I’m sure all the cool parents out there are listening to top 40 radio and singing along to the newest Jonas Brothers song. (Fun fact, no matter how many times someone tells me names of all three Jonas Brothers, I simply cannot retain them. There is the one married to Sansa Stark, the one with the face, and one named Greg, right? Or something like that.) But that’s not me. The soundtrack to my back-to-school season has fewer digitally manipulated vocal tracks and more shouts of, “No, I do not know where your sneakers are! This is why I tell you to put them in the shoe bin!”
So, to properly embrace who I am and stand in my truth, I present to you my back-to-school playlist.
It’s Gonna Be Me by *NSYNC
Anyone else feel like this all the time in the fall? Who is going to forget it’s class picture day? It’s gonna be me! Who is going to pack yogurt for her kid’s snack but forget to include a spoon? It’s gonna be me! (Side note: If you haven’t seen this *NSYNC video in a while, please take a few more minutes out of your day to do so immediately. It’s gloriously terrible.)
I’m Not Ready to Make Nice by Dixie Chicks
Man, can the transition back to school be a tough one for kids — particularly energetic ones like mine who are used to running around all day at camp and are now asked to sit still for large portions of the day. Sometimes by the time he gets home, his patience and good humor for the day are all used up. He is at max capacity, the poor guy, and out of energy to be pleasant. Ready to make nice? Strong no. Ready to make a giant mess of toys or run circles around the house with the dog chasing behind? Solid yes.
I Want It That Way by Backstreet Boys
Turns out that children are real people who come with independent thoughts and feelings, and they get even more of those the older they are… which is so much fun and also a total bummer.
Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
As my son attends the local public school, the school year is a heck of a lot less expensive than summer camp. Rose! But we have to pack a snack for him every day. Every day. Every. Single. Day. Of the school year. The whole year. THORN. Did you know it’s possible for some brands of granola bars to be too crumbly? Did you know it’s possible for some types of fruit cups to be too juicy? Surprise.
Raise Your Glass by Pink
Look, I don’t judge. Sometimes that post-bedtime glass of wine is what helps us live to parent another day.
Don’t Stop Believing by Journey
Hold on to that feelin’, friends. What feeling? The feeling of warm summer nights, vacations, and the low-key pace of summer. It will be summer again before we know it. Only nine more months to go.
