Mixed Feelings about Summer and School
The summer is coming to a close. We've had our back to school nights. We've bought school supplies. Hannah is attending her first day of school as I write this. The boys have one more weekend of freedom before they, too, will be back in school.
I always approach the end of the school year with mixed feelings. I am happy to have more time with my children at home. I look forward to having time to teach them things I don't have time to teach them when they are in school all day. I look forward to outings to the park and the library. I look forward to not having the rigid schedules: of having to be at school at this time to drop them off, at that time to pick them up. I look forward to not having the morning stress of making sure lunches are packed, homework was completed and put in backpacks the night before, both shoes are present on sock covered feet.
At the same time, I worry about the "boredom blues" and the bickering that comes with the summer. The first few weeks I can usually interest them in home summer school, where we work on projects and try to review skills learned during the school year. Eventually that looses its appeal. We go to the library weekly to provide reading material for my avid readers, but there always seems to be someone who finishes all his or her books before the arrival of our next library day, and none of the hundreds of books we have in the house appeals to them. We are lucky enough to have a pool we can go to, but even swimming seems to lose its appeal over time, and while I have some children begging to go swimming, others are lamenting, "do we have to?"
So now the summer is ending, the kids are on the brink of returning to school, and again I have mixed feelings. I tire of the long, unscheduled days, and look forward to having reasons to get up early in the morning again. I grow weary of the complaints of boredom and am ready to let someone else entertain (and teach) my children for a while. Projects that have been put aside for too many distractions or too much help are begging for my attention. I need the exercise I can get from walking to the school and back on a regular basis. I look forward to being able to keep my house clean for hours at a time.
And yet, I'll be back to trying to persuade my children to pack their lunches and prepare for school the night before - and still get to bed at a reasonable time. I'll be back to the struggle of making sure my children complete - and turn in - their homework when they are supposed to. I'll be back to watching the clock to make sure I'm where I need to be when I need to be there. I'll return to the persistent concern of who my children are associating with and what kind of influences they are being exposed to.
Mixed feelings aside, I am looking forward to Monday. I'll take the boys to school. Hannah will take the bus. Steven will take a bus to his school as well, and I will be left with a quiet, and almost empty house. What will I do? I'm sure I'll think of something! ;-D
I always approach the end of the school year with mixed feelings. I am happy to have more time with my children at home. I look forward to having time to teach them things I don't have time to teach them when they are in school all day. I look forward to outings to the park and the library. I look forward to not having the rigid schedules: of having to be at school at this time to drop them off, at that time to pick them up. I look forward to not having the morning stress of making sure lunches are packed, homework was completed and put in backpacks the night before, both shoes are present on sock covered feet.
At the same time, I worry about the "boredom blues" and the bickering that comes with the summer. The first few weeks I can usually interest them in home summer school, where we work on projects and try to review skills learned during the school year. Eventually that looses its appeal. We go to the library weekly to provide reading material for my avid readers, but there always seems to be someone who finishes all his or her books before the arrival of our next library day, and none of the hundreds of books we have in the house appeals to them. We are lucky enough to have a pool we can go to, but even swimming seems to lose its appeal over time, and while I have some children begging to go swimming, others are lamenting, "do we have to?"
So now the summer is ending, the kids are on the brink of returning to school, and again I have mixed feelings. I tire of the long, unscheduled days, and look forward to having reasons to get up early in the morning again. I grow weary of the complaints of boredom and am ready to let someone else entertain (and teach) my children for a while. Projects that have been put aside for too many distractions or too much help are begging for my attention. I need the exercise I can get from walking to the school and back on a regular basis. I look forward to being able to keep my house clean for hours at a time.
And yet, I'll be back to trying to persuade my children to pack their lunches and prepare for school the night before - and still get to bed at a reasonable time. I'll be back to the struggle of making sure my children complete - and turn in - their homework when they are supposed to. I'll be back to watching the clock to make sure I'm where I need to be when I need to be there. I'll return to the persistent concern of who my children are associating with and what kind of influences they are being exposed to.
Mixed feelings aside, I am looking forward to Monday. I'll take the boys to school. Hannah will take the bus. Steven will take a bus to his school as well, and I will be left with a quiet, and almost empty house. What will I do? I'm sure I'll think of something! ;-D
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