The summer holidays are over, tears from the kids but a huge sigh of relief from the Mums (well in my case it was)
Although I had a wonderful summer with my boys, including two family holidays, fun days out and chilled days in, I always welcome the return to our normal routine. We’re not quite there as my youngest, Archie has just started in Reception on half days initially, gently working himself into full days.
Like every other Mum I obviously knew when the term started but I just don’t know where the time went – there just seemed to be so much to do……..
- Checking the school uniform – did everything still fit? What were the ‘emergency’ buys? How was I going to find a size to fit Archie, because to me he still looks too little to be starting school.
- Getting back to routine – normal bedtimes (they got way too used to the staying up late malarkey), early morning starts, rushing around the house getting all three of us ready and out the door in time (this is chaos in our house) and into school on time. Timing I’ve learned is everything. On top of this I get the added mum guilt ‘please can you pick me up today?’
- Homework starts again, trying to cram it in, being as patient as possible but also getting the dinner ready, baths run, plus letting them have some time to enjoy being home from school before its bedtime again, and we start a new day.
As well as Archie starting his first chapter of school life, I have also upped his big brother Ronnie’s independence and given into his wish of walking across to school on his own, albeit with strict warnings if he doesn’t act responsibly I will be holding his hand for the rest of year 4 and onwards – something he really doesn’t want. They seem small but to all of us these are huge moments. Moments when I realise they are growing up and fast. I honestly treasure all these memories and am getting emotional just writing this!
But I am a working mum, and to be honest, I absolutely love this and feel very lucky to be able to work for a company where I have the flexibility to be able to do both. I always felt coming into work gave me time to be more ‘me’, an adult communicating with other adults, having a career and being good at it, I hope! But also going home and being good at being a mum, because I’ve felt I have achieved something in my job that day, and now they can have the best of me, as I’ve missed them. And I know they have enjoyed their days also at school, learning new things and mixing with their friends.
I think we all get that ‘mum guilt’ but at the end of the day, I am doing this for them; so that we can have another great summer together and make more wonderful memories. But it also teaches them that you have to earn things and when you do you appreciate them more. Every family is different though and some of my best friends love being full time Mums as it works for them and there are no rights or wrongs. But for us getting back to routine has been great and before we know it the next school holiday will be here.