Back To School Stress

[Anonymous]

This is just a vent.

Does anyone else get stressed out this time of year with back to school stuff?

My kids start on Monday. They still want to play. I have uniforms and supplies to buy (and no one wants to try on school closthes in this heat!) classes to sign up for, paperwork to fill out; health forms to get signed, vaccinations we missed to get -- vaccinated --; lunch forms to fill out. Everyone wants money, too. $25 for this, $40 for that. Scout uniforms to buy and sew stuff onto. Clothes and supplies to label. Car pools to schedule. Bus schedules to coordinate. Aftercare to arrange.

I know I'm projecting a little -- some of this hasn't happened yet. I just know it will. I just like the lazy days of summer. It doesn't help that I am the World's Least Organized Parent. And if I would get off my duff (and the computer) and just do a few of these things right now, I'd feel much better.

Oh -- those Damn Emergency Care Cards. I HATE filling out those things. The lines are always too small, and there are always a few phone numbers I don't have on hand when I have to fill them out. And it just seems like I am ALWAYS filling them out, for ever event. Why can't we make one standard card, and just photocopy it for each class or club?

[Anonymous]

I take time off in August specifically to deal with all of this crap. I have doctor, dentist, and open house next week. Shoes are bought. Haircut is done. Uniforms I did at the used uniform sale and bought some blouses from LL Bean. Probably need new PE clothes, but I can handle that next week. Just got my (1st) ream of forms to fill out. Will get another ream of forms in the 1st week of school. I fill them out at night preferably alone eating chocolate or drinking wine...or both. I also make sure my check book is full -- I write more paper checks during this part of the year than the rest of the year combined.

[Anonymous]

I know, I know...
Not looking forward to any of this when DC gets older. It is all about being super organized, something I will have to work on!

Thank goodness I love picking out school supplies though (cute pencil-cases, etc). It might make everything a little more tolerable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fill them out at night preferably alone eating chocolate or drinking wine...or both.

OP here -- great idea! Thanks! (Cheers!)

I'm better now. Things got better after I realized you can iron Scout patches on. Who knew??? And I got the darn school supplies and clothes all labelled. Now if I can find any money in the house I might be able to buy some stuff for lunches before we get paid on Monday....

[Anonymous]

This is 17:16 posting again. My mom stapled scout badges on. Yes, I am in therapy. Also, does anyone beside myself fantasize about what would happen if I did not take care of all this bs? I swear to God my husband asked me at dinner tonight...our 1st day of school in less than 2 weeks, "Does she have a doctor appointment scheduled?" If I waited until now to schedule an appointment it would be in October. Are you kidding me? I have the day in my calendar when the pediatrician's office starts scheduling appointments for August. I call at 9:02 am and get the appointment scheduled. I schedule the next dental visit before I leave the office. What am I? An amateur?! Come on!

"Does she have enough uniforms?" Um. What would you do if I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Fuck if I know." Yes, she has enough uniforms. Why because I bought them LAST SPRING at the used uniform sale.

Really. I think possibly the only thing that annoys me more is when something needs to be done and I take care of it and then he decides that he wanted something different. i.e. Husband: We need a new couch. Me: We sure do. Here are 80 options I have been looking at. This is the one I like. What do you think? Husband: Um. You pick. Me: OK *6 weeks later* Husband: Oh, I liked the blue one. *As the beige couch is being delivered.*

It is a good thing he has so many other wonderful qualities!

[Anonymous]

Phew!

Made it -- the first week of school is (almost) over! That wasn't *so* bad, after all.

[Anonymous]

I agree about the money, it's like peck, peck, peck. This year we got the forms for the school pictures, and school hasn't even started yet. Not to mention the mandatory field trips that we have to pay for now, the uniforms for the sports team, the lunch program....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree about the money, it's like peck, peck, peck. This year we got the forms for the school pictures, and school hasn't even started yet. Not to mention the mandatory field trips that we have to pay for now, the uniforms for the sports team, the lunch program....

Yup. Our school has class parents ask parents up front for money for all the school parties -- all that due in September.

Also the after school club supplemental fee.

[Anonymous]

And Scholastic Book Club. I HATE that book club. I always feel like such a stingy mom if I don't let me kid order a lot of books from them. It's BOOKS. It's EDUCATIONAL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And Scholastic Book Club. I HATE that book club. I always feel like such a stingy mom if I don't let me kid order a lot of books from them. It's BOOKS. It's EDUCATIONAL.

Being a former Scholastic Book Club junkie myself, I was always okay with the Scholastic stuff, but I can not tell you how much I *HATED* the wrapping paper fundraisers. What a pain in the @ss that was!!

[Anonymous]

Yes, I also hate wrapping paper fundraisers. Sally Foster, bite me.

I wouldn't mind the Scholastic Books if we weren't so broke. I hate feeling too cheap to buy my kid some $8 and $12 book packs with stickers he wants, always having to buy the 1 cheapie book they put on the front for poor people like us, and kids on FARMS.

What's the other fund raiser I hate? Those frozen foods that you are supposed to buy and serve at parties all year; who does those again?

[Anonymous]

I hate cookie dough fundraisers. Hate them. I would rather sell wrapping paper, which I also hate.

There's no school clothing budget this year in my house (single mom).

And yes, I feel like an ass when I have to severely limit the Scholastic book budget.

And even though I'm broke, there are families much broker than mine who really can't afford the school supplies that the school can't afford, either, so I am sending my kid in thrift score clothes and hand me downs with the three damn bottles of antibacterial soap.

And yeah, my kid missed the bus this morning. Still getting in the swing of things.

'K, done ranting. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I hear ya!

I sent my kid in thrift store clothes (uniforms) too. He got a new lunch box though.

Hope tomorrow goes better!