My husband always complains that I am too involved in the organizing of my children’s day-to-day activities, homework, assignments, tests, extra-murals. “No one told me anything – let alone help with homework.” He says. “I left for my school day when I was ready, and I came home when I was ready. I studied when I had a test and if I didn’t, I failed”.

Well, I did much the same. I could probably count on one hand the times that my mother said to me “have you done your homework”. And if I said “yes”, there was no check from her side to verify this fact. I don’t think she was even aware that we did tests or exams. She never set foot in my school except for the time she went for Afrikaans lessons held for parents. She was an immigrant from Sweden and Afrikaans was a real challenge, let alone English. I’m not saying she didn’t care. Quite the opposite, she was a great mother who had her children’s interests at heart and lived for her family. But she was naïve. That’s just the way many of us grew up in those days, specifically the ones whose parents were immigrants.

But today things are different and perhaps for a man who spends a 13 hour day working, for 30 or so years and to suddenly be at home to view a ‘normal’ day in ‘today’s’ time zone can be an eye-opener. Here’s a snippet.

“I have to explain Sheanne’s lunchbox to her,” I muttered to no one in particular as I hurried from the kitchen, heading towards Sheanne’s bedroom. Just before entering her bedroom I heard in the background “Well, that’s the best I’ve ever heard. No one ever had to explain a lunchbox to me”. I turned around just in time to see my incredulous husband walking past me making his way to the bedroom to perform his ablutions.

But it’s not as simple as it sounds, as only a mother will know – particularly a mother of today. Sheanne was going to be away from home from seven in the morning until six or six-thirty in the evening. Her dancing school had dress rehearsal for a huge show. That’s eleven hours! If you were ten years old and you opened up your (large) lunchbox at first break and saw a huge amount of goodies and money crammed into it, what would you do? Eat a few things, spend the money at the tuck-shop on sweets and throw away the rest of the food which you could not possibly get through during the course of a school day and then possibly starve from 2pm until 6 or 7 in the evening. Of course you would.

Instead, the lunchbox was planned as follows: first break - one ham and cheese bagel, one apple; second break - a bunch of grapes and a biscuit (I don’t give juice at school – forces them to drink water). Upon arrival at the Civic Centre - one peanut butter sandwich. Take some money and buy a bottle of plain or flavoured water (no fizzy drinks please!). Do homework while waiting for your cue to dance. Round about 4 o’clock, eat the little packet of sweets in lunchbox. After next round of dances, buy another drink (no fizzy drinks please). At 6 or 6.30 when dancing is over and you’re still hungry, eat the second apple in lunchbox. If still thirsty, buy your last bottle of water. By that time you should be on your way home.

Einstein would have needed that lunchbox explained to him!