Enjoy Dan Naumovich's column from last August on his family's Back to School routine.
"My kids have had a carefree summer. In addition to season passes to the water park, (which they receive as Christmas gifts each year), we joined a lake club so they'd have access to a pool. Despite the unseasonably cool weather, more days than not were spent frolicking in water where all prospects of reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic were washed away by sunshine and chlorine.
Well, ten-hut kiddies! You're about to re-up for another tour of duty.
Yes, a new school year is upon us. That means no more staying up late and definitely no more sleeping in. It's time to shape up AND ship out.
As our home's designated early riser and all-around morning person, it's my duty to start the school day rolling. After attending to my own needs (exercise, newspaper/breakfast, shower), I call reveille at precisely 06:30 hours.
Upon my command, the children are to de-bunk, put on their school uniforms and fall into the kitchen for breakfast. When the last cereal flake or nugget has been consumed, they attend to teeth brushing and other matters of personal hygiene. Then, if backpacks and assignments are in order, they're allowed to fall out until which time "mount up" is called and the van pulls out at approximately 07:30 hours.
If this all sounds efficient and regimented, I can assure you it is not.
I do start the morning routine around 6:30 and we do leave the house around 7:30, but that hour in between – it's like the Bad News Bears landing in Normandy.
Orders to rise are met with yawning insubordination. Basic maneuvers, such as getting dressed, break down under a heavy hail of drowsiness. Tempers flare, rivalries erupt, discipline goes AWOL and my authority becomes imperiled.
It isn't like this every morning. If I offer to run to the Qik-n-EZ for donuts, they'll hop right of bed, eager to appease in exchange for a sugar fix. Or if there's something special going on at school, they'll likewise greet the day more amicably. It's just the drudgery of routine on typical days that can sometimes explode into a bloodless yet extremely noisy civil war.
It's a shame my children won't just fall dutifully into line at the blow of a whistle like those nice Von Trapp kids used to. Why can't they just face the prospects of another day of learning with unbridled joy and enthusiasm? Because — of course — that's how we did it when we were kids, right?"
Submitted by Springfield Moms reader Dan Naumovich. (Funding for Naumovich's four children is provided in part by Dan Naumovich Freelance Writing – professional marketing and PR copy for businesses and organizations. Visit his website http://www.naumo.com for more information.
