back to school - Boston Moms Blog

School supplies, back-to-school clothes, dollar bins overflowing with colorful folders, erasers, and pens. But I feel like summer just started!

My kids are still enjoying popsicle dinners, running through the hose, too many cartoons, bathing suits all day, flip flops, and a much later bedtime. And me? I’ve just started not waking up at the exact time my alarm went off during the school year, not regretting the second (or third) margarita in the morning, enjoying my cup of coffee, and forgetting about my to-do list from the school year that still has some things undone.

But when I walk into Target I am ambushed. I am hit smack in the face with the reminder that it doesn’t last forever. The back-to-school posters, classroom decor, colorful pens, pencils, and folders. I do love colorful supplies, but not in the middle of summer. These organization tools and writing utensils that usually excite me are now just a reminder that summer does end. And I don’t want summer to end, just as much as my kids don’t. 

I dread going back to school. 

I dread the alarm clock that I try not to snooze five times.

I dread packing lunches

I dread picking out suitable outfits for myself and the boys.

I dread the pickups/drop-offs. 

I dread the late nights planning and re-planning. 

I dread the not-so-easy parent phone calls.

I dread the eat-your-lunch-as-fast-as-you-can lunchtime in the teachers’ room.

I dread the Sunday scaries. 

But… you know what I do not dread about going back to school?

The excitement in my students’ eyes.

Seeing how tall they’ve grown.

Decorating bulletin boards.

Dancing around my classroom to the latest Latin pop song.

Creating engaging lessons.

Finding that perfect professional development session.

Watching my students smile when they get it.

Listening to chatter in my classroom in Spanish. 

Helping students connect a new culture to their own.

Witnessing friendships flourish.

Being someone my students can count on. 

I look forward to school vacations — especially summer — as much as my students do. Before taking the plunge into education, I never realized how much teachers looked forward to summer. But now I totally get it. We can love what we do and love our students, but we can also love taking a break.

So, please, until at least the end of August, keep those brightly colored notebooks and sharpies out of my sight!


Krystal Avila
Krystal is a Massachusetts native who grew up in the 'burbs and is now loving the city life in Roslindale with her husband and 3 boys (9, 6, and 1). She and her husband met downtown working at a restaurant together, and since then their love of restaurants has kept their date nights exciting as they try out the latest places. Learning Spanish has been something Krystal has loved ever since middle school, and that has become her passion as a Spanish teacher, wife to a Salvadoran, and mother raising her children bilingual. Loves: family, friends, playing with her kids, a comfy hoodie on the beach when the sun goes down, nachos, baking, Christmas movies. Not so much: loud music, putting away laundry, terrible threes, and black pepper.