I am writing this next to a precariously piled mountain of washing while listening to a soundtrack of my kids arguing over the noise of Nickelodeon. It doesn’t help that the first half of the summer holidays has been utterly dire and we’ve all be suffering slightly from cabin fever. Don’t get me wrong – I love my children desperately, but it’s at times like this I cast my mind longingly forward a few weeks to the start of school.
Here are 30 reasons I can’t wait for school to go back…
- Fewer demands for money/food/outings/attention/entertainment
- No having to referee arguments half a dozen times a day
- Peace and quiet
- The ability to clean the kitchen without invisible hands putting down a dirty cereal bowl the moment my back is turned
- Having a four pint bottle of milk last longer than a day
- Being able to listen to my choice of radio station
- Only having to cook dinner
- No numb bottom from sitting on an uncomfortable bench while they play at the park
- Getting back into my routine
- No having to get up extra early, or stay up late, to fit work in around the kids
- Ironing new school uniforms and seeing how much the kids have grown
- Helping them choose a new lunchbox and school bag. It’s serious stuff, you know
- The excitement and anticipation of starting something new – it’s like New Year’s Eve
- Hearing all about their new teachers, friends, classroom. Try these tips if you only get monosyllabic answers
- Going for a walk without having to dodge kids on scooters
- Browsing Pinterest for new school lunch ideas (I never use them, but it’s nice to look!)
- Shopping for school shoes and uniform online. It still gives me a thrill that I no longer have to fight through a scrum to get new school shoes for them
- Late summer sunshine. September weather always delivers the goods
- The anticipation of Christmas being the next major school holiday
- Back to school sales
- Daytime childcare problems are sorted
- I can focus fully on the kids when they are out of school because I have had more time to work during the day
- Time to myself
- Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the kids are happy to see me after school
- New pens – why should the kids be the only ones to get new stationery?
- After school sports clubs – they really miss their sport if it stops over summer
- Being able to go to the shops and treat myself to a coffee… just myself
- Having time to window shop
- Endlessly picking up items that have been discarded. Funny how no child is in sight when there is housework to be done
- Spending a ridiculous amount on petrol. Seriously, it’s like I’m always on the forecourt these days
… and 10 reasons why I will miss the summer holidays
- Having a lazy morning cup of tea in the garden while the kids play on the trampoline in their pyjamas
- Not having to be anywhere in particular by 9am
- Uninterrupted time together as a family
- Spontaneous day trips
- The kids’ exhaustion at the end of their first week back
- The end of summer
- The get-out-of-the-door in the morning palaver, although it has definitely been easier since we started using this free printable school routine checklist
- Letting them stay up late just because, and being told I am an awesome mum for it
- Pausing the fight to get them into bath, because the paddling pool does a good enough job
- Guilt-free, do nothing days
Oh well… only 16 weeks until the Christmas holidays!
How was your summer holiday, what are you going to love and hate about the kids going back to school? Whatever you feel though, don’t feel guilty about it, just enjoy it for what it is!
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine! Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time. KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania. Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!