Search Results for: blog back to school moms vs dads

Back-to-School Motivators

Like mother like daughter. When it comes to back-to-school, my daughter and I are on the same page. I’m not singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and my kid is not tailgating at the bus stop. Instead, we’ve been desperately clinging to the last days of summer vacation, squeezing in as many outdoor activities as possible before she is forced to remain indoors for nearly seven hours per day. It’s not that my child hates school; it’s just that she enjoys summer more. Ditto for the Mama; only I don’t make a habit of verbalizing my personal … Continue reading →

Beating the Back-to-School Blues

So long summer. My soon-to-be third grader heads back to school next week and she couldn’t be sadder. Ditto for the mama. I’ve never been one of those Staples commercial-type parents, who glide through school supply aisles belting out, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” at the top of my lungs. Honestly, I dread back-to-school season and the tears and tantrums that come with it. Consequently, I’ve learned to ease into the end of August. After all, crabby kid = crabby mommy. To lessen the back-to-school blow, I’ve been trying to distract my daughter with fun, affordable and … Continue reading →

Back-to-School Blues

Will someone please tell me where I can purchase a Scooby-Doo backpack that’s not pink and doesn’t feature wheels? I’ve spent the past two weeks driving to nearly a dozen stores and scouring the Internet for my daughter’s dream backpack. The stores are a dead end and the online resources say they have the bag in stock, but when I click to order, all I get is an error message. What the… Heaven forbid the kid show up for the first day of second grade without an animated Great Dane on her back. Adding to my back-to-school blues is the … Continue reading →

Back-to-School: Keeping Kids on Track

We’ve just hit the midpoint of summer vacation, though you’d never know it by strolling through Wal-Mart or Target. The popular discount retailers have their back-to-school displays front and center, reminding parents that they have yet another financial obligation looming. Personally, I am trying to ignore the stacks of new pencils, tablets and binders. However, I realize that parents of college-bound kids don’t have the same luxury. When Wal-Mart starts stocking Neutrogena Acne Facial Wash next to No.2 pencils, you know that the back-to-school clock is ticking. Thankfully, my daughter won’t be leaving for college for another decade or so. … Continue reading →

Society’s Perception: Moms vs. Dads

So much has been said and written about author Rahna Reiko Rizzuto’s decision to give up primary physical custody of her kids, so she could move to Japan to pursue her career—–most of it is far from flattering. Actually, most of it is scathing. In her book, “Hiroshima in the Morning,” Rizzuto explains why she “didn’t want to be a mother” anymore and what precipitated her decision to leave her husband and two young kids, so she could interview atomic bomb survivors in Japan. According to Rizzuto, she left her family for four months in order to complete research for … Continue reading →

How Does Your Kid’s School Lunch Stack Up?

There’s a reason I am a Recess Mom and not a Cafeteria Mom. My daughter’s small Catholic elementary school relies heavily on parent volunteers, and while I happily oblige administrators’ requests to wrangle kids on the playground and shelve books in the library, I draw the line at serving hot lunch. I helped out in the cafeteria a few times early in the school year, but now, no more. For starters, lunch duty is a two-hour job, which requires set-up, food distribution, and clean-up. Given that I struggle to find enough time in the day to scrape the ketchup off … Continue reading →

Getting Involved in Your Child’s Schooling

In the past 48 hours I have received not one, not two, not three, but nearly a dozen emails from my daughter’s school imploring parents (namely dads) to help out with the annual Christmas program. Set designs need to be constructed, costumes need to be sewn and audio and lighting issues need to be resolved. Bottom line: The school wants parents to step up in order to make the holiday concert/pageant a rousing success. My point in discussing the avalanche of emails is not to disparage the school in anyway; rather it illustrates a clear attempt to encourage parental involvement. … Continue reading →

Back-to-School: Moms vs. Dads

Moms are emotional wrecks and dads are emotionally-challenged when it comes to watching their kids head back to class. At least that’s the message I’ve garnered from viewing the slew of recent back-to-school commercials that have saturated the airwaves in the last couple of weeks. Who comes up with these stereotypical ads? And why promote the cliche? I’m referring specifically to one of the most popular back-to-school commercials EVAH! It features an overjoyed dad frolicking through a Staples store to the strains of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The dad is far from emotionless; rather, he is … Continue reading →

Parents Outraged After School Imposes Late Fee

The monetary penalty is not being imposed on students who don’t return their library books on time or on those caught chewing gum in class. Rather, an elementary school in Portland, Oregon, is slapping parents with a fee if they are late picking up their kids from school. Running late because of a meeting at the office… Cha-ching! Lose track of time while chatting in the grocery store check-out line… Cha-cha-ching! Space out while tweeting about how your life consists of a series of endless errands, including picking up the kids from school… OMG! The kids! Cha-cha-cha-ching! According to news … Continue reading →

Moms Sacrifice for Kids During the Holidays

In other news… the sky is blue and snow is white. For days I have resisted responding to the now infamous New York Times article, “To Buy Children’s Gifts, Mothers Do Without.” But the brouhaha that has followed its printing has become so phenomenal I figured I might as well add my two-cents worth. As you can imagine the article with the extremely trite title received a backlash of vicious replies from mothers around the world. “To Buy Children’s Gifts, Mothers Do Without.” DUH!! When don’t mothers do without? Before I continue on my soapbox I should note that the … Continue reading →