10 things that suck about a new school year…
Posted
September 20, 2007 at
3:41 pm by
Jessica
The beginning of a new school year is bittersweet in my house. Daydreaming all summer long of productive separation from your children sounds promising, but it’s never all it’s cracked up to be and often brings more challenges and annoyances than the lazy days of summer do.
To be honest, I never liked school. I only like school now, or the thought of school, because it’s not me that is actually going. Little did I know that having children in school is just as cumbersome and trying as it was when I was actually going myself.
The 10 things that make me curse what is supposed to be a good thing:
1. Shoes
What’s so bad about shoes you ask?…Buying them. Why is it that I remember going to actual shoe stores that measured our feet and brought out several options for me to choose from? It seems that the only places to get shoes fitted these days is either Nordstrom or Stride Rite. My older son is too big for Stride Rite and Nordstrom is expensive and inconvenient.
Where do parents buy their kids shoes anymore?? It seems that it has all come down to a guessing game in a “help yourself” model of shoe stores. I don’t wanna help myself. I need someone to tell me which shoes run big/small. I need some GD service. Is that too much to ask???
2. Homework
Okay, perhaps this should have been number 1. Why is it that teachers give out homework on material children don’t know or haven’t learned yet? What do kids do in school exactly? Why do I get the feeling that teachers spend more time handing out “naughty” passes and watching “educational” films and send home assignments for parents to simply home school their kids.
I’m so tired of having to teach my child the material on the homework. Am I alone in this?
3. Bedtime
Over the summer, we let our kids stay up later than normal. They also sleep in later than normal. Every year we explain that bedtime is 8:30am, but it never sticks. The kids are always out of their mind hyper and crazy from the time they get home until bedtime. They lose track, we lose track and the whole bedtime process always starts 30 minutes to an hour later than it should. The kids are bouncing off the walls, conspiring together to thwart my attempts at getting them into bed so I can finally rest. They are not tired at all. I am, but they’re not.
4. Illness
The start of school brings green snots, loose stools, airborne germs from coughing and household epidemics. One parent’s need for peace is another parent’s runny nose and misery that keeps on giving. It’s an ongoing cycle which makes you wonder how in the world parents can send their sickly, assholey kids to school to infect good, law abiding citizens, until you do it yourself.
“Well, its’ just a cough,” you reason. “As long as he isn’t running or jumping or doing anything physical, he’s fine.” Then your kid comes home and says, “The teacher said that I shouldn’t have even come to school today. I used a whole box of Kleenex.” Then it’s you that feels like the gigantic a-hole, but his brother was just home last week. One of these days, you’re going to need to get something done and it was just a little cough.
5. Book Clubs
Why do I feel like I’m being judged for not ordering crappy, paperback books which I already have a triplicate? Why does my son feel left out on the day that the books are doled out to the parents that weren’t cheap? I don’t like it.
6. Fundraisers
The only thing worse than the book fair are school fundraisers. My co-workers have already walked around, extorting me for money for their own snotty kid when I have my own snotty kid to pimp wrapping paper for. What makes them think that I’m interested in their candy bars, cookie dough and Entertainment Books?
I’m not a door-to-door type. Can’t I just write a check, preferably in the $20 range and be done with it? And, of course, there’s always the overachiever that sells an exemplary amount of fundraising crap and gets a free bicycle or something. Who do they think they are? Some of us don’t have large extended families to fill PTA coffers.
7. Open houses
Okay, now I’m gonna sound like a quintessential Imperfect Parent, but I hate open houses. It’s always crowded and you always leave thinking that you know less than before it started.
My son’s open house is a big sham. It’s a way to get you into the gym so the PTA can guilt you into volunteering and the principal can lay out his/her plans for the year and expectations and parental reprimands, “Don’t pick up your child on the south side of the building, don’t bring dogs to school, don’t arrive too early or too late.”
In the classroom versions, I never get anything out of it. There is nothing on the walls, and my ADD mind wanders as he/she tells how they are going to teach to the test this year. Wow! That’s new and compelling and so worth our tax dollars.
8. Lost & Found
I don’t know why kids are always snaggin’ my son’s belongings or why he’s always losing his shit, but weekly trips to the school’s lost and found are routine in our family. What bugs me is when kids take his jackets or gloves or hats and then we don’t see ‘em for weeks. What’s with these parents not noticing or not caring? I actually write my kids names on their tags and even with that, things disappear. Sometimes my son will actually tell me who took his stuff and it takes several phone calls to the parents to get it back. Now, I know that gray hoodies look alike, but if I paid for a Gap hoodie, I don’t really want to settle for an Old Navy one, get my drift?
9. Flu Shots
To get ‘em or not to get ‘em? Advice?
10. Nagging my children for the scoop
Why does a simply innocent question about how one’s day went, turn into early teenage angst? Even my preschooler blows me off. I work and I don’t think it’s too much to ask that my kids share a little piece of their day with me. Instead, they give me one word answers or “I don’t know” or “Quit asking me, it’s just okay.” Grrrrrr.
And, last, an honorable mention to traffic. It didn’t make the list, but if anyone can answer why it now takes me an hour to get to work (ever since school started), versus the summertime 30 minute commute, I would greatly appreciate it. Do that many high schoolers drive to school? Does half the working community take summers off? Vacations? Teachers? What is up with that????
Why is the beginning of the year so stressful????
Tags: back-to-school, Education, rants, school-year |
19 Responses to “10 things that suck about a new school year…”
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1. Allison said:
September 20, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
I agree with you on #6 (actually on all of them, but #6 kills me!) I HATE the fundraisers. Yes, I realize that the school might need funds to operate, but isn’t that the point of raping the taxpayers?
My parents never let me do the school fundraisers. The school didn’t want you going door-to-door for safety, and they’d never take the stuff to hit up co-workers. My dad would say “I don’t send my kids to school to learn to be salesmen!” He even hated when my mom would sell Girl Scout cookies with me.
Amd there’s always that nasty cold stare the teacher gives you when you sold 2 (or zero) items, while that snotty kid in the front row needed to attach an extra filled-up order form!!!!
…”assholey kids” I love it!!!!
2. Susan said:
September 20, 2007 @ 4:23 pm
Our schools FINALLY got it and are now asking for a $30 (or maybe it was $20) donation to the PTO in lieu of the dreaded fundraisers — the kind in which my child will never ever get the top prize (that cost approx. 5 cents for someone in China to make) because she’ll never ever sell 800 magazine subscriptions or whatever.
I can tell you the ex and i were almost fighting about who could write the check for each of our kids the fastest. I may have even thrown in an extra $5 for good measure.
Lobby for the opt out!
3. Rita said:
September 20, 2007 @ 4:34 pm
I agree with #1 (Katie has freakishly long and narrow feet, to boot), #3 (although the structure has added a little sanity to our lives), #7 (I hate people, so lots of people anywhere is going to irritate me), and #8.
Homework, so far hasn’t been bad. Katie’s teacher sends home an e-mail to the parents every night as a backup if the kid was braindead and forgot to write stuff down, and so far the work is beneath her (Yay! See how imperfect I am, I’m so thrilled my child is NOT challenged, lol, I am such a slacker). Alex, so far, has a lot less homework than last year, too. So far, so good on that front.
No sicknesses yet, either, knock on wood.
Bookclubs–I don’t buy from the book clubs. I usually love to volunteer for the Scholastic Book fairs at the schools because the volunteers get a free book (although I hear they’re phasing that out). But, I like to SEE the books I’m buying and a portion of the money goes towards the school at the Book Fair. Also, I’ve got a tactic with chapter books, the child pays for the book at the Book Fair and if they read the book, I reimburse them for it. I’ve gone through too many impulse buys at book fairs and then the kid never reads the book. If it’s read, it’s worth the small price, and I’m happy to buy it, so read it and I’ll pay for it. It’s worked for us.
Our schools have also eliminated fundraisers by asking for a donation to the PTA. I’m happy to do that.
We don’t do flu shots.
Katie always tells me all about her day. Alex will save crap up and tell it all to me in the car going somewhere. It’s just how he is. I get the scoop sooner or later, in the meanwhile, he just tells me important stuff as it happens. Boys, I guess.
4. julymom said:
September 20, 2007 @ 7:53 pm
When we were looking at schools for ds, I made it very, very clear that we do not sell anything. Ever. Four of the schools were not cool with that. One said “That’s okay. We don’t do fundraisers except for the mandatory $150 in raffle tickets that each family has to buy.” The other school said “No problem. If you don’t want to sell anything, you don’t have to.” Guess which one he goes to? The do HAVE fundraisers like magazine sales, but they are not required and no one looks down on you for not doing them. I did contribute some gift baskets to the church picnic (which we didn’t attend) and bought $10 worth of raffle tickets, but I did it because I wanted to (I was really hoping for that $1000 prize or the flat screen TV, but no such luck).
Ds ALWAYS tells me about his day, in minute detail, so that’s not an issue yet. He’s only 5 though, so he’s got plenty of time to become surly.
He’s also a sleeper, so when he’s tired, he’ll just tell me and go to bed. I’m as shocked as you are! He went down at 7:15 tonight. Wheeee! In that respect, for me at least, school rocks.
My BIGGEST complaint is the morning drop off. What is wrong with parents? Pre-K, K and 1st grade parents are supposed to walk their children into school, but the other kids can be dropped off. Fine, great, whatever. BUT the parents who drop off, block all the parking spaces that the Pre-K, K and 1st have to use to drop off thier kids. I gripe every morning about this. There are 2 lanes of traffic, plus the spaces, and the drop off parents will angle their cars in such a way that you can’t get around them. Gah! We have to sit at least 7-10 minutes every morning waiting to get near a spot, and then dash across the parking lot and upstairs to try to get into class before the bell. I’ve tried going earlier, but it’s always the same. Ds goes to after school care, so I don’t have to fight the pick up crowd, thank goodness.
5. Kristy said:
September 21, 2007 @ 8:00 am
What’s so hard with the shoes? You go Target or Payless, find the least ugly pair that is available in the size you think your kids wears, stick them on their feet, and find bigger or smaller as needed. That one hasn’t been a big issue for us.
I also hate fundraisers and we generally just ignore them. The kids come home all excited about the potential prizes, but they never actually get around to trying to sell the shit, and we just send it back. One good thing about working and having four kids is that everyone thinks we’re just too busy to do that stuff (and we have three at one school so how is that going to work? Grandma can only buy so many rolls of $15 wrapping paper). The only one we’ve done is last year they sold the $20 coupon books that everyone actually wants because they have tons of good two-fo-one deals and $65 in Kroger coupons.
Open houses are a pain, and as a teacher we usually observe that mainly the parents who need to come don’t, and the ones who come don’t need to, KWIM?
On homework, I wouldn’t be so quick to say the teacher hasn’t taught the material just because the child hasn’t learned it. That may be the case, but it may not.
6. Kristy said:
September 21, 2007 @ 8:49 am
Ugh! I hate not being able to edit comments for typos!
7. Rita said:
September 21, 2007 @ 10:09 am
[quote comment="110190"]What’s so hard with the shoes? You go Target or Payless, find the least ugly pair that is available in the size you think your kids wears, stick them on their feet, and find bigger or smaller as needed. That one hasn’t been a big issue for us.
[/quote]
I wish that were the case with Katie. So far, we’ve been lucky and each time she outgrows her shoes we’ve been able to find ONE pair that doesn’t slide up and down on her surfboard feet (they fit lengthwise, but side to side they’re too big so they slide up and down, it’s weird). We’re going to have to start venturing into more expensive shoes down the road, but for now, we’ve been lucky.
8. Jessica said:
September 21, 2007 @ 10:15 am
[quote comment="110190"]
On homework, I wouldn’t be so quick to say the teacher hasn’t taught the material just because the child hasn’t learned it. That may be the case, but it may not.[/quote]
True, but I’ve heard the same from other mothers as well and I just think the teachers should have some clue as to whether his/her students are learning the material in class or not, or whether or not they need to spend more time on it.
Would it be a good idea to send notes home when I feel my son doesn’t have a grasp on the material or would that only annoy the teacher. How much should I expect?
9. Kristy said:
September 21, 2007 @ 11:47 am
Yeah, if he consistently seems at a loss on the material in the homework, I would send a note or request a conference. The purpose of homework is supposed to be to reinforce what’s taught in class and give the kids extra practice, so if it’s not happening like that, I’d find out why.
10. Kristy said:
September 21, 2007 @ 12:50 pm
Oh, also we don’t get flu shots, but if you get them for the kids, make sure you get Themerasol-free, because they do still put it in there.
11. Rita said:
September 22, 2007 @ 9:40 am
OK, so #4. We’re all sick. Whether it’s from school or from the nasty little play area at the mall I let Liz explore on Wednesday, we may never know.
12. Jessica said:
September 27, 2007 @ 1:29 pm
#4 has hit Scott and I like a ton of bricks. The kids are on the mend and we got it 2-fold.
13. Allena said:
September 27, 2007 @ 3:25 pm
We do the fundraisers, well, cause grandma and I love to shop. Also, I know that the PTA needs the money for all those little events that my kids love to go to- skate party, lock in etc etc. If the PTA doesn’t have the $$$, then they’ll have to charge entry fees, and not every family would be abe to participate, which goes against the whole point of a PTA.
14. Allena said:
September 27, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
” Why do I get the feeling that teachers spend more time handing out “naughty” passes and watching “educational” films and send home assignments for parents to simply home school their kids.
I’m so tired of having to teach my child the material on the homework. Am I alone in this?”
yeah, you are. What kind of craptastic school are ya sending your kids to? Holy cow!
15. Prescott said:
September 27, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
Wow, you’re a real peach — thanks for visiting!
16. Rita said:
September 27, 2007 @ 5:10 pm
LOL, and gee, why don’t I advertise my blog and try to get more traffic on it again?
17. Allena said:
September 27, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
gah- Rita nailed me. But it worked! Thanks for the visits all!
And to this one:
“Would it be a good idea to send notes home when I feel my son doesn’t have a grasp on the material or would that only annoy the teacher. How much should I expect? ”
I think you should call for a conference & the teacher will then take it more seriosuly.
18. Allena said:
September 27, 2007 @ 6:30 pm
PS- LOVE this blog! Hilarious!
19. Kelly Reising said:
October 16, 2007 @ 6:07 am
My oldest is in Kindergarten and I am cracking under the pressure already! Too much. Plus her principal is a d***. So I am giving her a vacation this week and she is winging her way to Disney with my folks. I can’t belive my five year old needs a vacation already, but she does. School is stressful for everyone.
Kelly
Mother Magnetism