Embracing the Back-to-School Chaos
It's not about being perfectly prepared—it's about being mentally ready for the grind and planning for the hugs, deep breaths, and take-out dinners.
My kids are going back to school in just a few days. Middle school to be exact 😟. It’s exciting, anxious, scary and rewarding all at once. It’s the shift of a new season. A reset of our lazy summer routine. But, why do we have to put ourselves through such abrupt cycles? Rush of the school season, holidays crammed into a few weeks, and a short summer. For some of this though, the summer can also become stressful to find a memorable vacation spot, because we missed out or were tired from planning and hustling the whole school year.
This year, I’m trying to be more mentally prepared and accepting of the “back-to-school” grind 💪.
Yes, it will be chaos.
Yes, it will be stressful.
And there will be some old and some new expectations.
But, I’m aware and prepared for this. When I mean prepared, I don’t mean that I have all the school supplies and outfits packed ready to go. Gosh no! That’s still in the works. I mean prepared for what is to come and knowing that it will be new and chaotic.
This awareness and acceptance is helping me plan. Most importantly, planning to be there for my kids. That means my work and home schedule these first two weeks will take a back-seat and I’ll prioritize my kids. Knowing that in advance, helps me understand that if I’m flexing more for others, then I have to actively plan for myself. What to do you plan for yourself? For me, I get manicures to de-stress and do yoga in the mornings to breathe and reset. I’ll put together a meal plan (most likely, just plan take-out dinners). But, the focus is knowing that my kids will feel prepared.
Awareness of this chaotic time helps me with the anxious feeling of a new routine. And you know what, I’m going to be patient because there will be headaches, missed school buses, forgotten lunches and snacks, homework help, and new socializing. So, let’s plan for the chaos. Plan to squeeze in the time for ourselves and the extra hugs❤️