Spring Break broke me

March 18, 2021
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By Delilah McMasters

Mansfield Record

A year ago our kids had spring break, and It’s been the longest spring break in the history of spring breaks! For a year there have been no big parties in Florida, no family vacations, holidays, weddings or proms, birthdays and graduations have been a total bust or low-key drive-bys. We have learned how to eat the majority of our meals at home, and how very much money we all spent on luxuries, trivial or vanity items.  But the No. 1 thing all of us with kids have learned is how we owe teachers and day care workers a huge round of applause and possibly an apology or two!

Who knew having our kids home 24/7 would be so dang stressful? Those first few months of learning to navigate Canvas and virtual learning with our lovely darlings was the equivalent of trying to round up kittens. We were so used to herding them into the car and rushing them into the school, we didn’t notice until we were locked up with them they were feral. How in the sweet baby Jesus have teachers survived this long? Why did we ever think these little angels were geniuses?

Then summer showed up and we were still in lockdown. By the end of summer we were making those kids stay in lounge wear 24/7. We were tired of wash, tired of cooking, tired of tidying up with Marie Kondo. She didn’t have young feral kittens or teenagers who didn’t know the location of the laundry room or the dishwasher in the her house.

By the time school started back up we had made planners and schedules and were ready to kick ass with some virtual learning. WE NEEDED SOMETHING TO DISTRACT US FROM THE LACK OF WORK AND NO TARGET VISITS!

But then reality showed up again and made us aware why teachers are underpaid and we resorted to Reese’s and box wine as adult Happy Meals and developed friendships with our UPS and Amazon delivery persons. They were so much more pleasant than the little inmates in our homes and always brought gifts.

Those kids swore they were being held home against their wills, that the internet or the school computers never worked, yet figured out how to order groceries and door dash, and I still have no idea what discord is, but the gaming and screen time can continue for hours at a time if it means they stay out of the kitchen and no one snarls at me.

As the end of the semester loomed, we all took a long look in the mirror and agreed it takes a village. Admitted it was time those kids got out of their outgrown pajamas and boosted the economy by buying clothes and shoes for the first time in a year. We all talked a good talk in our online moms groups, but the truth of the matter was, we were damn ready to speed up to the school on two wheels, herd them out of the car and floor it.

Them kids are disrespectful, foul attitude, sassy speaking pranksters who are needy and smarter than we are. They were beginning to see through our parent facade and understand we did not know all the answers.

Now here we are at Spring Break again, and frankly, I’m scared. I’m counting the days until they go back, I’m afraid there isn’t enough chocolate, or wine for some of my friends, to spend another year like this last. I threaten them to be on their best behavior and keep their masks on. And instead of feeling even slightly sorry for them if they mention a teacher plays favorites, I tell them, “suck it up, buttercup, you aren’t always going to be someone’s cup of tea and she/he is not paid enough to like all of you!”

My Spring Break done broke me!

Delilah McMasters is a local resident and the mother of six. Reach her at BlessYourHeart76063@gmail.com

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Mansfield, Texas, is a booming city, nestled between Fort Worth and Dallas, but with a personality all its own. The city’s 76,247 citizens enjoy an award-winning school district, vibrant economy, historic downtown, prize-winning park system and community focus spread across 37 square miles. The Mansfield Record is dedicated to reporting city and school news, community happenings, police and fire news, business, food and restaurants, parks and recreation, library, historical archives and special events. The city’s only online newspaper launched in September 2020 and will offer introductory advertising rates for the first three months at three different rates.

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