May is madness! Especially for us moms with kids in school. I am not a professional and Lord knows I am at my wits end with all the celebrations. However, here are a few things I do to cope with the beast of a month we call May.

1. Fun Drinks - Listen, it’s the little things that carry me through and it comes in the form of a beverage. Put a little cinnamon on top of that foamed latte, a plate under that cute tea cup and tackle that day! At night, I pair my wine with Netflix. :)

2. Dry Erase Board - Sounds lame, I know. Scheduling so many kids activities makes my brain hurt, everyone has their own color and we rinse and repeat. And we take it, One Day at a Time.

3. Walks - Life is so busy I can’t get my regular exercise routine on track. So, my pup and I squeeze in walks. I don’t drown it out with a podcast, I need the brain space for thoughts and creativity. Hearing the birds and noticing nature, calms my nerves and lets my mind wander. Which, is important when the days are a tizzy of activity.

4. Comedy - when I scroll, which I wish I didn’t…I stop on a short comic routine of someone I know is funny. I enjoy an Onion article or a funny meme. I’ve found a few comedy shows to enjoy at night too. Sometimes, laughter really is the best medicine.

5. The Village - I’ve asked for so many rides for my kids its embarrassing. They often have things at the exact same time, even if Eric and I divide and conquer, we can’t get kid 3 or 4 to the place. So I’ve been leaning on my mom village. They are earning jewels on their crown in heaven, and I owe them all 8,000 coffees of thanks…this I know. It’s hard to ask for help, but I’ll be able to return it or pay it forward whenever I can. We can’t do it all! Acceptance is the first step. And when you see what supportive people are in your midst, gratefulness shines bright and you realize you actually do have a village.

6. Let the Leaders Lead - There are some amazing classroom moms out there and they are organizing all the gifts. I love our teachers, I love the bus drivers, I love the coaches and the dance instructors…but just like in #5 I can’t do it all. SO when someone says they’ll organize the class gift, I don’t make myself feel bad for not leading in that way - I say yes and send them money and say God Bless it, everyone. Let those classroom all stars shine bright, I’m just grateful it could be one thing off my plate. PS. If this is your thing, do it and be amazing! We are all thankful for you!

7. Keep Your Eye on the Prize - The school year is a marathon, May…is a sprint. We are in the home stretch and out before us lays pool days and popsicles. Deep breaths, laugh about the ridiculousness, try not to freak out at your kids its not their fault and don’t worry about the house and how it looks right now. We are almost there! I’ve got two more weeks of crazy and then I’ll have sleepy heads in my midst. You can do this sprint. I know you can. I’ll be celebrating with you at the end.

8. Un-Scheduling Summer - Listen, I’m not about to go from running around because I have to, to running around because I signed up for it. This may go against all the camp emails flying at you, but look at it…do you really want to wake up your sleeping child and drive them 30 minutes to some camp you are going to pay hundreds of dollars for them to do a craft? Or, pack your evenings with activity your family doesn’t have a chance to catch fireflies? If you don’t have to (and don’t want to), don’t. Ignore the pressure from culture to always be busy, and allow yourself and your kiddos a bit of a break. AND, it’s okay to change plans. I actually scheduled a camp, and then canceled it realizing this is not what I want that first week out of school to look like. Everyone was okay with it. And a little bit of may anxiety melted as soon as I canceled it. Create your summer, but don’t over fill it - it’s yours too!

Questions for Reflection

1. What task can you delegate to someone else?

2. Where can you celebrate that you are kicking butt?

3. What can you let go of?

4. Who can you carpool with / share the load with to make it easier?

You got this!

xo,

Jenna