I'm a single mom with 2 jobs (one very part time, one about 50 hours a week) 1 child, a dog, and grad school. Life is a little crazy around here, and recently I'm feeling like I never have enough time, the house is a mess, my kid is regularly going to bed to late etc . . .
We're planning on moving within the next six months to have a little more wiggle room in the budget, and to get DS into a good middle school program. I've basically narrowed it down to 2 choices. The schools are very similar -- big public schools, with strong academic reputations, lots of diversity and IB curriculums.
1) Is in the city I live in now. There are no school buses, and it's about a 20 minute drive from work. I'd probably need to drive 30 minutes from where I live to get him to school each day, and then 20 minutes to work because I couldn't afford anything closer to the school. He'd have to go to some kind of afterschool activity each day, because I wouldn't be able to leave work until about 5:30 which means we'd be getting home at the earliest around 6:30 with homework unstarted, the dog to walk, etc . . . We'd also end up putting the dog in daycare more which means a longer drive in another direction to pick up drop off, just because 7:30 to 6:30 is too long for him to be alone. BUT he's got 6 or 7 close friends going to this school next year. He's a very social kid, but also a little shy, so of course this is where he wants to go.
2) Next door suburb (note these 2 schools are 10 minutes apart). He rides the school bus, and then either goes to aftercare (where he can do homework) or grandma's (where he can do homework) or home (where he can do homework AND walk the dog), so when I'd get home around 6:00 (maybe even earlier because I could be at work much earlier -- he gets on the bus at 7:00, I'm at work by 7:30, as opposed to 9:00 which is when I'd probably get to work at the other school). Dog daycare is across the street from the apartment. I'd be walking in the door at 5:00 to 6:00 to homework at least started (for one of us), and a dog that's already been exercised or at the very least peed. Plus apartments cost less here. BUT he knows exactly 1 kid out of 1200 who go to this school, and she's a girl who will be in 8th grade (he'll be in 6th) which means no recess or P.E. or electives or anything together.
He of course votes for #1, and I do think socially it would be great for him, but that school bus is calling my name! Am I an irresponsible mom if I prioritize sanity of schedule over his social life.
I should note that I'm the "activity mom" on the weekend. I'm always rounding up a gang of kids to go for a hike or an ice skating outing, or a ski trip or the pool, and would continue so he'd still see his old friends on the weekends.
We're planning on moving within the next six months to have a little more wiggle room in the budget, and to get DS into a good middle school program. I've basically narrowed it down to 2 choices. The schools are very similar -- big public schools, with strong academic reputations, lots of diversity and IB curriculums.
1) Is in the city I live in now. There are no school buses, and it's about a 20 minute drive from work. I'd probably need to drive 30 minutes from where I live to get him to school each day, and then 20 minutes to work because I couldn't afford anything closer to the school. He'd have to go to some kind of afterschool activity each day, because I wouldn't be able to leave work until about 5:30 which means we'd be getting home at the earliest around 6:30 with homework unstarted, the dog to walk, etc . . . We'd also end up putting the dog in daycare more which means a longer drive in another direction to pick up drop off, just because 7:30 to 6:30 is too long for him to be alone. BUT he's got 6 or 7 close friends going to this school next year. He's a very social kid, but also a little shy, so of course this is where he wants to go.
2) Next door suburb (note these 2 schools are 10 minutes apart). He rides the school bus, and then either goes to aftercare (where he can do homework) or grandma's (where he can do homework) or home (where he can do homework AND walk the dog), so when I'd get home around 6:00 (maybe even earlier because I could be at work much earlier -- he gets on the bus at 7:00, I'm at work by 7:30, as opposed to 9:00 which is when I'd probably get to work at the other school). Dog daycare is across the street from the apartment. I'd be walking in the door at 5:00 to 6:00 to homework at least started (for one of us), and a dog that's already been exercised or at the very least peed. Plus apartments cost less here. BUT he knows exactly 1 kid out of 1200 who go to this school, and she's a girl who will be in 8th grade (he'll be in 6th) which means no recess or P.E. or electives or anything together.
He of course votes for #1, and I do think socially it would be great for him, but that school bus is calling my name! Am I an irresponsible mom if I prioritize sanity of schedule over his social life.
I should note that I'm the "activity mom" on the weekend. I'm always rounding up a gang of kids to go for a hike or an ice skating outing, or a ski trip or the pool, and would continue so he'd still see his old friends on the weekends.
