20 Reasons I Can’t Wait for My Kids to Go Back to School – By Rene Syler

Don’t get me wrong; I love my kids. I love spending time with them, I love learning and watching them grow. And, just like them, I embrace the break from the rigid school schedule that the summer brings. Yep, for about 4 weeks. Without fail, right about this time, I grow restless, as they do, and long for the school year to start. The crazy part is the very thing that chafes me at firs, is the thing I’m desperate for now: Structure.

So here are the things I’m looking forward to when the kids get back in school:

1.  My sanity. When I ask my son my son, “What are you doing?” and he says, “Peeling an M&M,” that’s a sure sign it’s time to get back in class.

2.  Peace and quiet. I would love to hear myself think instead of hear the constant refrain of, “Mom!”

3.  Structure. My kids don’t wake up until noon. I know we’ll have to make the brutal adjustment in a few weeks but right now, it’s the only time I can write uninterrupted.

4.  The fridge. For people who sleep so much, they sure do eat a lot. Who knew slumbering could burn so many calories?

5.  My calendar. I don’t know who goes where any more with all the camps and sleepovers. School is one place and it’s pretty constant.

6.  The laundry. How can a time when they wear fewer clothes add up to twice as much laundry?

7.  Time with my husband. I can’t say I miss him all the time since we both work out of the house, but I know that we haven’t had an uninterrupted conversation since the weather changed.

8.  Learning. I love watching my kids get smarter. They do a lot during the summer, but there is nothing like some homework to get those synapses firing.

9.  Back-to-school shopping. Okay. I just like to shop, and we have some bargain hunting to do. Mommy – daughter time anyone?

10.  Sack lunch snacks. Yes, I dip into their treats. Hey, don’t I deserve one or two?

11.  My dog. I can’t say for sure, but I think Olivia wants a little bit more of my attention and she isn’t getting that while the kids are around. Oh, and she’ll take some peace and quiet, too.

12.  Teachers. Sharing the process of making your child a more responsible human is a great relationship to have and one I look forward to.

13.  New friends. Every encounter we have shapes us, and it is always so nice to see what
new batch of kids may be coming over after school.

14.  Writing fodder! I write about kids. Them laying around here can only be written about so many times, right?

15.  Total house cleaning. I honestly feel that when they walk out the door and I get a moment to myself I will become a cleaning machine and make right what has been wronged.

16.  Phone calls. Doing business on the phone while waiting for someone to interrupt you to find their shoes is not as much fun as you would think.

17.  Dedicated study time. I’m tired of hearing how bored they are. I’m ready to hear how overworked they are. Change of pace never hurt anyone.

18.  School supplies. When you have two teens in the house, who are in school, you can almost always find a pen. I need a pen, and a few notebooks.

19.  Silence. Not just the talking, but the cell phones ringing, slamming doors, toilets flushing, the dog barking at the kids, the kids barking at the dog, my husband and my son having what I’m going to say are heated debates…you know. I’m looking forward to
s-i-l-e-n-c-e.

20.  Me. It’s been a while since I sat with me, in my space doing what I love. I’m going to sit and just have an uninterrupted conversation with me about my dreams, goals, and hopes. And, of course, cower in a corner somewhere around three o’clock because this is high school, not college! They’ll be back!

BIO

After two decades as a television news anchor, including four years on CBS’ The Early Show, Rene decided it was time for a change. Tired of reading from a teleprompter, René was determined to find her own voice and inspire women like herself – juggling busy lives, raising children and trying to live up to impossible parenting ideals. The result is René’s missive on modern motherhood, Good Enough Mother: The Perfectly Imperfect Book of Parenting and its subsequent website www.goodenoughmother.com. René writes for several websites, including TLC’s Parentables, Hallmark, Mom.me, Babble.com, Everyday Health and has her own column in The Birmingham News. She also makes regular guest appearances on TV shows, including CNN, BET, Anderson, The Bill Cunningham Show, The Joy Behar Show, The Doctors and The Nate Berkus Show, is an in-demand speaker and is finalizing details for a new book project. She is a proud wife to Buff Parham and parent to Casey and Cole.

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