Middle School Is Kicking Our Collective Butts

"They" (you know who "they" are, right?) were on the money--middle school is a whole step up, homework-wise, from elementary school. Nearly every night brings more than an hour's worth of assignments, and in many cases two or more. (This is only sixth grade, after all.)

Although he's a good student--and seems to genuinely enjoy the new school--The Boy is taking a few weeks to adjust to the big changes--multiple teachers, different classrooms, dressing out for gym, and carrying around the biggest darn binder you've ever seen. Trying to be diligent parents, we often (usually) sit at the dining room table with The Boy as he works, with our main task being to keep him on task, seeing as how eleven-year-old boys can be distracted by anything from a passing car to a passing mote of dust. All this homework is seriously cutting into my laundry-folding, kitchen-cleaning, and lying-around-slothfully-after-work time. But I know he'll adjust, and we'll adjust, and everything will work out fine.

Still, it kind of makes me grateful to just have a plain old paying job.