Surviving the End-of-the-School-Year Craziness

I often joked that I should have planned my children’s birthdays a little better— with May 3, May 17 and June 9, to say that the end of the school years is crazy would be the understatement of the year! While it wasn’t really an issue when they were younger, as we reach elementary and middle school the parade of art shows, sports practices, end of year concerts, field days, etc. has reached a frenzied pitch and this mama is feeling like her head is spinning!

It’s a whirlwind but we’re making it through one day at a time and looking forward to a reprieve of beach days and no schedules for a bit after school lets out. It’s a common theme I hear often on the playground. Parents are simply overwhelmed at this time of year and we’re not alone. It seems like there are so many commitments and not enough hours in the day— but take heart, we’re almost at the finish line!

As I am becoming more of a seasoned veteran with this whole end of the school year/birthday routine, here are some things that I have found to help keep the calm:

• Meal plan— I can’t stress this one enough— it’s been a sanity saver! Yes, it takes a little planning on Sunday night, but it saves a TON of time when it comes to deciding what’s for dinner and preparing it! I use the Real Plans meal planning app and I love that allows me to easily swap meals and also creates a shopping list. It’s a paid app— but it’s SO worth it!
• Simplify everything! Whether it’s birthday parties, teacher gifts or lunches, keep it simple. Your sanity will thank you later. When I rebranded this blog, it was with the mission that we need to keep it real and while things can look really great on Pinterest, for the majority of us, it’s just not something that’s attainable at this point in the year (lose the guilt)! Try streamlining things that are stressing you out and I promise you will feel so much better about everything! For example, try giving gift cards instead of creating personalized projects or having a few go-to school lunches that you can just prep ahead.
• Take time out for yourself— It can seem hard to do, but make sure you schedule a little downtime for yourself each day. Whether you stop to read a book, listen to music or have breakfast or lunch on your own while the kids are at school, make sure you build some “me time” into your daily routine.
• Stop feeling guilty— It’s impossible to be everywhere and do every little thing, so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t make it to a game or an event. As a mom, I often find myself feeling guilty when I have to miss things, but over time I’ve come to realize that the stress/anxiety of trying to be everywhere for everyone is often worse for my psyche!
• Enlist some help! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, now is the time to reach out and ask for some help. Can your kids pitch in and make lunch a few days of the week? Could you have the groceries delivered instead of spending an hour at the grocery store?