Saturday 5 July 2014

Sports day…


Guess what? The weather held yesterday and we were able to get through the whole School Sports Day event outside for once. In fact, the weather was perfect. Not too hot so you’re worrying about whether the kids are dehydrated and not so cold that you think they are sitting on a field freezing to death. It was just right. The event itself was good too. Organised chaos with some fun thrown in. The children were grouped into countries and came to school dressed to represent the colours of their team. An opening ceremony type parade happened without the PA dying and there was a great turn out of parents supporting their children as well.

I stayed and watched it all too. I usually only watch the parade and then run off to organise and sort the Summer Fair that happens in the afternoon of Sports Day. However, due to the austere economic climate, our donations were sparse so there wasn’t much to sort and so the members of the parent forum and I gave up and watched Sports Day instead.

And it was fab, great sportsmanship by the kids, some wonderful moments with the staff and adult races. As well as some drama including an unfortunate incident involving a wheelchair that left me thinking about risk assessment… But I was watching it all with a tinge of sadness. I might not be able to watch one of these again. I got a full time job this week (hurray) but it also means, I’ll be working next year and will not be able to see my kids’ team picking up 3rd place like they did this time.

I have decided to pick up the balls and begin the juggling. Not only will I be entering the parent employment trap, I have to fit in my Governor duties and the continued professional development (training) that is required for the job. I will miss the special assemblies, the talks with other parents and teachers after school. I’ll also miss out on those Governor Learning Walks, strategy meetings and recruitment days. It’s going to be really hard in the beginning but I believe just like raising children, it will get easier. The plus side though, is that I’ll be more than just ‘someone’s mum’. It’s the start of some kind of new career in my forties and that has to be better for me, I think…

Wait, what? I’m a mum, I don’t do putting myself first, do I? Do I?

Oh, the sun’s out and there is washing to hang.

--

Comment is free - In praise of… sports day, The Guardian



Follow me @MichelleGrant



No comments:

Post a Comment