How Having a School-Age Child Cramps My Style

School starts tomorrow. If you read my post yesterday, you know I'm not a big fan of the public school system. Don't get me wrong - I know and love many teachers, but the system leaves much to be desired. However, that's not what this post is about.  I'm not excited about the first day of school because it cramps my style.

Starting tonight, we have to start enforcing a formal bedtime again. No more deciding that it's more fun to finish the movie we started watching together. No more deciding on bedtime based on the color of the sky and degree of our fatigue.

Starting tonight, we have to get back to living according to a family routine. Homework, dinner, bathing, reading, bedtime.  I am not a fan of rigid routines.  They steal the whimsy from life. However, experts whom I respect very much have advised me that a schedule is the best thing for my son, so I'll do it, but I don't have to like it.

Starting tonight, we can't take off to see a Giants game whenever we want. The child who was fabulously mobile and fun all summer becomes an anchor tomorrow, an anchor tying me to the house while people with less complicated lives enjoy weekday games at the ballpark. Don't school officials know we're in a pennant race?  This is absolutely a poor time to be put on weeknight restriction.

Starting tonight, we have to enforce a strict routine of regular bathing. Over the summer it was enough to judge by skin shade and smell to determine if a bath was absolutely necessary.  We could avoid a bath with a strategically timed trip to the public pool. That's all over now.

Starting tomorrow, we have to give up 30-60 minutes a night to do homework that means nothing to me and even less to my child. Over the summer, we read and looked things up on the computer and enjoyed the discovery of learning. Now it's back to paper and pencils and worksheets.  Sure, we could still do those other, more engaging things....if we had time, but by the time we get through everything on the school night routine (see above), there's no time left for exploring the world.

Starting tomorrow, I have to quit being myself and pretend that some things are really important to me -- like getting up in time to eat a good breakfast before school, like being on time for school every day, like doing homework without Sponge Bob singing in the background -- all so my son will come to think of them as important.

Starting tomorrow, I have to make my son go to school, whether he wants to or not.  Over the summer, plans could be changed easily just because one of us "didn't feel like it."

The truth is that all of this really cramps my style.

I'm a cat person.  You know why I'm not a dog person?  Because I'm much too selfish.  Dogs want attention morning and night, every day, no break, no relief.  With a dog, you don't have a pet, you have another job.

Of course, I don't view my children that way at all.  They are pure joy and love (particularly before the teenage years).  But on this day - the day before school starts - and for the next few days that follow, I have to adjust to life not being all about fun and games. I have to change from a carefree "cool mom" to the enforcer - the enforcer of rules, routines, homework, bathing, and bedtime. 

I won't do it because I like it.  I'll do it because I love my son more than anything in this world. Even if it does cramp my style.

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