Back to school: A mid-year check-in

Back to school this week – and all parents sigh in relief. School holidays are a strange limbo. They are world-altering periods in a parent's life where routine goes out the window and survival is the main aim.

I'm officially halfway through my first year of schooling as a parent. So I thought it would be fun to have a mid-year check-in to summarise my learnings and challenges.

The lunch box

Never having had to pack a lunch box for his daycare, I thought this would be the biggest pain in the behind. But it wasn't. My son barely even opens his lunch box (hopefully that is normal). So I simply make him a Vegemite sandwich, chuck in a few snacks and, Bob's your uncle, it is done.

School run

This has been the best part of my son starting school. The other two kids leave early with their dad in the mornings, so it is just me and my son until about 8:30am. Each day we walk the five minutes it takes to get to the school gates together and it is the best part of my day. We talk about anything that pops into his mind and I realise that it was all absolutely worth it – to quit my job to get these moments.

Learning

I'm convinced my son is a genius. Not really, but I am amazed at the power of teachers and teaching. My son can read most four-letter words, is starting to write sentences and now LOVES chapter books. It is incredible to see how quickly these clever little kids catch on.

Friends

It has also been lovely to see my son grow a little friendship network of his own. He adores his new school friends and talks about them every afternoon. He's also had his own ups and downs, learning about friendship politics but always remains loyal to his buddies. It's very cute to see.

Behaviour

We've had our first detention – my son, not me. I was expecting it because I was always getting into trouble at school. But what I wasn't expecting was how triggering it was, feeling like I was back in the principal's office and saying sorry to his teacher. It was also difficult to navigate how I talked about it with my son. I felt like I had to be firm with him, but also make sure he understood that I love him regardless. He wasn't in trouble for anything serious and I took it as a positive sign that he is making friends and feeling comfortable enough within the school community.

Let's see what the next 11 and a half years bring.

What have your school learnings been?

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