The Rant of a Mom During Back-to-School Season
Guest blog by Mom of a mess magnet
My son is a mess magnet. And now with school back in session, he’s a mess magnet riding in my car at least five days a week. If there is a puddle within 50 feet of my car in the morning as we get ready to head to Pre-K, he finds it. If there are no puddles, there’s dirt and rocks in the landscaping to kick around. Before I can even close our front door, he’s kicking up trouble. Mess. Magnet.
His little sister is no better as we get ready to head to school – she’s just easier for me to catch. Whatever her big brother is doing, she’s doing too.
Back-to-school season has me on high alert as a mom. During the summer months when my kids stay at home, I can head to work while still in wake-up mode. But once school starts, I need the reflexes of a jungle cat walking out the door. I have to get two kids loaded in my car looking like they are still somewhat put together after exiting the house.
Finally, we’re in! I turn the car on and my daughter starts to raise a fuss. Little sister is almost classically conditioned. The sound of the engine starting – the girl is THIRSTY!
I have her drink ready to hand back to her. No screaming fits this morning! Mind you, we haven’t even left the driveway yet. After I serve the beverage to our VIP traveler, I pass back a quick breakfast snack for my son. We eat on the go during the school year. My kids move at the speed of sloths most mornings while we try to get ready, so we would need to get up before sunrise to squeeze in breakfast at home before school.
As I back out of the driveway, I hear the sound of crackers being dumped out of their bag. My son wanted to enjoy his snack in his cup holder, not in the convenient container I handed them back to him in. I hear a few hit the floor…nothing new here.
On the drive we listen to classic hits like Wheels on the Bus and Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed…over…and over.
My daughter pipes up halfway through the drive and says, "Done!" this is my cue to reach my arm back in an attempt to grab her cup from her. I have about 1.5 seconds to do this before I hear the familiar thud of her cup hitting the floor. It’s a daily tradition.
And finally we pull into the school parking lot where the kids both excitedly shout, "We’re HERE!"
After we park, I look back to check out the daily damage. Not bad, I think. Just a few crackers, small dusty footprints from my son climbing into his seat, and some spilled milk from a mostly empty cup on the ground today. At this point many parents may be wondering how I can deal with these sorts of messes each day. And my answer is simple – I have WeatherTech. Not only do I have WeatherTech FloorLiners that cover the entire floor of my backseat, I also have their Seat Back Protectors.
I find it is easier to contain the mess than to stop it from happening all together. Our mornings may be slightly chaotic, and my kids may be messy, but with WeatherTech, I don’t have to worry.
With a quick shake of my FloorLiners and a rinse, my floors look like new again. And the Seat Back Protectors keep dirty footprints off the backs of my seats. That’s why I won’t have a vehicle without WeatherTech.
What do your days look like when the kids head back to school?