Hurray for Back-to-School… and Pedagogical Days!

I’m terrible when it comes to the daily grind. If I were enrolled in a course called ‘Routine 101’, I would undoubtedly be sitting with the dunces at the back of the class, struggling with an irrepressible urge to let myself slip into Morpheus’s grasp.

The beginning of the school year and all that it entails makes me feel like a soldier heading to war. You have to buy this and that, in right size, and the right colour. You have to buy textbooks, stock up on multi-coloured Hilroy notebooks, and cram in endless labelling sessions. Then you must order lunches from the school or figure out how you’ll make ones yourself that are at once edible, appetizing, and not too repetitive. You may also have heard of the animal-shaped sandwiches or other fabulous creations from a Martha Stewart wannabe who makes her child’s lunches as desirable in the eyes of her classmates as a mouse is to a hungry cat.  These overly hyped parents are to fellow parent what a teacher’s pet is to the other children in the class: a-nnoy-ying! As if we weren’t already stressed enough trying to decode what a “Duo-Tang-type plastic fastener binder” is on the school supplies list!

Each year, I am the mother who waits until the night before school begins to stick labels on the Prismacolor pencil box. I live in denial of the end of the summer holiday until the very last second of the last minute. But while my daughter is getting ready to start her fifth schoolyear, there is no hyper-ventilating because she lacks the right colour schoolbag. This time, I managed to buy everything SIX DAYS before D-day. A first! And for the rest, online my friends.  Catering at her school is not yet available, so in order to take away the lunch box pressure, I ordered prepared meals.

Despite my small triumph, I must confess that I am already dreaming about next year’s summer vacation. To help make the time until then more pleasant, I plan to take refuge at Bota Bota with my daughter during their ‘Pirate Escape’ mornings. She loved coming with me to the spa during spring break, and now she’ll be able to come more often since children from 8 years old will be admitted during certain pedagogical days. I will probably never be the queen of household organization, but relaxation and escape are definitely my strengths!

If you too like this idea, here are the dates when children will be admitted to the spa: September 22nd, October 6th, November 1st, December 1st, January 25th, February 9th, April 20th, May 22nd and June 27th. Not to mention the spring break, of course!

Some practical details: 

The cost per child for the Water Circuit is $20, from 9am to 12pm

(Regular water circuit fees apply to parents).

– Early Morning Yoga is included and takes place from 9am to 9:45am

– 25-minute Massage: $35 for children 8-15 years

– 60-minute Massage: $80 for children 14-17 years

– Duo 25 minute massage for parents and kids from 8 to 15 years old at 90$ for two

– Duo 60 minute massage for parents and kids from 12 to 17 years old at 180$ for two

– Muffins available at extra charge

– Silence policy (excluding the Bota Bota gardens)

– One child per adult (the adult must be the parent)