Which momma are you?

Kristi and Jana

As summer comes to an end and we prepare to send our children back to school, it occurs to me that there are three camps of mommas. The first camp are moms who become incredibly emotional about the thought of sending their little ones off into this next phase of growing up, and purchase not 4 but 5 boxes of Kleenex – 4 for the classroom supply list and 1 to keep for their own personal use.

The second camp of moms have a countdown of the days ‘til school starts! These moms look forward to the peace and quiet of an eight-hour day when the kitchen stays clean and the doorbell stays quiet. These moms do a happy jig in the car as their little one enters the school doors, but also look forward to their return at the end of the day.

The third camp of mommas are the homeschool mommas that, in my opinion, deserve a special place in heaven for possessing a certain quality of patience that I can’t even comprehend! I have no idea how they juggle teaching, cleaning and parenting all at the same time.

This back to school issue was written by all camps of mommas. I belong to the second camp of mommas. While I love my children to pieces, I look forward to that time of year when they head back to school. I am definitely more available for some of my favorite parts of my job when the kids are in school – like visiting a photoshoot for an upcoming feature! This past month I had the awesome chance to visit the photoshoot of Jana, XL106.7’s mid-day radio host. We reconnected after two and a half years (we featured Jana’s pregnancy back in February 2011!). I am blown away that Jana is about to choose a preschool for Allsbrook! You can find her follow-up interview on page 8.

As Jana is experiencing, when it comes to choosing a preschool for your child, there are SO many directions you can go. With choices ranging from a private or religious school, a public school or homeschool, the choice ultimately comes down to which fits best with your family’s priorities and with your child’s personality and needs.

As you send your little one to preschool or the big kids back to school, it’s a great opportunity for you to get back to fitness! On page 20, our fitness guru Jackie (who is in camp 1 AND camp 2!) shares some awesome tips to encourage you to put fitness on the family calendar!

Picking a pediatrician is another choice that parents must face. And if you’re anything like me, it may be a choice you have to revisit a number of times – if you move to a new part of town or decide your family health needs have changed. We’ve put together an “Orlando’s Best Pediatricians” list on page 14 (written by a camp 2 momma), and  some questions to ask yourself about choosing a new pediatrician on page 15, (also written by camp 2 mommas!) If you’re curious about the flu shot and whether it’s the right time to give it to your little one, Dr. Gordon gives you great info on page 16. (Dr. Gordon, father of EIGHT – well, his wife is a momma of camps 1, 2, and 3! She takes the prize!)

So, which momma are you? Will you tearfully send your child to the bus stop or do a happy dance when the first school bell rings? Whichever you are, I hope you are encouraged by this issue.