One more blog with a "Back to School" post

So there was a day or two where all anyone could post on social media were back to school pictures.  Little Johnny and Sally all dolled up with their backpacks, smiling about their new adventure.  Some were sad to be leaving momma's apron strings, but there were very few pics of sad children.  There were NO pictures of sad parents.  Why not?  I tried googling one, and found nothing!

I don't think society talks a whole lot about being sad as an adult about things like your children going to school (at any age), driving, wiping themselves, helping do chores, leaving the nest.  We are always so anxious for our children to reach the next milestone.  Achieve the next goal.  We rush and rush to the next thing and then one day realize it is all over.  The End.  They are grown and we are done.

I can't wait until my child:
sleeps all night, eats without puking, stops crying
rolls over, scoots, crawls, walks
gets out of diapers, gets out of pull ups, gets out of my bed
stops throwing tantrums, stops throwing food, stops throwing things in the toilet/trash
starts school, starts sports, starts cleaning up their own mess
learns to drive, gets a job, gets out of my hair
gets children of their own (at appropriate time) so they will know what they put me through and call me to apologize profusely for ever having pooped in the tub or snuck out of the house.

We hear stories told by other parents and we laugh a little out loud and then secretly cry on the inside at the thought of our children not needing us.  Not wanting us as much as they did.  It is a good thing that we all go through those seasons to prepare us and them to leave and be independent.  That is what life is, training for us to know how to survive without each other 24/7. Preparation for the next step, always.

I wait for the ugly crying mother pictures on the first day back to school.  The ones where they have just watched their baby turn and walk away from them, headed to their first classroom.  Seeing the back of your child's head when you drop them at college (yuck, I don't want to think about that).  What will they do without us?  What will we do without them?  So don't feel alone sad parents.  You aren't being silly or needy.  You are being completely and utterly normal.  Just no one tells you that.  Well there are those old women who always say "don't rush them, and make sure you nap when they nap, and don't worry about the dishes-they will be there later".  The ones who warn us to take advantage of all this precious time (even when they are pouty, sarcastic, mouthy, and opinionated), it is still precious.  In a smack them kind of way.

You can tell I am still a little melancholy about the whole thing but it is only day three of school.  I will get acclimated before it is over.  But then summer will come and I will get used to having her around all the time and we will do this whole thing again next August when Junior year starts and she is able to drive herself to the school.

Must go now. My eyes are melting again.