Back-to-school tears and cheers

Kolacky Days are over, fall sports have started, and television commercials have begun to bombard us with ads for “that time of the year” again: back to school. Some hate it (kids). Some of us love it (parents). Some are scared of it (kindergartners), and some are excited for it (college students). 

 

Whether your child is starting kindergarten, high school, middle school or any grade in between, parents  always have some sort of emotion that comes with this time of year. If you have bored teenagers at home, you are most likely in the group of parents who started counting down their return to the classroom starting June 1. 

 

If you’re the parent of a first child heading off the kindergarten, you are probably dreading the day when you have to say goodbye to your baby. Tears may come from both of you, and it may be an emotional day.

 

If you’re the parent of a high schooler, you are most likely so busy organizing schedules, practice times, car pools, and getting the back-to-school shopping done that you hope everything is in place by the first day of school on September 3. Cheers will come from you.

 

If you’re the parent of a first-year college student, this time probably comes with a mixed bag of emotions: You desperately want the semi-grown up teenager out of the house (cheers), but aren’t quite ready to completely push them out of the nest (tears). 

 

It’s a tough time, I know. I’ve been through all of these stages, and what I’ve learned is that it is really different for each and every child. No two kids are the same, and everyone handles change differently. All we can do is our best because these days arrive whether or not we’re ready for them.