A New Day-Before-School-Starts Tradition?

As I said, since we homeschool, we don't have quite the same "back to school" business.  However, most organized homeschool classes and coops and such start up around the same time as the public schools do.  Thus, we homeschool parents are also in the midst of finalizing plans, working on curricula, pulling together educational resources, and other start-up activities that the school teachers are.

So it was really, really nice today when my son decided that he would fix me breakfast in bed.  He insisted on me staying upstairs in my bedroom, while he fixed some lovely multi-grain pancakes.  He brought them up and served them without spilling syrup anywhere, and seems to have cooked them on his own without burning anything and without leaving a big mess for me to clean up (or make him clean up himself, since our rule is "if you spill it, you clean it") once I descended from my queen-for-a-day (or morning, at least) treatment.  It was a special treat, and I really appreciated.

Later it occurred to me that it really ought to be a pre back-to-school ritual among all his peers:  to fix their parents breakfast in bed on the last day before school starts.  Because we are always focused on getting them ready for school restarting, and easing their transition, and helping them get into the swing of things, and handling their anxiety, yada yada yada.  But what about us?  It's not only our children who have new levels of work once their full-time schooling starts again.  Usually, it means an increase in our work levels as well--getting lunches made, signing all the requisite paperwork, getting the students to the bus stop or the school on time, increased laundering of school uniforms, sports outfits, dance clothes, and the like, not to mention the biggie--helping with HOMEWORK (or teaching it all, if you are a homeschooler).  Then there is the big draw on our time for all the ancillary activities--making food for kickoff potlucks or PTA meetings, providing the snacks for soccer or Lego leagues, and the rest.  Then there is all the driving--to school or classes, to tutoring, to practices, to recitals, to scouts, to church or other spiritual youth groups...and on and on and on.  SOMEONE ought to be taking care of us before we have to face all that again.

So parents, forward this link to your middle schoolers.  Of course, for many of you (especially if you live in Wake County), it's too late to do it this year on the day before the first day of school.  But that's OK--you can take a raincheck for breakfast in bed for sometime this weekend--THIS year.

But I think this is a tradition whose time has come!