Parenting

Which Type Of Back-To-School Mom Are You?

Like snowflakes or the way your name is spelled on a Starbucks cup, no two of us are exactly alike — but there are certainly types.

by Jamie Kenney
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Originally Published: 
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The Back To School Issue

Whether you’ve been longing for it or dreading it, it’s that time of year again. Back-to-school season is upon us, and it is, as the kids say, a vibe. (Are the kids still saying that?) What exactly the vibe is depends on what kind of mom you are. Like snowflakes or the way your name is spelled on a Starbucks cup, no two of us are exactly alike, but there are certainly types. Which one are you?

The First Timer

Her tiny little baby is going to school for the first time, and she is not OK.

Raimund Koch, magnetcreative, Heritage Images, Yevgen Romanenko/Getty Images

The Phone-On-3% Mom

Despite praying for the start of school since June, the first day (once again) crept up on her, and she’s got less than 24 hours to get her sh*t together.

Raimund Koch, alexsl/Getty Images, Jeremy Pawlowski/Stocksy

The Vicarious Teacher’s Pet Mom

She was an overachiever all throughout her own school days, and having kids is an opportunity to relive that high.

Nancy Rose, ATU, Constantine Johnny, We Are/Getty Images

The Target Mom

This is a mom who knows that back to school equals freedom, and after drop-off, she’s headed straight to paradise, alone.

Brian Hagiwara, Pornpawit Phosawang, EyeEm/Getty Images

The Mom Doing It For the ’Gram

She’s been planning for this day for weeks: the kids’ outfits (coordinated, natch), the personalized first day chalkboard sign, the thoughtful but slightly self-deprecating caption…

FG Trade, Fidelis Simanjuntak/Getty Images, Ulas&Merve/Stocksy

The PTA Queen Bee

For this mom, summer is over and she’s back to the grind: The next nine months are going to be an endless barrage of fundraisers, ice cream socials, auctions, holiday parties, and what feels like 15 different Teacher Appreciation Weeks.

Peter Dazeley, KathyDewar, Image Source, Rakop Tanyakam, EyeEm, Maria Kovalets/Getty Images

The Working Mom

Honestly, she’s mainly just excited she doesn’t have to pay for camp anymore, because seriously, how are these camps so expensive when they only go until 3:30? Who is this program even designed for?!

Michael D_lle, EyeEm, Jenner, FlamingPumpkin/Getty Images

The Been-There, Done-That Mom

By virtue of her gaggle of children, she knows every teacher, every annual event, and can get the kids back-to-school-ready through finely tuned, effective methods.

Clu, SOPA/Getty Images

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