Life
The first day of school, while seemingly simple, is an often complicated day for parents. Some moms breathe a sigh of relief, others are an emotional wreck, and some are simply clueless as to how they're going to spend a day devoid of needy children. So, what do moms do once their kids are finally back at school? It depends on the mom, of course, but in my experience us moms know how to celebrate — or sit in our overwhelming feelings — like a bunch of bosses.
It’s been a while since my kid had a “first” day of school, since his preschool is year-round. But I remember his first first day of school — the day he essentially started his academic career — and, well, I was a damn wreck. Until that day I had never left my son alone with someone who wasn't family, so I wasn't even remotely prepared for all the tears I experienced at drop-off. I was excited for him, sure, but trusting someone else to watch your child isn't easy.
You know what else I wasn't prepared for? All that damn free time I had now that my little one was at school. I had planned to get some work done, but all I did that first day of school was worry about my son. Eventually, and thankfully, I did realize that I had nothing to worry about and that my son was having a blast. So for the moms dropping their kids off at school for the first time, wondering what to do with that new block of free time, here are some ways other moms spent that first day back at school that might inspire you:
Cynthia, 41
“I had a coffee date with a friend/neighbor on my front porch. It was a wonderful morning! After that, I ran a few errands in town and was home to greet my kids when they got off of the bus.”
Monique, 35
“Went to work.”
Audra, 30
“My boy is starting kindergarten tomorrow. I will be crying my eyes out and then hanging with my best friend getting coffee to take my mind off of it. Then [I'm going to] show up super early so I can be there as soon as he gets done.”
Bee, 36
“I’m a teacher, so on our first day of school I do all the things from morning until night.”
Karah, 31
“My son’s first day of preschool I was less than a week postpartum from having his little brother. I didn’t even make it out of his classroom before I started sobbing. I had never left him with anyone outside of our family. I had to put on sunglasses and run out of the school. I’m not a very emotional person but those hormones are real. I drove home and slept the whole time he was at school. Then I rushed back to pick him up. It was a rough first day for me.”
Kalee, 33
“I'll be pretty much doing what I always do — watching the younger kids and cleaning house.”
Angela, 36
“I'm a teacher, so I will be cuddling your babies when you bring the first day [sic] and giving parents tissues. Then I will be texting my own older daughters to see how their first day is going.”
Emily, 39
“I’ll be heading to work, and then picking [my kids] up for swim and soccer practice. Back to the daily routine.”
Darlene, 32
“I went and worked out for the first time all summer (still have one [kid] home with me) and intended to clean. Somehow got nothing done... except like four conversations with family members calling to see how I was holding up.”
Paris, 31
“I’ll be coming home to clean the house and take care of the baby... while crying my eyes out! And my daughter will be starting kindergarten.”
Kristin, 31
“I was supposed to clean, but instead I went home and took a nap.”
Ketha, 39
“I plan on meeting my hubby for breakfast, then [enjoying a] pedi/mani. [I'll] finish my day at home reading a book till the bus drops [the kids] off at 3:00 p.m. I’ve been working for 10 years and taking this school year off to enjoy being their mom full-time."
Genny, 43
“Since we homeschool I have one day when they do an enrichment program. This year on their first day I am going to sit on my couch and binge watch TV (Vampire Diaries).”
Kate, 26
“Sitting on my butt watching a TV show that I actually want to watch.”
Holly, 37
“I'll be going to the grocery store and prepping dinners for the next week and laundry.”
Krystal, 33
“I was like six weeks pregnant, so I cried like a baby when dropping [my daughter] off. She didn't even blink and went straight to play, and then I went out to a kid-free breakfast with my husband. I kept my phone on loud and sitting right next to me the entire time. It was her first day of preschool, and pretty much [her] first time being left alone with anyone besides the grandmas (and IKEA daycare). She had just broken her collarbone, too, so I was terrified that she'd get hurt while in her sling.”
