My Babies Are Still Young, but Here Is Why I Can’t Wait for Back to School Time!

We all know that parents are out there preparing their dance moves for the day when they kick their kiddos out of the minivan and back into a classroom, but moms with kids too small for a desk are ecstatic, too.

Empty Spaces

Do you know how much the pool thins out after school starts? And museums? And playgrounds, and story time at the library, and the zoo, and …

Quiet Time

The loud kids at the playground across the street will no longer wake my baby up during his nap time because their butts will be in school! I know I sound like a grumpy old woman, and I know it is summer, so I bite my tongue and put a box fan on for white noise. Come that beautiful day in August when the school bell rings, my baby will have a peaceful sleep without the sounds of a game of tag coming through his window.

{ MORE: The Frightening Reality of Bullying for Kids with Food Allergies }

Routines Return

During the summer, routine play dates and get-togethers come to a halt due to family vacations, out-of-whack schedules, and visiting relatives. When school is back in session, we SAHMs can return to our weekly stroller walks, coffee dates, and gym meetups.

And even though our littles aren't in school, there's something about having those time reminders, like school bus pick-ups and drop-offs, for time management. “School bus just dropped off the neighbor kids — it must be 4! Better start working on dinner.”

Organization

Maybe it's my personality type, but I feel much more organized during the school year. Again, perhaps it's just a return of the routines, but even for my family — with two kids not yet in school — when the rest of the world goes back to class, life feels more structured. Crowds are predictable, weekends are more appreciated, and each day doesn't feel like a free-for-all.

Summer is a wonderful, awesome time, full of lazy family days, afternoons by the pool, and flexible bedtimes. But back-to-school brings order, free time, and empty play spaces for our tiny kiddos, and I guarantee, when that first day of classes rolls around, if you take a look at the happy faces of the toddler moms, they'll be basking in the slowness and happiness of the big-kid-free playground.

{ MORE: Waterworks Warning! 10 Things That Can Make an Expectant or New Mom Cry }