School days: Getting back into the groove

Ahhh the before-school morning routine. All the things. Making lunches, making breakfast, getting kids to put clothes on, finding misplaced shoes. I’m really feeling proud of myself right now. I’ve come a long way since the beginning of last school year. Instead of collapsing into a heap on the couch after school drop-off to try and “recover” from the madness, I head straight into meditation when I get home. All the dishes and laundry can wait. I need time to come down from the “high” of the crazy that always seems to be involved in getting the kids out the door. 

Even starting my meditation session this morning, I didn’t feel as harried as I recall being previously. I think it’s because I’ve baked in a couple of rituals into the before-school routine that I didn’t really do before. First, I play an audiobook my oldest kid enjoys listening to with me. (Harry Potter on Audible in case you’re wondering! We listen to the series from Book 1 to Book 7 on repeat.) This ritual helps keep both me and my kiddo more calm and focused. The second thing I’ve started doing during the morning is spending time coloring in my adult coloring book. Even just a few minutes seems to help bring my nervous system down a notch or two. My kids have learned that when I’m doing my coloring book, it’s their chance to go do their own thing before it’s time to head out the door. 

Of course, to ensure there’s time to enjoy these added things in the morning, I am getting up on the earlier side, taking a shower and getting ready so I can focus my attention on getting the kids ready. I’m also doing a bit of prep work the night before, setting what I can out for school lunches and snacks on the counter.

So far it’s worth getting up earlier… No doubt there will come a day when I just need to sleep in, which means I will be forgoing the “niceties” of listening to an audiobook with my son and doing some coloring — and that’s okay. Check me out! I am already giving myself permission to let that go when it happens because I know it’s going to happen. Let’s see if this pre-permission to let go thing works. 🙂

Cherish yourself: Even when things are hectic getting everyone else ready for whatever the activity is, find ways to bake in little rituals for yourself. These rituals become little treasures you will come to look forward to!