It’s your kids’ first day of school. Are you ready to pop the bubbly?
Summers are amazing for so many reasons, but for working parents it can also mean a lot of extra headaches. There are camps and tournaments. There are parties and play dates. There’s the extra cost of child care and the fun of driving everyone around town. Routine gets demolished and you feel a bit like an air traffic controller as you attempt to direct everyone where they need to be.
It’s no wonder that, come August, parents are counting the days until the start of school! As memes hit social media and funny parody videos about parents’ newfound freedom spread like wildfire, I’d like to take a moment to share why working parents love back-to-school time so much.
Predictable schedules: Every day it’s the same thing. Every. Single. Day. No more color-coordinating calendars and car pool schedules. The kids go to school at the same time, so you always know what to do each morning. No more mixing up dates. You get them out the door and you get to work — on time for once!
Earlier bedtimes: Relaxed summer schedules bring relaxed bedtimes. Plus, it’s hard to convince kids to go to sleep when the sun’s still up. Guess what, buttercup? Days are shorter and you’ve got to get up at 6:45, so to bed you go at 8. This also leaves moms and dads a few moments to themselves to watch Netflix or catch up on work emails.
More time for career: With kids occupied during the day, you can put your full focus into work. Fall is a great time to enhance your career pursuits, whether it’s taking a class or taking on new responsibilities. Since you don’t have to worry where the kids are, you can funnel 100 percent of your attention into your professional success.
No more sharing: Many people telecommute at least part time, and with kids back in school this means you can have a quiet house all to yourself. No more fighting your teen over who needs the computer more. No more worrying you’ll be the next viral BBC parent getting interrupted by your kids at the least opportune time.
Bigger budget: Back-to-school shopping can pinch the pocketbook, but once kids are back in school, it often opens up money that was otherwise spent on summer child care or camps. When you suddenly have several hundred more dollars a week to play with, it’s almost like receiving a raise!
Clear commuting: During summer you never know if the roads will be completely empty or gridlocked due to everyone heading to the lake at the same time. As everyone gets back on schedule, so does your commute, which means you know what you’re going to get each day.
Tired, fulfilled kiddos: Thanks, teachers! You guys are truly the best. Not only do you fill our children’s heads with valuable knowledge so they grow up to be intelligent, respectful adults, but you keep them so busy they come home and don’t bounce off the walls like they’ve done all summer long.
Source: Molly Moseley
