Friday, August 21, 2009

into the home stretch

a recent article i read posed this question: are you a summer mom or a back-to-school mom? believe me, hands down, i'm a back-to-school mom.

with all due apologies to all my teacher friends (goddess bless you and keep you germ-free) one of the happiest days of my year isn't the first day of school... it's the SECOND day of school when it starts to sink in that the kids will keep going back.

don't get me wrong - i love summer. at least, i love MY idea of summer: long lazy days, weeding lovely herb gardens, dabbling in artistic endeavors, splashing in warm, gentle, clean waves, reading wonderful books and sipping delicious cold concoctions and infusions with my feet up.

when i was a kid, summer was the season i associated with words like staying in bed, books, and beach. since i've had kids of my own, summer has become the season i associate with words like "mom, s/he called me a (insert insult of your choice)," "mom, i'm bored/hungry/bored" and "mom, are we there yet?"

the article suggested that the difference was because some moms prefer structure and some moms don't. i guess it's not PC to say you like the peace and quiet.

so in the spirit of Aloha Friday (that's where you ask a question to your readers rather than write a whole blog) what about you, Gentle Reader, parent or not? are you a summer person or a back-to-school person? and why?

and furthermore, the war will end. blessed be.

12 comments:

Bonnie said...

I guess I am a little of both. While I enjoy the peace and quiet of the kids being in school, I also love being able to spend whole days with them just doing nothing or finding fun things to do together. Is there a word that covers both????

lynette355 said...

summer mom now since back to school means college girl leaves home

VirtualWordsmith said...

I am sooo a back to school mom. The kids are happier with the routine and structure of the school year, and I am happier with some quiet and the chance to miss them. Plus, I work from home and the never ending noise and distraction makes it tough to be productive.

Debie Napoleon said...

While I'd love to think I am a summer person, I do love the order and restart of Back to school time.

April said...

I would definitely have to say I'm a summer person. I love the fact that there isn't a strict routine that has to be followed. We can get up whenever we want and do whatever we want...pure heaven! Plus, I love hearing the sound of my girl's voices throughout the house. With them back in school now, the house is too quiet to suit me.

Dina said...

let me just say that my son still has a year to go before starting school full-time and i cannot wait...is that bad? i do like not having to get up early to get him ready for preschool though.

Anonymous said...

Back to school mom here. My two are 13 & 14 yr old girls so while I am at work, they are finding ways not to do chores or calling me at work because the other is not helping or is insulting the other. When school is in, it means they are also playing sports and using that energy in places other than picking on the other sister. *whew*

Martha@A Sense of Humor is Essential said...

I'm both, when it's time to start school, I'm a back to school mom. When it's summertime, I like to hang out with the boys and not nag them about school work. I wish school started after Labor Day, not mid August like they do out here in California, sigh.

Carol J. said...

Hi Annie. If I had to choose, I'd say summer mom. There are no people I'd rather spend my time with than my kids. Plus, I've been blessed with kids who are able to entertain themselves, as well as hang out with each other, thereby giving me time to myself.

When they were younger, fall did bring a measure of relief (and peace), though, but I still hated sending them out into the world.

Now that I work in the school system, summertime is even more important to me...it's mental health recovery time. :) I head back on 8/28, so I'm beginning to mourn the lazy days.

rose AKA Walk in the Woods - she/her said...

I swear to you I was *just* in this moment pondering my relationship with *structure* and realizing that it is more complex than I thought it was.

I "grew up" with so much structure that I tend to poo-poo it these days. Yet I make room for *just* enough structure to support me and the things that "need" to get done so that I have room for the things that *I want* to get done.

I may not have kids, but I know many moms and so I imagine that I am a Back-to-School "mom" - with the time and space to create structure - for Me, or not, according to MY OWN WILL.

But I'm selfish like that. And consequently PI. And I like that about me! :D

Patrice said...

I think there were times in my life when I was both -- depending upon the ages of my children, and whether I was working as a full-time corporate lawyer, a writer, or some combo.

Now that all the kids are up and (almost) out, I certainly enjoy seeing them, but I also love my freedom and my privacy. Some of it no doubt has to do with being newly married, and still in the honeymoon phase. Also knowing that the best thing for young adults is to be making their own way in the world rather than hanging out being bored with we old folks.

As my dad used to say, "I love to see your headlights when you come, and I love to see your taillights when you leave!"

Kim said...

back to school - I loved going back to school as a kid
I love it when my kids go back to school - structure is only a part of it. By this time the kids are bored and annoying. Vacation time is only for them - I'm still trudging off to work and to come home and find the house dirty and the kids TV zombies...... So, as much as I love my kids and enjoy having them home - a couple weeks would be plenty for summer vacation.