Surviving Back to School

September 3, 2009 By

Back to school is an interesting time for mothers. Some celebrate, such as my friend whose kids have a very … explosive sibling relationship. Going back to school may have saved at least one of their lives.

Some stand in shock, such as my friend who helped her eldest put on makeup before her first day of high school. Some, such as another dear friend, must drive their child halfway across the country and leave them in the company of strangers. And others, like most of us, are watching the years fly by with a sense of bewilderment.

So, what do to? No matter what stage you are in, there is a vacuum left behind when a child hits a new phase of life. Each day means more independent children. I feel as though yesterday life was an endless sea of diapers, and now I’m a taxi cab and short-order cook.

This year, for back to school, I arranged to meet with several friends after we dropped the kids off for their first day. About 15 of us showed up. As we laughed and talked, my friends started discussing what they were going to do next. Having company and hearing everyone’s plans was key to my emotional recovery. Some of my friends are pursuing more education, some are taking up new hobbies, and others had a list of things to accomplish today. As I reflected over my own state of being, I realized my goals and plans keep me motivated. Yes, I want to be a mom first, but having other goals keeps my mind active and makes me a more rounded person. Plus, it got me over the “Now what?” hump after I watched my daughter skip into school to start her own new adventure.

What about y’all?

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About Jennifer

I’m Jennifer Dyer, AKA Jenn, Mom, Ma, Aunt Jenn and Woof (translation: Feed me, human mom!). Although I love to chat with friends, host casual events at my house, read, and write, most of my hours are spent solving carpet crimes, chasing my daughter with autism, cleaning an endlessly messy house, carpooling with my tween daughter, baking desserts, and looking for my keys. Hubby recently had an opportunity to move home to Texas, so we are thrilled to see our niece and nephews on a regular basis. In 2010, God granted me an extension on my life after a bout with cancer and surgery complications, through which I gained a greater appreciation for life, family and people. Motherhood has taught me more than I ever imagined, including unending love, picking my battles, knowing my limits and when to be tough—although I am still learning this—and navigating through a maze of toys and laundry in the dark. Before I wore a motherhood cape, I worked as a speech-language pathologist and traveled with hubby. Although having a special needs child seems to have grounded us from traveling and changed our entire world, we are learning to make adventures out of each moment, laugh whenever possible, and look forward to the greatest destination ever: Heaven, where I will see my Savior and no longer have to scrub carpet.
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Comments

  1. Tiffany Temple says:
    September 4, 2009 at 7:29 am

    Great post! Always nice to know “I’m not the only one”. My son started the last year of elementary school (5th grade) a couple of weeks ago…whoa! Every time I go to the school, I feel like I’m saying goodbye, and the year JUST began. LOL.
    I think you getting together with friends in similar phases was such a wonderful idea. The more often we allow ourselves those moments of refreshing now while our children are young will give us a firm foundation for handling the emotions that come with “the empty nest”.

    Reply

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