The time warp of back-to-school night

Why back-to-school night at your kid's high school makes you feel like a kid again

Back to school.

The cool kids are hanging by the lockers, laughing and talking a little too loud. The nerds are in the classroom early, eager to shake hands with the teacher and nab the seats in the front row. The girls are put together in skinny jeans, heels, and blown-out hair. You know what I'm talking about, right? This is back-to-school night, and these are the parents of actual high schoolers.

Back-to-school night for high school is dramatically different than it is at elementary school. When you go to the little kids' school you are acutely aware of your status as an adult. You sit in teeny tiny chairs and look through the "artwork" that your child has left for you. The teacher talks about how he's going to teach your kid to do stuff that you already know how to do. It's adorable how they're growing up, isn't it?

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Annabel Monaghan is a lifestyle columnist at The Week and the author of Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big? (2016), a collection of essays for moms and other tired people. She is also the author of two novels for young adults, A Girl Named Digit (2012) and Double Digit (2014), and the co-author of Click! The Girls Guide to Knowing What You Want and Making it Happen (2007). She lives in Rye, New York, with her husband and three sons. Visit her at www.annabelmonaghan.com.