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The Kindergarten Blues
Moms Cope With First-Day-of-School Sadness By Teri Brown
For many of us, the start of school brings memories of fresh pencils, clean notebooks and new beginnings. For moms, it means sending our children out into the world with a brand new set of expectations. It is both an exhilarating and oddly sad experience, especially for those who are sending a child to kindergarten for the first time.
"I'm excited and sad at the same time," says Jump. "He's my last one, and in the last year, my husband and I went through the whole debate about having a third child, finally deciding that this was it. I already know how much I'm going to miss him, since I've already gone through it with my oldest child. I'm dreading school as much as I'm looking forward to it."
That sentiment is one that Heather Haapoja, a work-at-home mother of four from Duluth, Minn., can relate to. "I really have mixed emotions," says Haapoja. "I've had children around me 24/7 for 16 years, and it's going to seem very strange to be alone with the peace and quiet. On the other hand, I'm looking forward to having that time to myself, to build my business without the guilt of feeling like I'm ignoring my son while I'm working."
Haapoja is excited to be done with the baby portion of motherhood and yet at the same time is reluctant to let it go. "It's hard to believe that my babies are all growing up," says Haapoja. "Part of me wishes I could go back in time. Life was simpler then, in a way. Although there was more physical work involved in caring for little ones, the worries were fewer. But there's no going back, so I've been trying to focus on the positives that will come with the change."
Haapoja hopes to build her business in the free time and to get her household a bit more organized. "My expectations there may be a bit too high, though," says Haapoja. "I imagine I'll feel a bit lost at first, rattling around in an empty house, but hopefully I'll adjust quickly."