Tuesday, March 31, 2009

You can't win!

I've decided that I'm a failure as the mother of a school-aged kid. Seriously, this is a whole new world... one where you can't win! And, he's only in Kindergarten!

I feel like there's so much pressure, and I'm starting late in the game so I'm the new kid in town when everyone else already knows what they are doing. I walked into school with him late yesterday (only by a couple of minutes, and because as were leaving he decided he didn't want to go to school). I begun walking him to his classroom and I got a dirty look from the hall monitor. "Excuse me, you need to sign in." she said. Great, I'm already being recorded as a bad mom on the beginning of our second week of school! I hang up his backpack just outside the classroom and I suddenly realize I don't know what to do with his Friday folder. Do they check his bag, or does he need to bring it into the classroom?

I step inside to ask the teacher, but I feel like I'm interrupting because we're late already. I might as well walk around with a big L on my forehead. Anyway, the girls and I (Titus stayed the night at Aunt Suzy's) walked out of the classroom and went on our merry way.

A few hours later I do the pick up thing. And here's where you just can't win. If I get there on time, or early, they come out 5 minutes late. If I get there even 2 minutes late, Logan is the last kiddo there. Of course, this makes me feel like the big L on my forehead is written in neon.

Then, this morning, determined NOT to be late again, we left in plenty of time. Okay, let's be honest I was barking at all four kids the whole way out the door. "Get your shoes on! Hurry up. Come on, buckle in, we're gonna be late!". We drive the .2 miles to school trying not to hit all the little uns on their way to school. And then we pull into the little drop off area that only fits like 3 cars (okay, I'm exaggerating just a little!), but they haven't let the kiddos inside the school yet, despite the fact that it's 5 minutes after the doors are supposed to be open. I don't want to drop Logan off in the mass of kiddos not yet allowed into the school because he's a known bolter. So, I'm realizing I have a 5 minute window of opportunity to drop Logan off between when the doors are open and when he's considered late. There's no where to park, so I loop around again as they're opening the doors. 400 other parents converge on the school at the same time and it takes me just about all of those 5 minutes to loop back around into a drop-off spot to drop the kiddo off at school. I'm pretty sure he wasn't late... but darn close.

I can't win! It's a conspiracy I tell ya! My kids are never going to school. We're going to go hide out in the mountains somewhere. How do all these moms everywhere function? I'm beginning to wonder if I'm cut out for this job!

3 comments:

beachbirdie said...

LOL! Well, there is always homeschooling (grin). We decided after investigating school that it was much less of a hassle (yep, I'm lazy), and certainly cheaper to keep them home.

We also felt like we were branded Lousy Parents after taking our child to preschool for the first time, and being told how "behind" our kid was. How the heck does a kid fail preschool? My preschool dropout now reads Russian classic literature and teaches himself languages and non-Roman alphabets.

School is overrated (another big grin).

Beckys blog said...

I recommend homeschooling! I turned out pretty good...and so did most of my siblings!

Char said...

Okay--as a kindergarten teacher, I can tell you that you are FINE! Seriously, I would trade for parents like you guys any day of the week! You CARE that they are late, as opposed to some who just waltz in whenever! Just catch the teacher after school one day and ask for a crash course in kinder parent procedures!