Ringing in the School Day

Photo attributed to FREEPIK

It's 5:30 a.m., the sun is starting to peek through the blinds, and for me, there is a calmness is in the air. Today is the first day of school for many kiddos, and I cannot help but feel a bit nostalgic reminiscing about my own kids’, and their “first day of school moments”. Smart phones and social media have taken First Day of School photo rituals to a whole new level. Sadly, my photo memories are stashed in a plastic box in the back of the closet awaiting the day I will have time to sort and place them in albums. 

First Day of School excitement fades quickly. Exhausted parents multitask the challenges of juggling work, bus stops, after-school activities, homework and daycare. Resolutions of "this year we will be more organized" are broken within the first week, and annual chaos ensues. Familiar phrases will be repeated, such as, "For the third time, GET UP!" "Why didn't you tell me you needed a poster board and markers for today?" And, of course, my favorite, the afternoon phone call from a little voice saying, "Mom, I missed the bus."    

Yes, those times were busy, but I can't help but miss the days of new school clothes and supplies shopping, night before school starts giddiness, drop offs at the door, getting fantastic hugs and one last "I Love You”, and anxiously waiting to hear about their first day. We tend to remember good times versus not-so-good times. There are things I do not miss such as, mounds of first day paperwork signing, budget drains, after-school program conflicts, hectic schedules, homework, homework, homework (oh, did I mention homework) and the anxiety of a sick kid and then having to worry about keeping your job. 

As a card-carrying member of the Empty Nest Club, I want to remind young parents of a few things:

• Struggles will pass
• Embrace each day...once it’s gone…it’s gone
• Savor those hugs and kisses
• Capture artwork memories on your smart phone 
• Print and back up pictures
• Ask your kids about their day, and REALLY listen  
• NEVER let a day go by without saying “I love you”
• Yell less, laugh more
• Quit worrying about the clutter and mess, accept it and learn to cherish the moments 
• Sit down to dinner together as often as possible
• Limit phone time in the evening

Before you know it, in a blink of an eye, it will be over. Your kiddos will be grown, with careers and families of their own. Their futures are bright, but there will always be a part of you that wishes you could go back, if only for just one day!