Back to school and you

Yes, you! The parents and caregivers. No matter where you turn these days, it’s back to school frenzy everywhere. So, while we still have a few weeks left of summer, why not stop for a moment and take a little time for ourselves just to unwind before schools officially open. I’ve shared some fun suggestions below that I think would be a nice little last hoorah for the adults, before our kiddos head back.

- A tea/coffee date with friends – something that I do with my closest friend is get together once a month for our coffee date (and she’s not a coffee drinker, she does her tea, and I do my must have coffee – talk about opposites being besties!). I find this very therapeutic, as it is a great chance to catch up between our busy, hectic lives. We sit for an hour and just vent and check in with how we’re coping with good ol’ motherhood.

- Pace yourself – I don’t know about you, but when we’re given the ‘supplies list’, I get overwhelmed. It’s not just the list itself, it’s the thought of items being sold out, huge crowds at the stores, and making sure every single item is crossed off the list. It can be a lot! So, what I suggest is to pace yourself. What works for me is to buy things little by little so that way you don’t take a look at this enormous list in front of you and then say ‘the heck with this, I’ll do it another day’. Instead, if you face the task by taking it slow and thinking ‘ok, today I’ll purchase items 1-5 on the list and then take another look tomorrow’, you’ll avoid the stressful procrastinating that I admit I used to be guilty of. Now, don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t apply to everyone. For some people, a one-time haul works just fine. But for those of us who get overwhelmed, I say it’s better to pace yourself and complete tasks little by little than to think of the big picture and put it off for another day, and then end up giving yourself unnecessary stress (been there done that!).

- A short and sweet getaway – think of this as a nice mini-vacay before school begins. Perhaps there is a fun, local spot to visit that’s perfect for the weekend. A cute road trip for the family to share memories of the summer, talk about hopes and goals for the new school year and plan for upcoming events to look forward to. Bottom line, it’s just a great way to disconnect from the devices and re-connect  with each other.

Well, now that we’re one week into August already, I admit that I’ve done some shopping but not all of it – and I’m not stressed out one bit. I’ve saved about 2-3 items left that need to be purchased, and this mama has back to school all wrapped up! Whatever works best for you, just remember that you’re not alone in this. Back to school season not only causes anxiety for children sometimes, but it also causes stress for us parents and caregivers. So, give yourself a break, and hey, while you’re shopping, it won’t hurt anyone to pick up a little treat for yourself ;)