There are no more educational outings.
It’s been raining for three days straight.
You think maybe the kids’ hands and their tablet devices have fused, they’ve been using them so much.
It’s time to think about handing the kids back to their usual custodians – their teachers and classmates. Let’s face it, you’re beginning to think, they know what they’re doing with them.
You’re feeling guilt about the fact you’re fantasising about a clean house, a house that isn’t always full of children – yours and other miscellaneous buddies – and that the kitchen wasn’t just an ocean of juice and water glasses (because of course they need a fresh one every time they want a drink – of course they do). You’re dreaming of a chopping board free of crumbs. And, guilt of guilts, you’re dreaming of going back to work.
Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Kmart. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100 per cent authentic and written in their own words.
You love having the kids home. Of course you do. But it isn’t real life, with real rules and real stresses. Which is exactly as it should be – holidays are the time for throwing out the healthy lunches and the bedtime deadline and the homework-before-dinner rule – but you’re beginning to hanker for some order, some sanity in the chaos. And yes, a break from making sandwiches.
The kids have turned their attention to getting back to school with a vengeance. It’s only been two weeks, but somehow it seems they need new everything, and although they’ve been communicating with their friends every five minutes, they’re hankering to get back to being alongside them every day, and it’s making you feel a bit inadequate.
Also, you’re getting twitchy about work. The things you’ve put on hold during the weeks of school holidays are beginning to keep you up at nights. Reality is looming.
But that’s okay, because in the last days of school holidays all these battling thoughts are conspiring to push you to make one final push at making the holidays AWESOME. After all, if everyone’s going back to real life, you want them to do that with warm fuzzy memories of the time that they’ve spent at home, with you.
So you get back online to Google up some truly brilliant muffin recipes, you hit the shops, not just for back-to-school supplies, but to add a couple of seriously cute and quirky things to their baskets to make them remember what a very awesome mum you are. You’re going to surprise them by actually sitting down and watching a movie with them, from beginning to end, and you’re going to amaze them by saying YES when they ask if they can watch Frozen – again.
You call your other half and inform them that there will be some very strictly observed FAMILY TIME coming up. “I want them to have happy memories,” you insist, “of us all being TOGETHER.” Early dinner plans are made for family round-tables that obviously will be stress and argument-free because you’re MAKING MEMORIES. And that’s no pressure at all.
Top Comments
Well, I'm glad you're happy to send the kids back to school, so that you can gain some sanity in your household. I'm a teacher, so multiply your school holiday experience x10....now you have a school term with a classroom of little people, and THAT is the definition of chaos! I won't be enjoying sanity for another 10 weeks
Oh so true....