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Jen (Dual-career mom of Jacob 5, and Caleb, 2): I can’t believe The Big Day is almost here!
Kelli (Stay-at-home mom of Logan 8, and Whitney 7): Four days, one hour and 32 minutes.
Jen: What? Not down to the second when your kids go back to school?
Kelli: …and seventeen seconds.
Jen: Obviously, you’re ready to get your house back in order.
Kelli: Let’s just say we’ve had plenty of quality time together. It’s been a fun, eventful summer, but I’m limping to the finish line here. I need to hand off the baton.
Jen: Really? This is my first time stepping up to the starting line of the elementary school years, and I’m thinking I’m not ready to hand off my first born child. You’d think I shouldn't be this sad about sending him to school - he's been in full time daycare since he was 3 months old!
Kelli: Oh, that’s right! You’re still in the shoo the parents out the door, linger peeking through the window, count the minutes until you can pick them up again, arrive twenty minutes before school gets out to peek through the window some more -- otherwise known as the kindergarten years.
Trust me, you’ll get over that.
Jen: Well, this is my baby we’re talking about here! I’m not ready to drop-kick him out the door to school.
Kelli: Actually, it’s more like a lateral pass.
I’m just giving you a bad time. I cried like a baby on both my kids’ first days of school. Took a gazillion pictures too. And video taped it. While peeking through the window.
Jen: I’m just so anxious! I find myself alternately excited and scared now that Jacob is ready to go off to kindergarten. I picture all of the things that can happen to him. good and bad, and find myself fighting off the urge to wrap him in cotton and keep him from being hurt. I know it is an important part of life (and believe me, I’m no helicopter parent), but I don’t know if I’m ready just yet.
Kelli: Well, you may not be, but I bet Jacob is. It’s amazing how quickly and eagerly they spread their wings to fly.
I went from my kids wanting me to walk them into class, then just to the door, next dropping them off in front of school, to already wanting to ride bikes unchaperoned to school.
Jen: It’s true. Jacob's so excited to go to school and has talked about how he can't wait until he's "in a grade".
Kelli: My kids will be in 2nd and 3rd grade this year and it’s amazing to me how all those worries I had for them so quickly turned into pride at how much they’ve flourished and grown. It gives me chills when I catch these glimpses of who they are already evolving into.
Yes, I love sending my kids to school for a break, but I love sending them more because I appreciate the help in creating educated, socially experienced, well-rounded individuals.
Jen: Stop! He hasn’t even started kindergarten yet and you’re making me picture myself helping him move into his dorm room!
Kelli: I know. I worry these years will go by in the blink of an eye. That’s why I like to volunteer in the classroom. It gives me an opportunity to be involved in the community but also witness the lightening growth of my babies before I miss it.
Plus, I’m taking advantage of them still wanting me around because I know all too soon they’ll be mortified if I show up to help with a class party.
Jen: I’d love to volunteer. I’m going to try and arrange my work schedule so I can get in at least one day a month. I look forward to the opportunity to be a part of Jacob’s school years, make sure he has a good time but also is a good student; make sure he doesn't act up but is also able to express his individuality! I want to make sure he has friends and that he knows how to be a good friend. But, I also know that this is something he has to do for himself and that the time is coming for us to let go.
Kelli: Yeah, I think they frown upon spies in the classroom. It’s a fine line between classroom volunteer and mommy meddling.
Jen: Any advice?
Kelli: If you can master the copy machine and the laminator, the teachers are willing to overlook the blown kissies from the back of the room and the hissed whispers of, “Pay attention to the teacher!”
Jen: Well, all I know is I’m for sure taking off the first day of school from work. Not because my son needs me to, but because I need me to!
Kelli: I’ll be waiting for you at Bela Bru with a double latte and a shoulder to cry on…
Kelli Wheeler is a
Jen Hall is a
Ten Ways for Busy Moms to Help in the Classroom
- Snack Parent. If you’re unavailable to be in the classroom, you can contribute bulk snacks or volunteer to coordinate the snack schedule.
- Home Helper. Offer to have things that need to be corrected, collated, cut or crafted sent home with your child for you to work on at home.
- Party Parent. If you can’t help with classroom parties, volunteer to send in needed supplies.
- Volunteer Coordinator. If you don’t have time, but you do have organizational skills, offer to coordinate monthly volunteer calendars.
- Career Day. Have a special skill, talent or resource? Offer to share it with the class as an enrichment activity.
- Field Trip Chaperone. Get a list of the year’s field trips and select one to make time for.
- Excel whiz? Even if you're no Betty Crocker, maybe you have other skill sets to offer, such as organizing budgets in Excel or updating the class roster.
- Develop a web page If you have a computer background, consider offering to update or create a class webpage for the teacher. There are many easy web page tools you can use to create this.
- Make Decorations at home Every classroom teacher could use help with decorations. Check with the teacher to see if they are planning on decorating the room to celebrate any upcoming holidays. Then offer to make these at home and bring them to class.
- Make your child a priority These years go by so quickly; remember that involvement in your child's life and classroom is the most important gift you give them. Make them a priority when it matters by making it a point to be present in the classroom at least some time during the year.
