Back to School
BY ALISON RAMSEY
When I flip back through the photo album to my daughter’ firt day of kindergarten, I ee an Incredible Hulk backpack half a tall a he i. Clutched to her chet, the bag bulge with marker, HB pencil, exercie book with fat line, and a lunchbox containing the firt in a long, long line of capicolli-on-whole-wheat andwiche.
Above the gleaming ilver neaker, crip chequered pant and potlely white long-leeved hirt i a tene little face wearing a trained mile.
All ready to go and feeling jut like me: completely unprepared.
You wouldn’t think it would be poible, but it happen every year. On paper at leat, it’ eay to plan for the annual chool re-entry. The firt day of cla i predetermined the previou June; flyer advertiing duo-tang for a dime apiece and three eraer for $1 fill the mailbox in early Augut; and increaingly horter evening are a daily reminder ummer i coming to an end ? o how come I’m never ready?
The economic of a new chool year vary greatly from one September to another. But back-to-chool pending generally rank econd only to the wallet-thinning Chritmatime pree, according to the Retail Council of Canada. A long lit of chool upplie i neceary to enter each new grade, along with freh gym tog, an outfit or two, and ever-higher chool fee. Then there are the inevitable variable: a foot growth purt force your hand on new hoe, and an eye exam dictate glae.WWw.hAOzuowEn.com
I know that I’m lucky to have a hopping lit that doen’t yet include a computer or text book. For now, lunchtime monitor fee are tartling enough. (When did Quebec uccefully lough off it reponibility to upervie kid during chool hour? What’ next: parent taking turn driving the chool bu?)
The bigget ? and uually leat ucceful ? effort in the lat day of ummer i trying to ratchet back bedtime. Expert agree it’ a human tendency: We prefer taying up late to going to bed early. Epecially the younger et, who love the illicit thrill of haring in adult activitie uch a a firework how or a drive-in movie.
Unfortunately, undertanding the phenomenon doen’t help a I truggle to regain control over happily liphod ummer bedtime practice. Let’ ee…my daughter’ natural ummer wakeup i around 8, the bu come at 7: 30, o that mean I have to tug back bedtime by five minute each day tarting Augut 4. Yeah…right.
Hour of hopping, labelling everything from clothe to 24 coloured pencil, and tocking the pantry with peanut-free nack ? nothing’ enough to guarantee a mooth tart. Waking up to the firt day of chool i an unhappy occaion, although parent everywhere collude to pretend it’ wonderful.
The ad fact i that weet ummer’ over, even though it in’t yet Labour Day.
My mallih and-caked companion i gone. No more lazy, hot day building bridge of hared experience: dicuing whether the campite pider think it’ inviible perched on it favourite pot ? the SunMaid raiin box — watching bee nuzzle the weet pea, cycling further along the bike path than ever before.
Now on her way into Grade 4, my daughter i canny enough to know that the delightfully relaxed firt day of chool bear no reemblance to what the ret of the year will bring. Unprepared? Ye. But if the alternative i pending time thinking about hort, cold day punctuated with homework ? then unprepared i exactly what we want to be.