Back to School

The last day of August has arrived, much to the chagrin of my children (and me, honestly).  While I welcome the days of structure and routine I know I will miss these fleeting opportunities to create sunshine memories.  Soon I'll be replacing flip flops for Fall boots and swimsuits for sweatshirts.  My lazy mornings sleeping in late and lounging in pajamas until just before the pool opens will mesh into alarm clocks and cajoling children awake, dressed and fed before my own eyes are fully ready to open.

Such is the way...the cycle of parenthood.  And I'd be ok with it, I suppose since I have no choice otherwise, but darn it if that back to school supply list doesn't haunt me.  Sure, sure.  I know. I should have (and could have) ordered the School Kitz and made life so much easier.  Trust me, had I known I would have.

I'd like to say that I refused to order the School Kitz in a nostalgic defiance to the modern process of gearing our children up for the coming school year, but truth be told I simply misplaced my order form and then put off addressing the email until it was too late to order. 

So today, I embarked on a journey that rivals The Odyssey.  Armed with the requested list of supplies, I sat my three children down and told them a tale of yore.  A time when just a few days before school started, moms would take their children to the store and let their children pick out their favorite folder(s) and a few notebooks, maybe even a Trapper Keeper!  When a box of pencils or your favorite pens and a ruler was all we needed.  They looked at me with confusion glazing over their eyes. 

Moments later I found myself in the crowded chaos otherwise known as Staples.  There I stood among the masses of irritated parents and whiny, reluctant children (my own included).  As I worked my way down the list of requested items, I felt my own aggravation creeping up under my skin.  Not only because the store was poorly stocked, over crowded and understaffed but because the list of supplies, in my opinion, is borderline ridiculous.

Tell me again why I can only send my children in to school with poly-plastic folders that are color coordinated?  Why am I supplying paper towels, wipes, tissues, etc.?  What ever happened to the shoebox of old rusty scissors in the corner of the shelf that we walked over to when we needed to cut something?  Why do they need 48 pre-sharpened Ticonderoga pencils?  If my parents didn't need to supply the chalk, why do I need to supply the dry erase markers?

Anyone that knows me knows that I have the deepest respect for teachers and what they do for our children so the distaste I harbor for this Back To School Supply list nonsense is not directed toward them.  In fact, I think in many ways it irks me because the list is clearly driven by a need to supply our children with the necessary tools to succeed.  But I cannot rationalize how we are not properly funding even the best schools so that the teachers have these supplies on hand without requesting from each parent.  I cannot functionally understand how our children simply must have plastic folders, 1 red 1 blue 1 yellow 1 green and 1 color of their choice.  I gather it's an attempt to keep everyone organized and structured, but I can't help but wonder if it really helps ward off chaos and misplaced work any better than the unicorn folders of yester year.

After searching the aisles and racks of Staples and only crossing tragically few items from the list, we ventured to Target hoping for the best but clearly brow beaten.  A colossal failure of an effort later, I have come to see the truth.  The Back to School Supply list is nothing more than clever bootcamp-esque training for parents.  If you were smart enough to order the School Kitz, you'll manage just fine through the brutal wake up alarms and school parking chaos that will ensue shortly.  If, like me, you failed to order yours then batten down the hatches!  It's that time of year again....prepare to look for the missing matching shoe EVERY MORNING even after you've given them the exact spot in the closet the pair should be placed.  Get ready to argue over which cereal your son/daughter wants for breakfast and why they can/can't wear those pants on P.E. days.  Prepare to dodge the obstacle course of parked cars and the eager beaver parent that wants to schedule the full year of playdates the 2nd day of school!  Oh, and how can I forget...Get ready for the tears shed during homework and project time. It's always so embarrassing when my son has to calm me down over math homework (kidding....a little).  Happy school year ahead, I think!