Hard to believe but is about 13 years now I in this "back to school" business as a mother. Look how Miss Thing get so big, nearly ready for CXC! (At least, she going and sit the exams next year, God willing. Whether or not she actually ready for exams is a next thing altogether.)
I remember she first school days when she was a little thing, not even three years yet, going by Aunty Edmee in a red and white checked overall and a white shirt and looking so nice with her little curls, reading about her generation version of Dick and Dora.
When I make Miss Thing I was 19 years and sure sure sure I wasn't going and make no more children, but then The Lady come, seven years later. Now she and all getting big, getting ready to sit SEA in a couple years and always feel she know more than everybody. Both of them going back to school next two weeks, along with the rest of the children in T&T.
Back to school time is a bittersweet few weeks for we parents and children too. You glad as a mother because finally the children going and stop running around the house like Wild Indian, making a set of noise; and you glad you don't have to pay for no holidays camp, or drag them behind you in the office every day.
But you sad, too, because every year when September come is one less August holidays, one less break for you to actually get to see them and spend time with them, because most working parents doesn't get to do that during the school year.When you see school start back, you know everybody have to wake up fo'day morning to get maxi, taxi, bus or car to reach in school before the traffic; you flying off your bed to run and bathe before the cock even crow. And in the evenings, most times you not seeing them until late late, or if you pick them up from school you in traffic until nearly night, and by the time you reach home everybody tired. Is homework and dinner and time to pee and go in your bed. Who have a minute to see anybody, love up anybody, with that lifestyle?
Back to school bitter more than sweet when it come to your pocket. Only the real conscientious, most organised parents does buy the uniform, shoes, bookbag, socks and books in July. Most of we does wait for August, and you know, irregardless of the month, is always a scramble for the money. When I was small copybook was cheap cheap, but now that and all expensive. One school book could cost you hundreds, and even for the little primary schoolchildren school books very hot. God bless whoever it was that come up with the Government Textbook Rental Programme, lending the children textbooks so at least we have that much less to buy. The benefit of that is, of course, we saving money as parents. The downside is that the books doesn't always be in top condition by the time they roll around to your child, because some children does mark them up or give them dog ears–and dog is joke, elephant ears and all, fuss it crease up. Plus, too, the books the school does get is the bare minimum for the syllabus, and you still have to turn around and buy more books to supplement the free ones, especially in secondary school when you come to Fourth Form.
Children expensive. You better make up your mind once your belly start to swell your bank balance go start to shrink, and it wouldn't catch itself for another 18 years or more. These days, just the basics for back-to-school would run you to a couple grand: a school shirt is around $50 and a school skirt could be $80 (or less if you buy cloth and make them–that is, if you could actually find a seamstress at this 11th hour); a bookbag that wouldn't buss by Christmas go cost a couple hundred well; same thing for the shoes, and more if is a boy, because you know the shoes you buying now gone through by December, Easter for the latest, and you bound to have to buy a next one some time in the school year. Socks, underwears and ribbons and thing is another couple hundred, and we ent come to books and supplies as yet. I sorry for the parents who have to fork out the hundreds and thousands for private school, because that too is a next pressure. Even the ones who have plenty money does feel the pinch when they have to write that cheque for school fees.
Parents is not the only ones who find back to school hard. Remember when you was small and that August rain falling so sweet? Back-to-school time mean no more bathing in the rain, playing canal jockey, lying down in home clothes eating mango until your belly burst while you listening to the rain beating on the galvanise roof. Back to school mean no more TV until midnight, and no more sleeping whole morning because your mother not going to wake you up for school.
It mean you going to have homework again, and you go be toting a big bag of books back and forth from school to home every day, every day, every day until you vex with the bag and the books and your back for hurting so much. Back to school for me was no more milk and sugar any time during the day when I feel like it; no more liming by the plum tree eating green plum with salt and pepper in a foil paper whole day if I want; no more going for a drive with daddy because he driving to South to buy some iron and you was there so you get to ride along.
It was no more cocking up and reading whole day, or writing stories for hours because nobody going and disturb you to ask you if you finish your homework yet. But going back to school had a couple good points, and probably still have some for children. If you didn't go back to school you wouldn't see your friends who you ent see since July, the ones who you does walk around the school holding hands with and laughing and talking. You wouldn't get to buy the cerise from the snackette; and you know nobody red cerise don't taste like the snackette lady own. They say school days is the best days. I don't know if that is true; plenty children hate school and does blossom when they leave. But even if you's one of them, you would still agree that, if nothing else, at least the most boring, awful, worst school days does make the holidays that much sweeter by comparison.
