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SALT LAKE CITY — As I face the barrage of signups, back-to-school fees and extracurricular juggling for six children (including the never-ending cycle of schedule changes as instructors try to accommodate parents), I’ve seen the need to keep the process simple.
This brought to mind an experience a few years ago when I was engaged in the very serious negotiations for ... a carpool. Yes, it was that time of year when we grown women could possibly make a mountain out of a molehill, taking something that was seemingly easy and making it infinitely more complex, simply because we could.
Enjoy the back-to-school experience by looking at commitments, car pools, work assignments, special projects and whatever else is on your plate and then asking, "How simple can we keep this?"
It began when a friend emailed that her child would be attending the same school, to which I replied, “FABULOUS — CARPOOL!!” But this then evolved into a five-family ordeal that involved schedules, rotating seating assignments, allergy restrictions and headlight checks. Not really, but it was headed there.
So, naturally, we involved another person.
After talking with the first lady, I conversed with the second one, discussing our needs and offering options. Then she used an electric phrase that changed the dynamic of our conversation. She said, "Well, what works for me is ..."
Shazam. That hit me like lightning, the perfect confident-woman phrase. No emotional hysterics, no whining, no hidden meanings to decode behind self-sacrificing speeches and smiles. Wow. She briefly stated what worked for her, which, amazingly, was what worked for me. Easy, flexible, two days a week and no stress.
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New school year jitters are enough to cause a sick day for some children. As a former schoolteacher and parent of two, I have seen firsthand how kids and parents can worry themselves sick.Ahhhhh.
Was it supposed to be that simple? I felt a sudden loss of sorts. There had been no emotional trauma, no three weeks of going back and forth and offending someone then delivering the obligatory olive-branch fruitcake. It was done in three minutes. And then we moved on.
When arranging similar schedule nightmares in your own life, remember this one thing: keep it simple. Do not let being room mother consume your life to the point that it requires more plans than a wedding reception. And do not feel guilty when it is two weeks into September and your child has not signed up for a single activity.
Enjoy the back-to-school experience by looking at commitments, car pools, work assignments, special projects and whatever else is on your plate and then asking, "How simple can we keep this?" Connie Sokol is an author, presenter, TV contributor and mother of seven. Contact her at www.conniesokol.com.
