First, I want to say, no mom has it all together and I know time management is hard for everyone! I know we all try to be as involved as we can in education, athletics, play dates, Doctor appointments, after school activities, etc… I am not saying it is harder to be a working mom than a stay at home mom- I know both rolls are challenging and whatever we are doing we are all doing the best we can.
Today was the first day of back to school in person for many of the working parents in our area. Some may have been ready to go back, some had limited options. Either way, I have seen a story that goes around each year at the beginning of school and I’ve always wanted to tell the other side. The story is about a mom who needs the extra time with her child asking for everyone to be patient and give them a minute to say bye. While I am empathetic to they story, I am one of the parents behind you giving you a moment then I probably get upset because now the whole line cannot move and the traffic is past the main road. I, just like you care about my child and want to say proper goodbyes, so I start on my way to school, talking about his day and how much I love him, how I will miss him, and remind him of all the things that I need to before I ever get to the drop off line. When we are waiting for the line to move, he already anticipates giving me a quick kiss and jumping out when they open the car door. For me, every moment counts.
I have had the job where I did not get to be a parent and had to rely on others for help getting my child to school and back. It killed me to not be a part of his day. No matter how crappy the morning goes once we are in the car it is all sweetness and jokes from there. Time matters to many parents to be able to drop off and make it to work through traffic. Most people are not fortunate to work near their house, and their morning commute consists of about 30 minutes. So when I see you in your pajamas dropping off and having to get out of your car to help your child with something they forgot to put in their bag or you need another hug, I’m jealous you have the time and upset that you feel your time is more valuable than everyone else’s.
My sister is going to kill me because I am writing about this. Today was her son’s first day of kinder and it was a big deal, but the feeling was quite different due to COVID. We are lucky in that my nephew and son get to go to school together and my son was going to be able to walk him to his class. We took pictures at the house of the boys with their flowers for their teachers. She left to go run by her husband’s office on the way to school. I was running right behind them. I pulled up and they were taking pictures with my nephew, it looked sweet. By this time, I’m starting to get worried about the drop off line and the tardy bell. Luckily when we got there, there were not many people. We pulled up and got in line, Caden, my son now a seasoned pro jumped out and went to get Rocco. I cringed a little when my sister opened not one, not two, but 3 doors! Rocco said goodbye to his siblings and my sister helped him with all the things he needed to carry in. After a few minutes, I opened my door and explained you are not supposed to get out of your car in the drop off line. She snipped back at me and I laughed. All the times I cringed about mom’s who take forever and here it was, my sister! Finally, the boys walked in and I said goodbye as I drove away. The crossing guard was tired of waving me forward. I get it she wanted her moment to take it in- her first baby going to Kindergarten. Normally I will be dropping off the boys so I won’t have to school her on drop off etiquette, but I did explain we should have parked if she needed more time.
To all the moms who are having their first days, it is hard on us all no matter how old they are. We all plan for things to go one way, but time goes by so fast. While being a working mom means I may not get to attend all the parties, field day events, or field trips it does break my heart. I do my best just like you to be present where I can. I only ask one thing- if you need more time than a kiss and goodbye please park so parents like me who depend on getting to work on time can get through without being jerks. Love all you parents out there!
