A Teacher Mom’s Back-to-School Story

Back-to-school season has always been a whirlwind. But this year? It feels like a new chapter—and a big one.

I’m heading back to my classroom, but this time, I’m bringing two of my kids with me. My daughter is going into 2nd grade—confident, chatty, and fully embracing the role of “experienced student.” My son is starting kindergarten—equal parts excitement and nerves, rocking his brand-new light-up shoes and oversized backpack.

And then there’s the baby. Still in daycare… but for the first time, without his big brother.

That realization hits hard. Every morning until now, they’ve gone together—two little buddies in the back seat, partners in mischief. And suddenly, his sidekick is heading into the “big kid school” with me and his sister, while he’s waving goodbye through the window, clutching his Bluey backpack a little tighter.

It’s a year of change for all of us.

As a mom, I’m feeling all the things—excited, proud, a little sad, and, let’s be honest, completely overwhelmed by the logistics of getting three humans out the door while trying to look like a functioning adult in front of a classroom of middle schoolers.

There’s lunch prep chaos, shoe mix-ups, forgotten water bottles, and the ever-present mystery of where the heck are your socks? I’m switching from “teacher voice” to “mom voice” about 37 times before 8 a.m.

But there’s also something so beautiful about walking the same halls with my daughter and son, getting midday hugs, seeing them grow into themselves in the same school where I get to do what I love.

And for the baby—well, he’s finding his own rhythm now. Making new friends, becoming his own little person without big brother by his side. It’s bittersweet, but it’s growth. For all of us.

So, here we go—backpacks zipped, lunches packed (maybe), and hearts a little fuller, a little tender, and ready for what this next school year brings.

Here’s to the teacher moms. We’re running on caffeine, last-minute to-do lists, and a whole lot of love.