My kids started school today and I am soooo glad!

[AllisonR]

And I am grateful someone else is looking after them 7 hours a day, and not me. There, I said it. I know, as a wonderful mother, I am not supposed to say, or even think such a thing. But I am pretty honest.

I loved our two week vacation in Spain. They loved the pools, the various hotels, seen relatives... I enjoyed the first few days back at home. They did too, they played so well together, were so creative and funny. We had play dates with their friends, we got to go to the beach and the amusement park. And yet, the last few days have just been so annoying! Fighting, bickering, hitting, poking in the eye, bossing around, tattle-tailing, complaining, sassyness, clinginess and unending whhhhhiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiinnnnnnggggggg.

Well, I am back at work, and they are back in kindergarten and school, and I am so glad. They will have their friends again, their routine, and hopefully things will get back to normal around here!

[mtiger]

I don't think it's a terrible thing. When you have a routine, it's fun to have the change, but then it's natural to want to get back to that routine.

[Linda on the move]

We have 4 more weeks before school starts (one of them is our vacation) and we are ALL looking forward to school starting. My kids love love love their school, and they are much easier to live with when they are on a solid routine.

They are really looking forward to seeing their friends, their favorite teachers, finding out who is in their homeroom, and checking out the new kids.

[ollyoxenfree]

I get it. When life has a rhythm, it's easier for a family to get along. When the rhythm alters, even for fun reasons, it can be disruptive.   

It's funny, DD feels like her summer just started last week because she did a summer school course in July and it involved a little travel. She's been at loose ends since then though. While she hasn't been behaving badly or indulging in bad attitude (thankfully!), I know she's casting about looking for some way to occupy herself. She's read the stack of books she took out from the library last week. Yesterday she sewed herself a shoulder bag using men's ties and baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies. There's only so much crafting and make-work projects that she can do before she starts seeking out a regular rhythm to her days, whether she consciously realizes it or not.

[Peony]

Just about to the counting down the days stage here. Our school gets out before Memorial day and then goes back the 24th I think it is. The day after school got out we took a two week beach vacation, and ever since the last couple days there, my oldest two have been fighting NONSTOP. It is mostly due to my oldest, she thrives on routine, the school year is so good for her, same thing every day. When she doesn't have that I swear she goes out of her way to make everyone's life miserable. I'll have two at home full time and 1 at preschool 3 days a week but just knowing the oldest will be entertained all day long, ahhh, bliss. 

[whatsnextmom]

I'm grateful the kids still have 4 more weeks but then, my kids are pretty busy in the summer. My 14-year-old has been working days and rehearsing nights. We have seen her less this summer than during the school year honestly. DS 10 is usually the tough one because he's extremely social. However, this summer he was given the option of taking 6th grade math online during the summer and he's really loved it. He has rehearsals late afternoon to fulfill his social needs and I made sure he continues with piano and karate. He has always needed more structure and as much as he says he wants a summer "doing nothing," I've learned that a week in he's bouncing off the walls and talking at anything that moves non-stop!

Summer is great for some and not for others. It's great for us this year but there have been years I've been more than ready for them to go back.

[elmh23]

One of my kids starts in 12 days and the other starts in 15 days and I cannot wait!  Both of them are bored out of their minds and they are both being unusually whiny and fighting with each other non-stop.  The baby has given up napping cause he doesn't want to miss anything.  I am so ready!

[One_Girl]

Lucky!!  We have a little over a week and we are both ready for it to come.  We have had a very busy and fun summer, but I think summer break needs to be shortened by a few weeks because by that time we are ready for school.

[mattemma04]

We are dreading the end of summer.Especially now at the end when we are doing something or going somewhere fun most days.Thankfully the bored and bickering days have been rare.

[karne]

I'm not really looking forward to it, primarily because we all really like the relaxed pace of the summer.  My kids have had a good mix of structured, really nice activities, and down time.  I know my older dd has school on her radar-she has started getting texts from friends who have been away for the past month or so.

Surprisingly, my very social dd hasn't actively pursued a lot of get togethers with friends (she's had camp, etc.).  At her age, she can sometimes act as though the family and home are runners up to being with friends, but the reality is that she wanted to be with us, and hang out with her little brother.  It's a moment in time I cherish.

[Bokonon]

It's 19 days until DS goes back to school and I.can't.wait.

He loves school.  He's happier when he's at school.  When we're together 24/7, we butt heads.  He and his sister fight over toys.  I feel like I'm constantly refereeing, even though they really get along and adore each other.  I'm also anxious to get back into that routine.  We've kept busy over the summer, but every day is different.  I like having that one-on-one time with DD (2yo) as well.

DS is only 6 though, so it's not like he's going to be mired in homework all afternoon once he gets home.  He'll be home by 2pm and we'll have plenty of quality time after that!

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by AllisonR 

And I am grateful someone else is looking after them 7 hours a day, and not me. There, I said it. I know, as a wonderful mother, I am not supposed to say, or even think such a thing. But I am pretty honest.

I loved our two week vacation in Spain. They loved the pools, the various hotels, seen relatives... I enjoyed the first few days back at home. They did too, they played so well together, were so creative and funny. We had play dates with their friends, we got to go to the beach and the amusement park. And yet, the last few days have just been so annoying! Fighting, bickering, hitting, poking in the eye, bossing around, tattle-tailing, complaining, sassyness, clinginess and unending whhhhhiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiinnnnnnggggggg.

Well, I am back at work, and they are back in kindergarten and school, and I am so glad. They will have their friends again, their routine, and hopefully things will get back to normal around here!

I don't think it's terrible at all!!! You are just being honest. :-)  I feel the same about my older two because when they would get bored they would bicker and pick on one another endlessly. I'm now a single mom and it would get on my nerves a lot of days. We didn't have any trips this year because I didn't have the money but we did do a few other fun things and my 9 yr old had a summer camp one week that she goes to every year. But all in all, I'm glad it's over too because now they are in to a routine every day and I can work easier since I work from home and it's much quieter now. I also start back to school myself next week and do that online from home, so I appreciate the quite time for that 5 hours each day.

I do hate all the driving though. :-( Both my kids go to schools that have no buses. That is the only think I don't like...oh and getting up a little earlier. During the summer we can take our time waking and go slow all morning but now we HAVE to be two places every morning on time. ugh.

[MJB]

Yes! Me too! My boys were going crazy cooped up together all day. They get along so much better when they are apart for the school day. Plus, I can count on one hand the number of uninterrupted naps the baby had this summer and love having one-on-one time with her. We still have ~7 hours of waking time together each day, which is plenty.

We all hate waking up at 7am though. I wish school started a couple hours later.