The school year has started. At least for my son it has. Lana starts tomorrow.

It’s his second day and he has homework. School here is no joke. The Portuguese curriculum is taken very seriously, and on top of that he is expected to also keep up with his English.

I will be very honest. I love the start of the school year. I always have, both as a student as well as a teacher. But now as a mom, seeing it through my son’s eyes I can see why some kids prefer summer to school. Some kids like my son.

To begin with, I think he’s exhausted. Having to wake up early is easy for him, but getting up early and getting dressed, fed, organized and out the door is for the birds. Then, even though he enjoys his after school activities, getting them done and still having the energy to do his homework can be a challenge. This is where I come in. I can not complain. I get to be a stay at home mom. I can focus on my kids, and them alone. But I would be telling a lie if I said I loved constantly redirecting/motivating my son to complete his work. Maybe if it were in his native language it would be more ‘fun’, but alas we gave him the ‘opportunity’ to learn Portuguese. And he has done beautifully. In his second year he is doing all the same work as his native language peers. That’s a tremendous accomplishment. But it continues to be a challenge.

I just need to keep reminding myself what a great job he’s done and that hard work accompanies great success.