There Is No Back To School Stress Here

Back in the day, during my school years, the process of getting ready for the first day of school was nothing compared to what it is today. And yes, I'm old enough to say "back in the day" because I'm making reference to several decades ago. Anyway, my Mom would take me shopping for new back to school clothes. We also got a new backpack, a few folders, notebooks, pens, and pencils. That was it. There were no lists of mandatory school supplies, sports fees to pay, uniforms to buy, etc.

Now, it's totally bananas. For the past few weeks, my social feeds have been plastered with back to school rants from parents of human kids. It happens every year. Scattered amid those rants are a few mommy bloggers who boast about buying extra school supplies to help the teachers out and a lengthy write up about why.

This is the time of year when I sit back, take it all in, and think, "I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that shit."

I don't have a mile long list of school supplies to purchase including calculators that are more expensive than our monthly electric bill, tissues, and hand sanitizer. Really?

When I was in school, if we had to blow our nose, we used toilet tissue from the bathroom or those brown, scratchy paper towels. There was no hand sanitizer. The generic soap from the bathroom dispenser had to suffice. 

I don't have to worry about buying new school clothes and wondering if what I'm buying fits the criteria of what's acceptable and what isn't. We won't even touch on the topic of school uniforms.

I didn't wear name-brand clothing during my school years. Most of my school clothes were purchased at discount department stores like Zayre, Globe, and Kmart. Nothing about my attire was cool. I wasn't fashionable. I didn't sport Tretorn sneakers and Esprit bags. 

I don't have to stress about packing school lunches or packing the wrong thing because certain schools have restrictions. Some schools don't allow anything with nuts. Others have lists of foods that are acceptable and unacceptable.

I went to school in the 70's and 80's. We had metal lunch boxes. No ice packs. When lunch rolled around, my tuna sandwich was warm and soggy in the middle. The milk in my thermos was the breeding ground for bacteria. I survived. Not once did I get food poisoning.

I don't have to worry about messed up bus routes. That issues seems to be on the rise and those online complaints, via social streams, surface the week before school starts.

I never took the bus. The elementary school, middle school, and high school were all within "walking distance" so it wasn't an option. It didn't matter what the weather was. Extreme heat. Rain. Storms. Frigid winter temperatures. School didn't get cancelled because it was below zero. 

I don't have to worry about all the crap that goes along with getting through another school year. New teachers. Less than favorable teachers. Homework. Common Core math. Projects. Parent teacher meetings. Sports. Carpooling. My human kid getting suspended for dropping the F-Bomb.

I have the utmost respect for parents of human kids. I can't imagine what it's like getting your human kid through 12 years of school. The expense. The stress. The pressure. 

Kudos to all of you.