End Of School Year CHAOS!
Look at the crazy excitement in those eyes; back to school enthusiasm from September.
School routines and enthusiasm is but a distant memory. I must confess…it’s all falling apart! My world is chaos at this time of year and I don’t think I’m the only one.
At the start of every school year everything is fresh and new and exciting but come June, school routines and rituals have lost their appeal and in our household things are pretty near falling apart. My friend recently shared how things are faring in her household and well…misery loves company…I felt her pain and frustration and thought I’d give you a glimpse into my own as I compare and contrast the school routines in September vs. June.
It goes something like this…
The Wake Up Call
- September = a kiss or tender nudge and whispering wake up sweetie…or better yet, they wake up on their own
- June = A yell LETS GO, TIME TO GET UP! Our mornings are groggy and rushed and when we leave for school there unmade beds, unbrushed heads and unmatched socks.
Breakfast
- September = a sit down smorgasbord including eggs, bacon, toast, fruit smoothie, cold cereal, orange juice, milk and hot oatmeal with plenty of time to eat and clean-up.
- June = breakfast is an important meal so we still fry up eggs but that’s it… and it’s serve yourself..we rush out the door the counter is still cluttered with dirty dishes, crumbs, egg shells and half eaten bowls of milk and cereal left to sour.
The Lunches
- September = sandwich with crisp lettuce and nitrate free meats, home baked cookies, yogurt, an apple and some crunchy carrots, and of course a handwritten love note made with care the night before.
- June = Grab what you can find…which is usually processed granola bars, stale fishy crackers, and maybe a bruised apple or a brown banana.
The Back-Packs
- September = backpacks stood like soldiers at the ready and were neatly organized with everything in it’s place.
- June =backpacks are left in the truck or dropped at the door creating an obstacle course or a tripping hazard, the contents spill out as pages from folders and binders are everywhere mixed in with books, forms, shoes, dirty socks, leftover crumbs, wrappers, forgotten fruit and containers from lunches of days gone by. It’s not pretty! Heck, it’s not even safe.
The Drive to School
- September = we like to pray on the drive to school and talk about what our goals are for the day
- June = I might pray…cry out really…Lord have mercy!!!! as the kids push and shove each other , argue or try and finish up what they neglected to do the night before…Mom, sign this, Mom, I’m supposed to bring in 2 dozen cookies today, Mom, we have a field trip, Mom, don’t drive so crazy I’m trying to read /write, Mom, where is my permission form, Mom, our class is going swimming, Mom, I need… Mom…Mom…Mom!!!
The After School Routine
- September = a sit down snack and chat about the day, followed by a time to hand in paperwork, complete homework, practice an instrument, clean out lunch bags, and do any chores before running off to play.
- June = to be honest…the idealistic after-school routine ends well before June, even since the fall our after-school is populated with drop offs and pick ups to the various activities…we are flying by the seat of our pants
The Good Night Sleep Tight
- September = Read a story together and pray with the children before tucking each one of them in and kissing them goodnight.
- June = GET TO BED NOW!!!!!! screams the voice inside my head as I rush them off to bed.
Wow, it sure sounds chaotic…I’d like to tell you I’m exaggerating but I’m trying to keep it real.
Two weeks people….just 2 more weeks to hang in there. I got this!
It’s June and we cant wait for school to end BUT, the funny thing is that by September we cant wait for school to begin! Just check out these eager faces from the start of the school year! It brings me hope.
The end is in sight, I will survive!