If my husband wasn’t the principal at the school:
My children would always be late, not on purpose. Because for the life of me I can’t manage to get out of the house in time when we only live 5 minutes away from the school.
On Thanksgiving day, when we DO have a school day they would play hookie.
I would take them to school on a no school day. I’m pretty sure there’s a conspiracy out against the principal’s wife, someone randomly keeps adding no school days to the calendar but it probably has more to do with my forgetfulness.
I would forget to pick them up on a 1/2 day. I won’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve been surprised by a call (from the principal) to come get my child at the soccer field b/c it’s a half day, ahhhh.
I wouldn’t feel the need to look up every 5 seconds to greet someone. (The culture requires a greeting to everyone ESPECIALLY if you’re the principal’s wife. I actually love greeting those around me but when it’s posed in terms of “I have to” that’s a whole different story.
I would go pick up my children in my running clothes and not think twice about it. Actually, I have done that because I was in fact running shortly before I picked them up.
My post is meant to be humorous, I just received a call from the principal reminding me to pick up my child at the soccer field because it’s a half day so as I laughed I came up with other thoughts.
I truly love supporting my husband in his role as a principal. He’s an amazing principal and I don’t know how many times I have been stopped by a parent, student or teacher to inform me on how much they appreciate him as principal.
Hi Mari, this is my first time stopping by your site; great design! My hubby is a high school principal in NY and I can’t say I’ve had your experience as my son attends a different school than where my hubby works. I can only imagine the extra pressures that situation would involve. I’ll soon find out now that my hubby will be head of school at a charter school and we’ll be LIVING on campus full time. Should be interesting.
Shana, I’m glad you stopped by. I think I probably would feel that way in any school just because I tend to be a procrastinator. It just makes it a bit more interesting when my hubby is the principal, lol.
Wow, living on campus. Enjoy, we have done that too. It had it’s pros and cons. The only thing I would say is make sure to get off campus so you don’t start feeling like your/his job is your life.
~Mari
Mari, Do you mind sharing some of the major pros and cons to living/working on campus??? I’ve NEVER done this before! Were you at a private or charter school?
Shana, Sure, we were at a private school! Some of the pros are probably quite obvious like not fighting traffic. Our kids were loved by all the students and teachers b/c they were ALWAYS around. I was working at the time so I was able to drop in and check up on my son and the sitter throughout the day. My husband could come and have lunch with us most days. Getting pizza delivered was cheaper b/c it was at a school, lol. It was easy for me to volunteer and get involved in my sons class or other extra curricular school events.
The cons, sometimes it felt like we had no privacy (though we had our own apt.). As I mentioned before, sometimes it felt like our jobs were our whole life. If it was a crazy busy week at school sometimes we wouldn’t leave campus for 5 or 6 days in a row. Our parenting was continuously being observed 24/7.
Overall we liked it and quickly adapted to our new situation. Blessings on your new journey! ~mari