Summer Bummers
When did AUGUST become the start of the new school year?
What happened?
It's supposed to be in September- right after Labor Day...right after the Jerry Lewis Telethon (yeah, I know it's for Muscular Dystrophy, but we never could remember that part). Now, kids are starting in what I consider to be the Dog Days of Summer--- not fall, or even the hint of fall.
This is SUMMER SCHOOL, as far as I'm concerned.
If you look at most calendars, you'll see that the symbol for September is the APPLE. This is not just because of the beginning of the harvest season, but because of the whole school/ teacher/apple relationship. If you go through classroom supply catalogs (as I do), you'll notice that the September bulletin boards are filled with little red schoolhouses and "Welcome Back" banners.... August, if it's shown at all, still has beach scenes and giant yellow suns. That's because AUGUST IS STILL SUMMERTIME.
ANYWAY-
It just reminded me of all the summer things that we took for granted- the experiences our kids will never enjoy:
- Squishing 14 kids in the wayback of Mom's station wagon for the 20 minute drive to the beach. I don't which amazes my kids more: that we fit that many kids in without seatbelts, or that it only took 20 minutes in those days.
- Playing Hide-and-Go-Seek in the dark of the evening. Yeah, there were mosquito bites, but no, we didn't worry about getting sick. Oh, yeah, and we didn't have a grownup in sight!
- Staying out until well past "curfew" on someone's front lawn- drinking sodas and eating candy from the liquor store.
This is something most kids don't have anymore: the neighborhood safety-zone. We could and would hang out at the designated person's house for hours. Our parents knew where we were, and I would guess that each family on the block took turns "hosting". I can't remember a single incident where anyone got stupid or hurt. Yeah, we talked a lot about the things my kids actually can see on TV now- smoking and sex and drugs - but none of us actually had a clue. At worst, we used the foulest words we knew and tried to sound like we were cool. "Bitch" was a big one, as I recall.
- Not using sunblock.
Sorry, I know this is a "well, we know better now" thing, but lubing up to spend a few minutes in the sun is a drag, and I don't care if that's PIC, it's the stinkin' truth.
- ditto bike helmets, elbow pads, and filtered or bottled water---remember drinking out of the nearest hose instead of going home for a drink of water? did anyone actually die from the supposed lead poisoning we all were exposed to???
No, I thought not.
I often wonder what we do now that our grandkids will be appalled at (what? you mean you actually held the cell phone up to your ear? wow, how stupid were you???).
- Waiting until the first day of school to get the supply list.
There was nothing like that first - usually half- day of no books, no papers, and waiting to see what kind of stuff you were going to have to/ get to buy for school.
Plus, once the teacher told you what to have, you could plan with your best friends to make sure you all got the same or matching supplies.
Nowadays, they give you the list at the beginning of vacation so you have time to shop and plan- but it's just not the same, and certainly it's not nearly as exciting as that mad rush to Sav-On and Thrifty to get your supplies before the first full day of school.
- Starting school IN SEPTEMBER,
like God intended.
Happy End of Summer!
As my Middlest says, "We can't wait for the 'Embers to start!!!"
What happened?
It's supposed to be in September- right after Labor Day...right after the Jerry Lewis Telethon (yeah, I know it's for Muscular Dystrophy, but we never could remember that part). Now, kids are starting in what I consider to be the Dog Days of Summer--- not fall, or even the hint of fall.
This is SUMMER SCHOOL, as far as I'm concerned.
If you look at most calendars, you'll see that the symbol for September is the APPLE. This is not just because of the beginning of the harvest season, but because of the whole school/ teacher/apple relationship. If you go through classroom supply catalogs (as I do), you'll notice that the September bulletin boards are filled with little red schoolhouses and "Welcome Back" banners.... August, if it's shown at all, still has beach scenes and giant yellow suns. That's because AUGUST IS STILL SUMMERTIME.
ANYWAY-
It just reminded me of all the summer things that we took for granted- the experiences our kids will never enjoy:
- Squishing 14 kids in the wayback of Mom's station wagon for the 20 minute drive to the beach. I don't which amazes my kids more: that we fit that many kids in without seatbelts, or that it only took 20 minutes in those days.
- Playing Hide-and-Go-Seek in the dark of the evening. Yeah, there were mosquito bites, but no, we didn't worry about getting sick. Oh, yeah, and we didn't have a grownup in sight!
- Staying out until well past "curfew" on someone's front lawn- drinking sodas and eating candy from the liquor store.
This is something most kids don't have anymore: the neighborhood safety-zone. We could and would hang out at the designated person's house for hours. Our parents knew where we were, and I would guess that each family on the block took turns "hosting". I can't remember a single incident where anyone got stupid or hurt. Yeah, we talked a lot about the things my kids actually can see on TV now- smoking and sex and drugs - but none of us actually had a clue. At worst, we used the foulest words we knew and tried to sound like we were cool. "Bitch" was a big one, as I recall.
- Not using sunblock.
Sorry, I know this is a "well, we know better now" thing, but lubing up to spend a few minutes in the sun is a drag, and I don't care if that's PIC, it's the stinkin' truth.
- ditto bike helmets, elbow pads, and filtered or bottled water---remember drinking out of the nearest hose instead of going home for a drink of water? did anyone actually die from the supposed lead poisoning we all were exposed to???
No, I thought not.
I often wonder what we do now that our grandkids will be appalled at (what? you mean you actually held the cell phone up to your ear? wow, how stupid were you???).
- Waiting until the first day of school to get the supply list.
There was nothing like that first - usually half- day of no books, no papers, and waiting to see what kind of stuff you were going to have to/ get to buy for school.
Plus, once the teacher told you what to have, you could plan with your best friends to make sure you all got the same or matching supplies.
Nowadays, they give you the list at the beginning of vacation so you have time to shop and plan- but it's just not the same, and certainly it's not nearly as exciting as that mad rush to Sav-On and Thrifty to get your supplies before the first full day of school.
- Starting school IN SEPTEMBER,
like God intended.
Happy End of Summer!
As my Middlest says, "We can't wait for the 'Embers to start!!!"
posted by jules @ 9:34 PM
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