Back To School For Kids: Does It Really Mean, Back To Old Life For Mothers?

So, finally, my 10-year-old kid started attending school after 2 years thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s been just four days now and I am going through a multitude of emotions.

For me, it was doubly stressful because we had moved to another city due to my spouses’ posting and I had to get her admitted to a new school. I am sure all moms had some of the other emotions surfacing, I wanted to share my experience and would love to read about yours.

Cutting the umbilical cord yet again

Yes, it was a two-way process. The kid did not want to go to school without me (she has even given me a ‘will miss you’ card) even though she is now 10-years-old and also I felt the separation pangs like moms feel when their children go to Kindergarten for the very first time.

These two years that our kids were stuck with us, I waited for the day when schools would reopen and I would have some respite. For me my kid was my shadow, following me around the house. Yes, truth be told I miss this shadow.

Back To School For Kids: Yes, finally respite is here 

For whatever number of hours my kid goes to school, I feel a sense of respite now. The constant minding of what she’s up to, getting her to finish her assignments, uploading them, getting her to participate in online school activities, and making her attend the 10s of other online classes I had made her join, getting her to wake up and sleep on time all these other than the chores at home took its toll and I couldn’t take out time for myself. Now I have a better planned day. The spouse and kid are out of the house and it’s only me and my dogs. Feels like heaven! (Yet, as mentioned earlier I miss her).

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Not back to old life yet!

No, going back to school does not mean ‘back to old life yet’. My kid feels anxious to be among people, we must remember that for these two years they were constantly told to maintain a distance from people, it is going to take time to go back to the ‘old life’ as we all knew it.

The kid had become accustomed to studying and attending class alone at home, re-entering the classroom is proving to be an overload of distractions. I am trying to be patient with her as she relearns how to focus in a physical classroom environment.

The fear is gone now

Earlier when we went out I constantly worried about whether she was touching anything, wearing her mask, sanitising her hands at regular intervals or not. Now even though she’s not vaccinated I do not worry like during the first two pandemic waves. The virus is still out there lurking somewhere but I know it has weakened and that we’ll survive.

Constantly worried about her food intake

Now I worry if she’ll finish the meal that I have sent in her lunch box. When she was home the whole day’s meal was planned and I would make her eat a balanced diet. With the kid being such a picky eater I constantly have this at the back of my mind. Her old school provided the breakfast and lunch at school so I did not bother that much, now she goes to a regular school and is yet to develop the habit of finishing off meals.

Change in routine

In these two years, my kid and I had chalked out a routine for ourselves. The first half of the day was for online school and my online work. The second half was for games, movies (like watching the Harry Potter series for the 100th time), baking, gardening etc.

Now with the reopening of school and all the time at hand I can finish reading a book I choose, plan my future projects, write, watch a movie that is not for kids, chat with siblings and friends (without any intrusive questions like “who are you speaking to?”), do what my heart desires.

We are all in a way trying to regain our lost lives before the pandemic strikes. I am sure you too are finding it difficult to focus back, and think about how it must be for our kids. And little more patience, understanding and conversation will go a long way in bringing our lives back in gear.

The views expressed are the author's own.