early. The first day of school was the Wednesday after Labor Day. This mom arrived with her kids on the Tuesday after Labor Day. I was crying laughing at this because just think of how defeated she probably felt. Hey, at least there was no line at drop off. But also nobody to drop her kids off to.
Not knowing when the first day of school is. Similar to the mom who came a day early, this mom arrived on the right day to drop off her second grader and kindergartner. Well, the right day for her second grader at least. She was informed kindergarten didn’t start for another two days. Both the mom and the kindergartner then cried in the car. Dear schools, how are we supposed to keep track of students starting on different days?
Kindergarten 1:1 fail. This mom had a meeting with the kindergarten teacher the day before school started. Her five-year-old crawled around on her hands and knees the whole time talking like a baby. The mom’s response to this was perfect: “Yes, she is very ready for kindergarten.”
Forgetting important medication. “I moved heaven and earth to get the pediatrician to fax the medication form for my son’s prescription before school began. Then I failed to actually send the prescription with him.”
Forgetting school supplies on the first day of school. If you’ve done the same, you are in good company because this one has made the list every single year.
What’s the funniest thing that happened to you once school started up again? We hope some of these make you know you are not alone in feeling the stress of the season!
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Read more of Stephanie’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
