It’s finally here, the big day is coming. Orientations are being planned and bus schedules are on the way. First time moms like me are getting ready for our first day at our Super Bowl, back to school season.

I know we still have a bit of summer left, but the commercials don’t lie, it’s back to school sale time. I’ve gathered all the sage advice I could from the moms who came before me and learned a few things. One the first day is going to be emotional. Next you have to get a pottery barn backpack, it’s the only one that’s going to get you through a whole school year without ripping. I also learned that I’m about to have homework for the first time since college. From all of my questions about what’s to come I’ve gleaned that the experience is different for everybody, but essentially there are five different types of moms when it comes to back to school style and I already know which category I fit in, the crier. Check out the types of moms heading out to the bus stop or drop off and see if there is anybody familiar.

The Crier – The first day the kids go to school she (me) will get sentimental, take a hundred photos and weep as the school bus pulls away. This mom knows she’s been preparing her kids for school all this time with all those ABC songs and days with playdough but she still can’t believe it’s here. She tried to pack something special into every last day of summer and now it’s coming to an end. She hopes her kids remember and miss her as much as she misses them.

The partier – This mom is tapping her toes at the bus stop ready to push her kids up the stairs to get those kids on that bus. She is confident her kids are ready and she knows it’s going to be okay. She’s going to kick her heels in the air as the bus pulls away from the curb. This mom is so sick of singing “The Wheels on the Bus” that the minute the kids are gone she is going to hit the eject button on whatever “sing-a-long” song she had in her C.D. player and turn up the volume on any song with swear words in it.

The mom who gets it done – This mom may be just as sentimental as the crier or just as happy as the partier, though she’s probably not going to stay and let you know because she’s got to run home and get the dishes put away, and start a load of laundry. If her child has half day kindergarten that’s about all she’s going to get to do before it’s time to head back to pick-up. If she has full day kindergarten she might also go get some groceries.

The Volunteer – This mom’s not going to cry, because she’s not leaving. She’s already gearing up her pen to sign up for whatever the school might need, lunch monitor, she’s on it, classroom aide, look no further. If there is a need for a chaperone she’s first in line.

The mom who goes back to work – It might be part-time or full-time but this mom has work to do, she could be a crier, or a partier, but she is definitely a mom who has a lot to fill in that school time. She may even have to arrange aftercare. This day will likely be emotional for her too, but she is too busy to dwell on it.

No matter what type of mom you are it’s time to take a deep breath, ready or not, school is coming.