Happy New School Year!

Shhh – do you hear what I hear? Are those bells? Why yes – yes they are! They are pealing in the distance; beckoning our kids to join them with their siren song. I’m not about talking sleigh bells. That wonderful sound is the sound of school bells! Their ringing is calling our kids back to class in a most beautiful tone that fills the heart with joy. Yes, it is that time of year again. A most wonderful time of year! After a long, very hot summer it is time again to set that alarm clock, pack lunches, stuff folders into backpacks and start a brand new school year! Wherever you are in the chain of you kids’ education; just starting out, practically a school pro, or been there-done that, the first day of school brings back memories of our past and gives us a chance to create new memories for our kids.


Admit it – you were always excited about the first day of a new school year. Remember how it was impossible to sleep the night before? The older you got, the more your school priorities changed. In elementary school your concerns were mostly about your teacher (Would she be mean or nice?) if you had any former classmates in your new class (Who will I eat lunch with?) and uncertainty about your scholastic abilities (What if everyone knows how to write in cursive but me?). During the turbulent tween years it didn’t matter as much what you knew but who you knew. And clothes started to become a major focus. It was important to look ‘in’ but in an effortless way. Academics were most definitely not cool, so if you made good grades you did whatever you could to hide it from your peers. High school became a major turning point – suddenly everything mattered in every way. The clique you were pigeon-holed into would help shape your personality and become the basis of all memories that would follow. You felt a little more comfortable dressing more to your style – as long as the brands were teen approved. You realized grades and classes not only counted, but they could determine your future. There really isn’t much in adulthood that can recreate that ‘first day of school ‘feeling. If only we would have known then how much we would miss that experience when we were all grown up, maybe we would have cherished it a little bit more.

I’m not sure who is more nervous on the first day of school; the kids or their parents. In this age of constant connection, some parents are filled with terror at the thought of letting their child out of their sight and out of their control for 6 or more hours, 5 days a week. Here’s a little advice from someone who has gone through many first days – let your kid go. They will be okay. They won’t need you. Remember that school is your child’s ‘workplace’ – they don’t go to work with you so you don’t need to go to school with them. Noticing how my kids have progressed through their school careers, not much has changed from the days we were in school. The elementary years are still a wonderful time for learning the building blocks of academics, developing a sense of self and honing social skills. Middle school is rocky – there are so many adult situations tossed out there for our tweens to deal with even though they are technically still a kid. They want to be independent but they still need lots of limits and guidance. High school hasn’t changed either – there are still the same personalities and the same unfair teachers; the same snobby girls and the same ego maniac boys. The cliques, the drama, the fears about the future and the sadness that childhood is at an end are all still waiting for our teens to experience. As a parent, it does no good to let your kids know you understand; that you have walked that mile already. Instead we need to just wait in the wings and know when it is time to step in and help and when it is time to just watch and let them learn. Our school memories are already made – now is their time to craft their own school stories.

Watching our kids hit certain school firsts is a lot like déjà vu. You have already been through it as a child so you understand what your child is feeling but at the same time you are experiencing it as a parent for the first time and understand what your mom and dad must have felt. School days are timeless and fleeting all at once. Your child may not appreciate his experience now, but he too will one day look back and reminisce about his many school firsts. So, ring in this new school season with joy and lots of sharpened pencils. It’s going to be a great new year!