I make no bones about the fact that I’m sad when my kids go back to school. Even when they were younger I was the mom who was hiding her tears as she dropped them off at school once again. Yes, they have moment when they drive me crazy and I threaten to sell them to the circus but for the most part, I really enjoy hanging out with my boys.
Yet, I always feel like I’m in the minority. The articles in my newsfeed and the back-to-school ads seem to reflect the parent giddily sending the kids off for another year.
So I thought I’d take a little Facebook poll to see how parents were really feeling about the start of the school year. I asked:
How do you feel about your kids going back to school? Happy / Sad / Mixed Feelings.
The response?
Ten people said they were happy.
Four responded they were sad.
But it was the 17 moms who had mixed emotions that made me see it in a new light. Many were sad that the summer was ending but routines would be back in action. Some were sad we would be waving goodbye to a relaxed atmosphere but the kids were excited to start school again (so not my kids).
And then there was our fearless Editor-in-Chief, Jeni Marinucci, who simply said, “Did I tell you about the "air rifle and bag of sawdust in his room" story?”
I’m assuming she’s a “happy he’s going back mom.” (Ed. note: Hard YES.)
It seems the feelings behind back to school are not completely black or white but many shades of grey. Kind of like life.
So whether you are happy, sad, dancing for joy, crying or somewhere in between, take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back that you managed to make it through the summer.
Because in a week you'll be too busy filling out forms to do it.
RELATED: Here's a Game-Changing Back to School Hack for Fight-Free Mornings
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