Back to school for all 5 of us!

Okay, it’s just starting to register, there are only two weeks left of summer holidays and then it’s back to school.  Time for the dreaded ‘uniform and new shoes’ shop which must be endured.  Drat my kids for continuing to grow!  My little one who is only three and a half years old but who is starting at the local primary school nursery;  needs uniform for the first time.  School clothes for a three year old; ridiculous but I know she will look as cute as a button.  Although she is the smallest person in our household, she packs the biggest punch and so I am looking forward to sending her off to school for her teachers to sort out.  Bad parenting I know but believe me, as a single parent attempting to ‘bring up my children in the way they should go’; I am grateful for all the help I can get with their training!

The boys have already had their ‘short back and sides’ haircuts.  Too early I hear you say?  No, I am sparing them the embarrassment of sporting white walls on their first day back.  Just need to pray for some sun in the next two weeks so they can even up their tan lines.  My eldest will be heading to college to start her Performing Arts Dance course and so we have scheduled tomorrow as the day for depleting my bank account in the Dance Supply shop.  Beats me why they can’t just practise in an old black leotard and bare feet!  However, I have promised my dancer that I will a.) not eye roll,  b.) refrain from asking if that shoe comes in a generic brand and c.) stop myself from exclaiming loudly to the sales assistant, “How much?!”

So, now that all four of my children will be out from under my feet; I have decided that it’s high time for me to return to work.  How do I feel about it?  Please refer to picture! “Help!!!” What if my brain has completely turned to cotton wool during my career break?  What if my teacher voice has disappeared from lack of use? What if my chalk board writing skills are rusty? Okay, scratch that one.  I need to remember that white boards and smart boards are the means through which I must communicate my learning objectives, bullet points and plenaries.  Will the children I teach be aware of my ‘first day back at school’ nerves? Absolutely not! If I have learned anything during my teaching career, it is to show no fear!

Me being a full time working single mum of four is going to be challenging but after the unsettling and stressful last couple of years, I am optimistic that it’ll be a ‘piece of cake.’ I have been using the summer holidays to prepare myself and the children for the changes that will be taking place. My three year old is now more than capable of wafting a yellow duster to move the dust bunnies around our furniture, my eight year old has the sweetest disposition going and will do pretty much any household task that I ask of him and my twelve year old has learned to use the lawn mower and then keep himself out of everybody else’s way while they get on with their chores.  My sixteen year old, during her enforced ‘house arrest’, (Don’t ask.  I have yet to find the humour in the situation to be able to share it with you all!) has proven that she is able to effectively use most of the household appliances to good effect; including the washing machine and iron. 

I have begun my preparations also. If I am to return to the ‘land of the living’, (meaning staff rooms packed full of trendy, young teachers)  then I will need to prepare myself for looking less like a legging and pony tailed stay-at-home mum and more like a professional.  So I have returned to my healthy eating and exercise program which went out of the window during the summer months when I slobbed around like an extra in a Wal-Mart commercial! If I want to fit back into any of my work clothes, then I’m going to have to work like a demon to slim down to my former work size.  Nothing like a deadline to get me off my derriere and crunching on carrots instead of chocolate bars!

I have spent many hours stock piling ideas for use on returning to the classroom.  I have a whole host of unbelievably awesome ‘organising your classroom tips’ as well as a million fantastic activities to engage even the most behaviourally-challenged, disinterested, hyper-active children. I also have enough crock pot recipes to sustain our family until the Christmas holidays because I already know that I will be  too dead beat after a day at work to cook.  Thank you Pinterest!!  How did I ever manage back in the day without your input?

So, as you can see, there is very little left for me to do by way of preparation other than to go and check my calendar, double check the term dates and to calculate precisely how many days there are until my next holiday!