Is the first couple of weeks more stressful for the parents or the students?
Before the first school bell rings, the first emails start piling in the good old email inbox. First it is back to school sales with backpacks, clothing and supplies that students typically need to be prepared to go back into the classroom. When you feel like you have tackled the shopping emails, the school begins to start flooding the online system. There are emails about classroom assignments, information meeting dates, any summer homework and basic vital details about things like lunch cost. Coming up for air is short lived when the first day of school starts when emails start coming in for pictures, PTA and handbooks. Then if you have children like mine, the sports emails roll in with schedules and volunteer needs.
For the beginning of the school year is highly stressful and overwhelming for the parents. We often juggle other aspects of life including work, bills and the everyday adventures. Although the inbox is screaming with immediate tasks, us parents also have to ensure an easy transition into the new school year for our children. There are new teachers, new expectations and often times a significant change in the daily routine. My children who keep a relatively good structured routine in the summer still need that adjustment time. The biggest hurdle this year is my first grader no longer getting her daily afternoon nap and as this first week of the fall routine rolled in, the desire of wanting to delay bedtime has diminished into thin air. Of course, there are little nuances like making new classroom friends and the great daily debate of buying lunch.
With time, we will adjust to another school year, both children and parents. We’ll do our form filling and the kids will get that homework completed. Until then, give us a little patience, we are working on it!
