My daughter is entering middle school in the fall. Recently, to begin what is sure to be a memorable journey, I went to the first middle school meeting. Principals gave overviews of courses and logistics, the students selected electives, and counselors shared a few thoughts.
I’ve heard other parents say fairly dreadful things about middle school, but I didn’t pay much attention to the details. It seemed so far away. At this meeting, though, I was ready. In fact, I was eager to go and hear what they had to say. I wanted to get some sense of what to expect, so I spoke with some parents who have older kids (and have been through this already).
Here’s what I heard:
“Oh, it’s such a tough time for kids.”
“I’m glad I’m not the one who’s the student.”
“There’s no tougher time for a kid than when they suffer through middle school.”
When I mentioned to many of my friends that we were spending spring break in San Francisco, I was met with quizzical, curious gazes and statements like these: “Oh, well, now that’s interesting. Let me know how it goes.” Okay. Sure.
We started with a relatively painless plane ride to sunny CA. My son was lucky enough to snag the window seat, so he took a photo of the clouds.
Flying with school aged kids is really not bad at all. You’re past the baby stage, when you’re wondering whether you’ll get evil stares from judgmental, intolerant passengers if your baby makes so much as a peep. You’re also past that toddler/little kid stage where you need to have snacks, beverages, toys and books ready to go to entertain the little people and you have to worry about bathroom breaks. I’m happy to say that, by this age, they can entertain themselves (especially with today’s cool technology gadgets and in-flight movies). They downloaded very different selections (DS - football highlights, DD - Suite Life of Zack & Cody episodes) but so what? Whatever makes ‘em happy. Here’s a view of DS’s tray table:
(DS took this photo, too). It shows his mini Munny that he created during the flight as well as a few other items that kept him busy.
DD, meanwhile, was fascinated by her soda can:
Upon arrival, you’d think I’d be most interested in this:
As much as we might love getting away from home and going on vacation, we always love being back home. Sleeping in our own beds, showering in our own bathrooms, and hearing the creaks and familiar sounds of our house and neighborhood gives us a sense of stability and security.
It used to be so easy to shop for my kids. I’d see something cute, buy it, and they’d wear it. Hassle free.
Toward the end of elementary school, that simple process became much more complicated. I’d see something cute, buy it, bring it home and they’d say things like,
“Uh. Who’s that for? That’s not for me, is it?”
“Aw, Mom. That’s so sweet. I would’ve loved that, like, three years ago. Maybe you can send it to [my cousin]!”
“Uh, mom, nobody wears polos anymore.”
“That. is. so. gay.” (Not that there’s anything wrong with that…)
“[insert name of popular clothing store here] Do you know what kids think that stands for? Sorry, Mom. I can’t wear that.”
Or even, simply “Uh, no.”
Shopping for kids’ clothes became a chore. Or something for which I had to reserve a block of time to be sure to have the kids with me. As busy as we are, that last option was less and less realistic.
