Today marks the completion of the first official month of the school year. What a month it has been!  For the most part the kids are adjusting well. I, on the other hand, am struggling with all the expectations: the schools’, the teachers’ the kids’, and my own.  Ordering senior pictures, shopping for the right  clothes and accesories without spending a fortune and attending multiple back-to-school nights left me a bit overwhelmed even before the first bell rang.

I expected some craziness as we made the transition from summer to full fledged school, but this reality has been a bit daunting this go around. I’m not sure what the difference is this year, but I am exhausted. I am trying to be patient, trying to be organized, but I swear if I have to sign one more disclosure statement I am going to  start charging my kids everytime they shove another piece of paper in front of me, asking me for my signature. Do the bus drivers, librarians, and each and every teacher think that parents in fact read those sheets of paper that our kids bring home?  

Also, we’ve been bombarded with new locker combination anxieties, fundraisers, school choir, football games, debate team meet schedules, swim team practices and the purchase of college textbooks. The extra stress level is due in part to the fact that I have two high school students this year. My 5th grader has a netbook computer as well, which sounds like such a good idea until you have recurring internet connection issues and error messages. I am not a tech expert.  Nor am I a music teacher or a p.e. coach.  I am just a mom trying to survive this learning curve called “the school years”.

I feel like I am being slowly turned into jell-o as I try to help one child put together a power point presentation, help another write his first college term paper, and help yet another one study Greek mythology, all in one night.  I am having a hard time keeping up with all of the online systems the teachers are using this year to post assignments and share documents. 

I am very education oriented, and I am supportive of teachers who work so hard with so little reward. I work very hard to help my children be successful in school, but enough already! I swear that I know how to do fractions and basic algebra.  I know how to spell and can write reasonably well.  I graduated from high school over 25 years ago.  I finished college 20 years ago.  Can I please stop being assigned homework?

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