The jury is in and it’s unanimous, May brought us all sorts of chaos! So what is it exactly about the month of May that leaves us feeling more scattered? If you guessed increased demands, you nailed it! Get ready for June.
Daylight lasts longer, but somehow that doesn’t equate to extra hours in the day.
Yet it feels as if we need them with our seemingly endless “to-do” lists.
Sports events, IEP’s, teacher conferences, field trips, end-of-the-year parties, field day… just to name a few.
Let’s not forget camp registrations, childcare, and pressure for epic summer memories.
I’ve heard this season described as “more chaotic than Christmas” by some.
Solidarity certainly proves helpful, but I’m left wondering how we can change the pattern. Or, at the very least, enter June with our sanity somewhat intact!
Admittedly, a big fan of answers, I took the liberty to poll the experts; seasoned moms of course. Collectively, the advice warrants sharing, so here’s to hoping it serves you!
- Maintain your routine → It’s natural to get derailed when you’re being pulled in many directions, but routines can serve as an anchor, so stay as true to them as possible, especially at the beginning and end of the day.
- Lower expectations → Change, expected or unexpected, can leave us feeling flustered. Lower demands and decrease expectations wherever possible while the demands of the end of year are flooding in. A missed homework assignment in 1st grade will not determine your child’s future intelligence, of this I am certain!
- Take a break → Believe me, I know what you’re thinking; how on earth can you take a break when every minute counts?! Hear me when I say, there is market research that points to increased productivity when we are in our best state. No one, and I mean no one can be at their best when under constant pressure. A brief break to pause, breathe and reset will likely lead to a better outcome. If that break can happen in nature, bonus points are up for grab!
- Control What You Can → We can’t possibly predict every expectation or control every outcome, but we certainly can implement strategies to feel more in control. Lean into the strategies that best serve you. Write those extra post-its and add easy to do items that allow you to feel accomplished, fall back on the trusted crock-pot meal, or better yet order take-out and have it delivered. And in case you needed to hear this, asking for help is also not shameful! Letting go of some control and allowing others, (without school age-children ideally), to step up can offer them the gift of contribution. You’ll surely pay it forward.
- Set Boundaries → In a world asking us for so many “yesses” please let this be your permission to hand out a few selective “no’s.” Politely saying no thank you to a birthday party of your cousins’ sister’s husband is more than OK!
Keep Perspective → Every day won’t look like today. So, in the midst of the chaos, try to remember, tomorrow will be different and this season of chaos is not eternal. A month from now, it will likely not matter whether you baked or bought cookies for the school event. Give yourself some grace! We’ve got this!
Recent Comments