Summer holidays are the best times of one’s school life, aren’t they? They were even nicer when we were kids. Really, most of the time was just spent in idling, playing about, visiting cousins and grandparents and just having loads of fun. Now, since many women are professionally working, we don’t have the luxury of either taking long holidays or entertaining relatives for longer durations, sad as that is. Hence, every year summer vacations have added to my anxiety as I work from home and my routine is turned upside down. But, we have our own brand of fun building our own fun routines and activities.
Now that the kids are grown up, I don’t have to run after them for their every need. As a matter of fact, they are a huge help to me when it comes to household chores, looking after Coco or giving me company except their huge squabbling. Also, my cooking responsibilities go through the roof as kids are home and they have so many requests for their mum. Today, as I was packing their tiffin boxes for school, I realized that there was a teeny bit of regret that holidays were over especially since the younger son was feeling slightly sad.
The students in his section has been shuffled and he has lost most of his good friends. That would make anyone dull. Being an introvert, he takes longer to open up and make friends, and when he does, they are really close. I did understand what he was going through and tried to cheer him up. I know he would do good eventually, but these are life situations that one has to face oneself and triumph over.
While he is still quite mischievous, I am seeing a more mature side to him now that he is almost on the doorstep of teenage. I do see his turbulent side too at times. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself when I see them. When did they grow up? As a work-from-home mum, I welcome my own schedule going back to sanity. I mean, I can again work in peace and be okay with having leftovers for lunch. You know how some things in life are bittersweet, we welcome them and yet there is a little twinge of grief as you realize that the years are ticking by so quickly.
One good thing was that we reinstated satellite TV membership over the holidays. None of us really watched much TV so come June I have disabled it. Older son already started his new session in May and has been going about his business very methodically. He is almost an adult and sometimes when he is with his younger brother, I see the naughty child within him come to the fore. Else, he is a good-natured, confident young man who is responsible and focused.
As parents, we are truly blessed to watch kids grow up from tiny tots to these amazing thinking individuals who are so much their own people. I do hope that they can continue to have fun while learning. Because truly these are the best years of their lives.
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Sigh! Back to normal life again. And, here’s to another fruitful school year.
I can understand..My nephew is so not looking forward to his school reopening. Yesterday when he came to know that instead of yesterday, his school would reopen on the 10th, he was thrilled!
I too wonder how he has grown up so fast! Feels like just yesterday when I held him in my arms as a new born, and today he is cooking for me! 🙂
What an enthusiastic cook he is! That’s one thing we did a lot during vacations.
Now that is positive parenting! I’ve seen a lot of parents squabble over having the kids home during summer holidays!
Beginning of school is always bittersweet I guess – as kids or as parents.
I know that feeling, Rachna. Of watching introverted kids making close friends and then having to do so again the following year thanks to shuffling of sections. I’ve also noticed the maturity in Gy this year. I am not sure if it was the trip abroad that made the difference or it’s just age playing its role. Either way, it’s a very bittersweet feeling, I agree.
The one thing I neatly escaped was the constant cooking all vacation and I am not complaining one bit. 🙂
Hugs to G as he makes it through the new school year and all the best to S as he navigates the final year of school. Must be so emotional for you, right?
We still have about a month before school starts again here in North.
I love summer holidays, though I agree my work schedules go off the loop each time and thats a bit of a challenge. And June is birthday month for both the girls, so celebrations galore it is.
Your boys are such great kids. I like the fact that you have disabled the TV connection. I barely watch any, a movie once in a blue moon or a very good series-once in 3 years! Lol. The DH watches some news and the eleven year old loves watching documentaries on wild life, which I believe is great. Else it’s barely any of the commercial channels for her.
I love holidays, and I’m so glad I can do longer walks, bicycle rides, or go for that Yoga class without worrying about it clashing with the eleven year olds school timings. I like reading up late too. But yes, I like the fact that school sessions come with a great amount of discipline and a fixed schedule for all of us.
I guess what works, is best of both worlds.
Parenting is a taxing, yet rewarding journey. All the best with your kiddo 🙂
Oh, I see a lot of myself in your younger son’s current mood for school. I remember being shuffled to a rival section. 🙂 While there were so many who really welcomed me & were working hard on getting me warmed up to them, the fact remained that the kind of mutual relations we as a class shared with their’s was not any different from those between India & Pakistan. LOL. I was a very big introvert back then & this underlying truth combined with my feeling of terribly missing my bosom buddies wasn’t letting me sit in peace.
So, I can understand exactly what the little boy must be feeling, Rachna.
And while I hated getting back to school after my summer vacation with my cousins (when it was monsoon in India), I yawned at the thought of starting with notes & homework. But seriously, this weird feeling lasts only till your first lecture gets over & friends are always there to lift your spirits up while we lift theirs! 🙂
My mom also used to have bittersweet feelings when my school reopened. But now, as a mom to a 5.5 year old myself, I just rejoice at the thought of her school reopening. That’s because, only when she’s away, I can dedicate myself to all the work I do as planned. For instance, now she’s now lying on the couch, almost upside down with her one leg on another, watching her favorite cartoon. Had it been a school day today, she’d been napping.
And hey, here too, it’s been more than 6 months that both my husband & I do not watch the TV except for any good movie that gets aired on the weekends, if at all. There’s absolutely nothing worth watching on TV these days. It’s just A who watches cartoons on TV.
Wonder when we can peacefully terminate our satellite TV subscription like you. 🙂 It’s just because we don’t want her to adopt smartphones for watching her cartoons that we are still renewing it every month.
Tell me about the introverted child losing friends every year at the beginning of the new term due to the shuffling of students. It is such a pain for younger children to go through all the process of friend-making all over again. I have witnessed D’s struggle in his Bangalore school. It used to take him almost 6 months to adjust in his new class. I admit this shuffling may be beneficial for students in the long run but it doesn’t work well for every child. Summer vacations are still 6 weeks away for us here. I am sure it will be bittersweet for me too when the new session will start. I wish a fabulous year ahead for both your sons. And you too.
Feels like saying Happy New Year 😀
Coming to your blog after many many years Rachna… Cheers!
The vacations are still on here, and I surely arent complaining. the girls do have their own squabbling sessions. But despite all this, I love the moments with them. Doing crazy things, the swimming sessions and the kitchen receipes.
Once school reopens its a usual routine, , though it ha its pros too as I can get back to active writing.
But every phase is to be taken in ones stride.