Is It The First Day Of School Yet?

I was on a work call and a couple of my co-workers in the mid-west were talking about their kids first day of school and how it went. I quickly chimed in, “First day of school?! My kids don’t go back until after Labor Day!” Sure their kids got out in May while here in the pacific northwest, our schools typically go through mid or even nearing the end of June.

But still. In that moment I was itching for September to be here. The last weeks of summer seem the longest. While I don’t want to say goodbye to this amazing weather, I do want to say hello to many of the things I love about fall. Mainly, the kids being back in school.

I start gearing up for summer in the very beginning of spring each year. Scheduling out summer camps knowing they quickly fill up, requesting any days off I need from work and planning long weekends or vacations we want to take. This year our summer consisted of zero vacations but I still planned days off to enjoy some down time. Or so-called down time.

GettyImages | Imgorthand

Summer came and we hit the ground running with the new norm of not having a routine I could rely on like I do during the school year. While some love the slowness that summer can bring and the things that our kids can learn as they settle into boredom; I am not a fan. I do think there is something to be said for our kids figuring out how entertain themselves sans electronics. I have great memories of summers making forts or just being gone for hours on end with neighborhood kids. But I live in the reality that as a working mom, I don’t live a life where I can just see where the day takes us tomorrow. If I don’t have some sort of a plan, the day will be filled with chaos and stress.

I cannot just leave for work with the plan being for my ten and almost 13-year-old to just “wing it”. At least not for my youngest who just turned ten over the summer. My almost teenager sleeps in and honestly can keep himself occupied even off of electronics by meeting up with friends at the elementary school right by our house or walking to the downtown area we are close to. I don’t put a lot of effort into his days. But I still have one at the age where it would simply be irresponsible to just assume she will be living a summer exploring the neighborhood while I am working.

I get that the idea of a summer of being bored and learning how to conquer it might sound like it’s full of good life lessons, but the reality is that it actually just doesn’t make sense for many families. I don’t think my kids are at some disadvantage because they have a summer of more structure than others. I think my kids are having an absolutely terrific summer and most importantly, a summer that meets the needs of our family. Some days or weeks of awesome camps where they are making new relationships and learning new skills. Some days where they might have a mix of electronics and boredom. But all weeks have some sort of structure and plan.

GettyImages | Maica

The summer season is often hard on us moms. The hours of planning, the managing our work schedules with camp schedules that always seem to have inconvenient start and end times. Each camp also varies with the hours which leads to that constant second guessing of “Wait, what time is pick up today?” Some weeks, I have had the moment of, “Wait, what camp are the kids at today? Are they at the same camp?” I always come to the answer within seconds but it certainly causes me to pause.

Maybe you are a stay at home mom who has simply run out of ways to entertain the kids and the thought of one more day at a park makes you want to scream.

Maybe you are a mom who loves a lack of routine, getting to figure things out as they come, loving a more laid-back living. But I bet somewhere in-between soaking up all that summer has to offer and enjoying a less scheduled life that there is some tiny desire for the kids to finally go back to school.

By the time winter hits, I will be longing for these long summer nights. But it’s about this time of the year every year that I start longing for crisp fall days and a life with routine.

GettyImages | Anikona

Soccer practices have already begun so I know fall is right around the corner. As quick as summer came and we hit the ground running with the norm of a lack of routine, I know fall will hit even harder. I may shake my head that I didn’t allow myself to enjoy every single last night of summer. That I got so hung up in the anticipation of fall that I rushed through the last bit of this season. But knowing this, I think I can actually slow myself down a bit while I still have through Labor Day before our summer is officially over.

But when it is over, I will be ready!

Are you ready for fall?
Longing for more summer nights?
Did your kids already start school?

We’d love to hear!

Related: