MONDAYS

It’s Monday. The day, each week, my 3-year-old wakes up and says, “I’m not going to school today, right?”

It's difficult, as any working parent knows, to drop the kids off at daycare after a great weekend. Hard to hear “I don’t want to go to school today” from a little guy who isn’t even in “real” school yet -- and sometimes tear-wrenching to hand your baby over to her caretaker when she’s digging her fingernails into your arms and hanging on for dear life. (OK, maybe that’s a little dramatic.)

We did have a really nice weekend. At the grandparents’ house on the bay, we swam in the pool, took a lovely boat ride and went on after-dinner searches for bunny rabbits and fireflies.

I understand why the kids didn’t want the weekend to end. Neither did I.

I normally come to terms with Mondays by telling myself that I enjoy working (which I do) and that the kids’ socialization is important (which it is.)

Saturday night though, as my son gleefully shrieked at the sight of a bunny rabbit, I had a sort of epiphany: weekends are not EVERY DAY.

What I mean by that is that weekends are especially fun – and special. You get lots of attention from BOTH parents and often, grandparents. You see cousins. You see movies. You eat ice cream -- and if you’re at your grandparent’s house, you get to eat it 3 times a day!

If we were home together all week, we wouldn’t have boats, and swimming pools, and bunny rabbits and excessive amounts of ice cream EVERY DAY. In fact, the kids would probably get bored with me.

I’m sure stay-at-home parents will agree, it’s impossible to offer your kids that level of activity and entertainment each day of the week.

But, as working parents, all of our time with our kids can be fun time – parks, movies and weekends with the grandparents. And knowing that makes it a little easier to say goodbye on Mondays.

That’s my rationalization, and I’m sticking to it. (So please, no defensive comments from my stay-at-home mommy friends!)

Have a good week.

News Mom V.