Ring Ring: Let the Back to School Bells Ding
We have officially made it halfway through the year and back to school is here! While you are busy getting ready for sports practices, packing lunches, weekend sleepovers, recitals, and everything in between - back to school is upon us!
Though your kids are the one who are getting prepped to go to classes and learn their new locker codes - back to school is also one of the busiest times for us as parents. Whether you have all the time in the world or no time at all, we all have to figure out a way to survive the ups and downs school season brings.
No matter what age your child or children are, there is no way around the need for a new routine that is in constant need to stay flexible and as a mom, you are going to be kept on your toes.
In order to stay sane and keep all the plates spinning, the key to success is to just show up when and where you can. Something I have always told my girls throughout all the best and worst times of life is that “sometimes your best is just showing up.” As a parent, all you can do on the days when you get overwhelmed and have too much going on to stay afloat, remember that showing up is all you can do. Showing up can look like making it to the end of your kid’s soccer match, buying snacks for the tennis team instead of making homemade granola bars, or staying home to make a homemade meal that the entire family can connect over when everyone meets up at your home base.
Aside from showing up, here are a few tips and tricks to staying organized and keeping your ish together during the back to school time..
Schedule
I am a big fan of Google Calendar because I can use a color for each of my kids extracurricular activities, a color for my meetings, a color of family functions, and manage everything in between. You can also add your family members to events and get “RSVP’s” for events that involve others. My monthly girls night dinners are easier to plan this way and its a great way to also find out how many seats to save at your kiddo’s next sports match with aunts, uncles, friends, and grandparents wanting to come support.
Prioritize
When I am in a busy phase of life, my motto is simplify. Get rid and ditch what isn’t a top priority - and this can change day to day. Sometimes its making sure you just have a clean pair of underwear, some days it is pulling together yourself quick enough to make it to your mom’s cocktail hour, or taking the extra 5 minutes to run into the grocery store to get the things you have been out of for the past two weeks. Just show up and simplify, simplify, simplify.
Set expectations
When you have people who rely on you, you are going to have a lot of expectations coming from all different angles. Set expiations early so you don’t spread yourself too thin. Divide and conquer - use your support team because it takes a village!
