Fatherhood Friday!
This is my post from last Thursday, but it fits nicely with the new Fatherhood Friday theme going on over at dad-blogs. Go check it out and read a lot of great dad and mom blog posts...and now, the back to school post from WND.
What Now?
Last night my wife and I attended an informational meeting for the K+ program our youngest daughter will be attending before her kindergarten class this upcoming school year. It sounds like a great program that will enrich her kindergarten experience and set her up for a great start to her educational journey. What it means for my wife and I is even bigger....One drop-off and one pick-up. The one-drop off/one pick-up means that instead of driving all over our little town to take each of our children to their school, daycare, babysitter, after school program and snack run we drop them both off at the same time each morning for school and pick them both up at the same time after school.
What Now?
Last night my wife and I attended an informational meeting for the K+ program our youngest daughter will be attending before her kindergarten class this upcoming school year. It sounds like a great program that will enrich her kindergarten experience and set her up for a great start to her educational journey. What it means for my wife and I is even bigger....One drop-off and one pick-up. The one-drop off/one pick-up means that instead of driving all over our little town to take each of our children to their school, daycare, babysitter, after school program and snack run we drop them both off at the same time each morning for school and pick them both up at the same time after school.
When you are a parent it's the small things that make up the biggest joys in life. Like not having to make lunches for them anymore. Hot lunches for both kids at school means I have just about 10-15 more minuets each morning to devote to sleep, dishes, laundry or even coming up with my next wonderfully creative idea for this blog.
Another great parent morning time saver is when your kids can make their own breakfast. We are close on that one, but the fear of our oldest attempting to microwave her own bacon keeps us up at night, so it might be a few years before that actually comes to pass.
I think these little time victories are only on my mind as we draw closer to the school year. For my wife I can tell something much bigger is brewing insider her head. I saw it happen two years ago when our oldest child started kindergarten. "How can we have a child starting school, she was just a baby the other day, how will she get along without us for most of her day" are just a few of the verbalized thoughts I heard from my wife back then.
You can take that anxiety and turn it up about 10 notches now as the baby of the family starts school. I am thinking of breaking out the heavy duty sweater that day to help absorb the flood of tears that my wife is sure to expel. It is sure to be a water works show only before seen at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas that could last the better part of the day. My wife has already scheduled a day off from work so she can sit outside the school, stalker style, to make sure everything is safe and sound. Call it a kindergarten stake out, Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez style (there is a reference I bet you wouldn't expect!)
Thankfully my youngest child is more than ready for this and should, if history is any indicator, treat her first day in school like any other.....and if she makes her own breakfast that morning it will be me she sees crying, tears of time victory joy!!!
PEACE OUT DADS!!!
Posts
I am crying today. I just sent my oldest "baby" off to college. She's thrilled to be on her way. Just like in pre-4 on her first day of school she waved and walked in with a smile on her face. She wouldn't let me walk her in. I cried that day, too.
ReplyDeleteStrange, my husband wasn't crying today or then.
My mother once told me: "You raise them to be independent, then you're heartbroken when they are." Our goal as parents is to set them free and it ain't easy.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for school to start next week! I totally understand the little time victories. I'm hoping to get out of my summer blues and back onto my regular schedule.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, my wife didn't cry when we sent our oldest off to school, though, he grew up in daycare and she was a bit clingy on his first day there.
Nice.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I am at the stage of adding to my morning drops. At least there is light at the end of the tunnel!
Mark
my kids and i just all completed our first wk of school. my girls are tweens so can definitely make their breakfast tho i do confine it to things that are easy to make. no real cooking. i wish that i could sleep in on the fridays when i don't have school, but i have that internal clock and that mother's maternal whateveritis that has a need to make sure they're up, ready, and off to school on time. i'm hoping when they're in hs i can maybe relax a bit lol
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the tears, my wife started tearing up when our son started walking a few months ago because he was no longer her 'baby'. It seems to be her standard thing to say whenever he hits a new milestone. We have a few years to go before school, but those little victories rock.
ReplyDeleteMy experience is that the time gained is taken back pretty quick. It's cool when they start using a spoon and feeding themselves but it leads to a lot more mopping of the floor.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your advances toward a simpler lifestyle. The kids' autonomy is win-win.
ReplyDeleteHell I tear up when she discovers a new word, a new phrase and I think WOW, school is JUST around the corner....Sniff Sniff!
ReplyDeletebtw all day kindergarten?? up until last yr i was picking up kids at different times even if they were at the same school :-/
ReplyDeleteAll this talk about school starting has me dreading that day to come in the future. Tears will certainly flow at our house too.
ReplyDeleteMy kids did all of the crying on the first day of school. It was not a pleasant way to start the day.
ReplyDeleteMy kid is so excited for Mother's Day Out, I am scared for the future when it is real school
ReplyDeleteOh how I can't wait till both kids can make breakfast themselves. It feels like I haven't truly slept in for going on 4 years now.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest just went off to kindergarten too. No tears around here though, well not from me anyway.
ReplyDelete