The first day of school was always a heartbreaker for me. I was never one of these moms eager to have my little ones back to the grind and out of the house.
I was fine with the slamming doors and running feet as these were the sounds of happy, healthy kids. I took greater pleasure in cooking lunches for a horde than just for myself. And I loved that I could catch glimpses of those shiny, wonderful faces frequently throughout the day.
However, raising happy, healthy children means encouraging their growth and independence. While some of this is within our control, when it comes to their formal education, this is where we really must let go. Short of home schooling, there’s no way to keep them around once that time arrives. Thus I gamely hid the tears on those early September mornings and hustled them out the door entrusting them to the care of others.
The start of any school day is generally chaotic, even when a routine is set and mom is organized, especially that first morning when everyone is trying to get back in the groove after a lazy summer. It’s back to early mornings and preparing lunches, while gathering up school supplies.
As if that’s not enough, there’s yet one more ritual added particularly to that morning — the annual back-to-school photos. The kids, sporting new duds, are lined up and a quick snap taken before pushing them out the door. How to make them a little more special can be gleaned from these informative sites:
