(in the days before school)

Playgrounds make me yawn
Loud yawns fill the empty space
The park clock chimes 9.

Your first term at school
Keeping it together is taking its toll
Six hours on the trot without a shout
The moment we get home you let it all out
You flop on the sofa, you scream and roar
You release the day and lie down on the floor
Others manage to do after school activities
You’d be on your knees
Begging me please 
To go home
People suggest playdates
Which is about as far away from a date as I can remember
I haven’t had a date for many a September
Not the most relaxing thing to do
With a tired and grumpy little you
Your brain must be working overtime
Always on the go, you’re a buzzing sunshine
I try to make sure we have quality time
I cram in work between drop off
And pick up
Remembering to make food,
Clean and wash up.
When we do get home from school
There’s more than enough to do
Like make dinner
Have a play
Practise your reading
And writing your name
It’s absurd
How much you’ve learnt
In a short space of time
With the never-ending things to do
Of places to be and people to see
We’ll get there eventually
You and me.

You’re an emotional roundabout
With so much to think about
You’re up 
Then you’re down
You go round 
And round
I’m dizzy
With this ride
I feel I’m being turned inside
My parenting is going under
I feel like you’re a big ball of thunder
Roaring through the sky
Ready to take off and fly
I know it’s only because you’re tired
Starting school, you’re feeling wired
Keeping it together for 6 hours a day
Learning social skills all the time through play
But my oh my my head is hurting
Trying to balance everything with working
For now I have some hours which are all mine
I’ll miss you but I will definitely cherish this time.