Make Your Table the Fun Table

Welcome to MomJeans, The First Day of School Edition!

It’s an exciting day around here — my baby is starting his first day in middle school! My older girls started school last week, and there will be posts about that later because one is a SENIOR and I don’t even know where to start with that, especially as I see so many tear-filled pictures and posts from friends dropping kids off at college. I can’t even go there right now so let’s just stay focused on 6th grade, ‘k?

This post is for all those kids who come home this week with news of who is in their classes … and who is not. Who they have at their assigned-seating lunch table … and who they wish they had at their lunch table. Because it’s easy for kids — and, let’s face it, adults — to fall into the trap of thinking someone else has a great situation, while theirs appears to be sub-par.

I confess I spent a lot of time in my younger years wishing for something “better.” A better class, a better teacher, a better table, a better team, a better hall, or a better group. So many times I felt like “they” were having more fun “over there,” and if only I could be over there in that class/on that team/at that table/next to that person, I would be having just as much fun as they were.

I finally realized I was wasting a lot of time, and missing a lot of opportunities.

When I grew up a little (okay, a lot), I realized there is nothing better than embracing the seat you’ve been given. Turning to the person next to you, smiling, introducing yourself, and finding some commonality you had no idea you would share. Old friends are the best, of course, but guess what? Old friends start out as new friends.

It’s the beginning of a new year. That means new classes, new teams, new teachers and new friends — for both kids and parents. Don’t fall into the trap of wishful thinking. Embrace the seat you’ve been given, and turn your table into the fun table!