Let's talk about schadmin

Schadmin… school related admin. Yet another thing they don’t tell you before you have children.

Aside from eating, breathing and sleeping (and of course, writing silly poetry), I could spend every minute of the day complying with the endless rounds of homework, reply slips, charity requests, baking, and last minute laundry which comes with having a school-age child. I also find it essential to schedule in some time for looking bewildered, shaking my head quietly in a corner, or simply wondering to myself where it all went wrong.

Oh, and by the way, this rhyme doesn’t even mention “creative homework”. THAT little baby deserves a rhyme all of its own…

Let’s talk about schadmin

Let’s talk about schadmin, the admin that comes,

Not for the schoolkids but for their poor mums,

Who some years ago, once exclaimed (the poor fools),

“Won’t life be easier once they’re at school?”

Let’s start with the homework – now that should be fine,

But hang on, what’s this? Got to do it online?

You can’t start your router, you’ve crashed your computer,

Smile Mummy! This is the digital future!

So while you untangle yourself from the cables,

You practise the reading, the spelling, times tables,

Oh yes, and tonight you must also produce,

A piece of research about Robert the Bruce,

The human anatomy labelled in braille,

A knitted giraffe (for the PTA sale),

And favourite of all, just found in the drawers is:

“Write fifteen lines with subordinate clauses”!

But it’s done. They’re in bed, and you start to feel better,

Best check the bags though. Hey presto! Six letters.

It seems that next week you’ve been asked to provide,

A “green” picnic lunch with no wrappers inside,

A world book day costume which celebrates Dickens,

(You’ve got a hen costume – did Dickens have chickens?)

Ten pounds for a school trip and warm outdoor clothes,

With waterproof trousers (whoever has THOSE?)

A tray full of cupcakes, all nice and enticing,

(“Why not let the children help out with the icing?”)

A pound for the book sale, a pound for the fair,

And a pound cos some teacher is shaving their hair.

Well after all that, you say “that’s it for me!”
“I’m off to my bed.” – but what’s THIS that you see?
A stinking PE kit thrown down in the hall,

It’s needed tomorrow – yes, washed, dried and all,

(There was once a spare kit but “Mummy, I lost it.”

– it’s probably still in the hedge where they tossed it.)

Some shoes and a coat which are utterly caked

(from commando crawls over the field at break)

And a jumper with mystery holes in the cuff,

Wasn’t the massive school dinner enough??

So as you load washing, and sew, half asleep,

You’re starting to babble and quietly weep.

Let’s talk about schadmin, the admin that comes,

Not for the schoolkids but for the poor mums,

Who are now fast asleep, with signs that say “Please,

Wake me up after the GCSEs.”

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Let’s talk about schadmin

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