How in the world is it already the first day of school?! It feels like summer just started… now, it’s back at it. Back to making lunches, getting kids up. Reminding them 50 times to get dressed, and coaxing them to eat something healthy for breakfast. Before diving into the whole first day thing though, I’d like to take time to reflect on our summer.
I feel proud of the summer we had. We went on several family trips and had gatherings with friends. Lots of reading and flash card sessions with the kids, movie nights, staying up late… It really was a good summer. In fact, it was probably one of the best summers I’ve ever had — at least for years.
I am proud of my effort throughout the summer to ensure I was getting at least some of my needs met. Getting up before the kids (at least some days) to meditate and journal; heck, writing my first post for this blog; and recognizing when I was getting close to going crazy and letting the kids just watch TV. I also attended another self-help/self-discovery type workshop series and went to an amazing women’s camping retreat. Looking back and giving myself time to reflect on the good nuggets from the summer definitely helps. It helps me face the whole back-to-school thing with a bit more of a grounded and calm feeling. Glad I thought of doing that!
…so back to the present… My kids left a few minutes ago with dad for school (normally I take them!). Here I am with the first few minutes of quiet after a summer of my kids being ever-present. I’m not going to lie, I’ve got some mixed emotions right now as likely most parents do in this scenario.
I originally had my day really planned out and structured. Now, I’m realizing it’s okay to take a few things off the to-do list and let it all sink in. Feel the feels. It’s no simple task to get the kids ready for the first day after a long summer. Kudos to me and kudos to all of you moms out there in the trenches!
Well, where am I going with this? It’s the first day of school, I’m having feelings, and I’ve recognized that I need to turn down the dial on the to-dos. I simply need to give myself the time to reflect. I will shift my to-dos to future days this week so that things don’t fall off the radar. For now, I’m a mommy with kids that went back to school today that deserves to breathe a bit. *self-hug* Yep — I literally just hugged myself. Hugging myself is definitely not something I would have thought to do before. It feels awesome that I just spontaneously did it. Yay me!
Cherish yourself: When a transition happens — big or small — allow yourself a bit of time to simply sit back and reflect on what’s happening. Also, think about what led up to what’s happening, and give yourself a big hug. You’re doing great, mama! You’re doing it!