I’m kidding, I’m kidding…kind of.
When summer is coming to an end and fall is around the corner, I get excited for the structure of schedule that the beginning of the school year brings. I’m ready to put the free-for-all nature of the summer behind me and to trade in my swimsuit for a cozy sweatshirt. With the kids in school all day, I don’t feel the need to help them find something to do so that they are not rotting away in their rooms. Now, they are in school, then they do activities and then they drive me crazy in other ways!
Every parent experiences the same thing once the school year is in full swing. We go from zero to sixty in a matter of days. Managing the schedule and coordinating drop-offs and pick-ups requires a level of focus usually reserved for brain surgeons. The pressure to keep it all together is real! You need to have the uniforms clean, papers signed, each of your kids needs to be picked up at the same time on opposite sides of town, the fridge has to be stocked to pack lunches, you need to be present for back-to-school nights and on the sidelines at your kids’ games. Let’s not forget you also have to work, clean the house and figure out what to make for dinner and when to make it. Your choices are 4:00 pm prior to activities or 8:00 pm after activities. There is no normal dinner hour anymore!
This is a personal journey post so it’s basically me venting and hoping that you can relate to my situation–then we can commiserate together! I’m not attempting to solve any problems here; I’m simply pointing out the stresses that come along with the school year. With that being said, my late September/October has been insane.
My story
It started off with me overscheduling myself with work. I am lucky enough that I have the flexibility to make my own schedule. Late September was the time where I thought to myself, the kids will be in school so I can work a lot when they aren’t home. We will finally be in a routine, and it will be fine. Newsflash—it wasn’t! What I hadn’t considered was middle school soccer being in full swing. The games are almost every day right after school so that meant that I had to rush home from work to shower, eat and then be at my son’s games by 3:15/3:30 pm. In addition, the end of September is when back-to-school nights are scheduled. So, work all day, rush to soccer, come home, make dinner then back to school until 9:00 pm for each of my kids’ schools in the same week.
On top of all of that, there is travel soccer which is practice twice a week with games on the weekends. My older son has piano once a week and we’ve been doing college open houses each weekend. There was also a wedding, two birthdays, multiple doctor’s appointments, two school dances and picture days. All of these things require planning, preparation, then execution. Everything has to be timed perfectly to fit it all in. There’s no margin for error! That takes a lot out of a person.
It got to the point where I felt like I was just staying afloat. I didn’t like how I was only doing the bare minimum, but it was all I could do. My house wasn’t as clean as I’d like, we were rushing meals and eating out for convenience, I wasn’t getting enough rest, and I had no time to focus on my goals or anything besides the day-to-day. My husband and I were like two ships passing in the night. When we spoke it was only to coordinate who is going where. I would go to bed each night with my to-do list for tomorrow swirling around in my head.
The guilt, the pressure, the stress…it was all too much. I felt like I wanted to scream. Every time I turned around there was a new issue or event that that I had to deal with. Looking back now, I realize I should have given myself a break. I don’t NEED to be at every soccer game. I can ask my husband or friends for help if I’m struggling. My kids can help out. I can say no or reschedule clients when I’m busy with my personal life.
Eventually, the middle school soccer season came to an end–it’s a short but intense 4 weeks. I learned my lesson and lightened up my workload for the remainder of October. I took a few days off here and there to get my house in order which is something I desperately need to feel settled and calm. I cannot deal with a house in disarray. I’m beginning to see the light at the end of a busy start to the school year. Let’s hope I take these lessons into account when next school year rolls around.
How about you? What stresses have you been feeling with the school year in full swing? What lessons have you learned? I’d love to hear! Drop a note in the comment section below.
Don’t forget to check out my most recent post about another source of stress…the holidays! I suggest pre-planning now in order to mitigate your stress and feel more in-control when the holiday season arrives.
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