It’s May. The month when calendars combust, backpacks become black holes, and the phrase “end-of-year celebration” is code for “parental endurance test.” Today alone, I almost missed a school meeting I only happened to remember when I checked my email to see if I had our gymnastics schedule written down correctly (which I hadn't, by the way). I’m not sure who decided that May should be the unofficial Olympics of parenting, but here we are—juggling recitals, school forms, field trips, parties, and scanning our spam box for that email we were supposed to get.
May is not for the faint of heart. It’s for the sleep-deprived, the over-caffeinated, and those of us who’ve accepted that “it's fine” is the new perfect.
Things I’ve Let Go This Month:
- Matching Socks: If they’re wearing socks at all, I consider it a success. Bonus points if they’re both clean.
- Spirit Days: We missed “Dress Like a Historical Figure” day and you know what? It felt like a luxury.
- Bedtime in General: It’s a suggestion, not a rule. As long as they’re asleep before I am, I’m calling it a success.
- Things in One Place: I've got sunscreen bottles in the car, my purse, backpacks, the kitchen, aaall the totes, the laundry basket even. As long as they get used.
- Homemade Breakfasts: Yes, yogurt in a bottle tends to be a little sugary and is kind of a drink, but it's got protein and probiotics and in May, that's a win.
While I've leaned more heavily on the same baseball cap and oversized sweatshirt for school drop offs than I'd like to admit and my regular Monday and Friday Bar Method classes are a relic of April, one thing I haven't let go of (and suggest you do the same) is remembering to hydrate. And not just your kids, but yourself. As good as we can be at running on empty, it's just better for everyone if we don't.
Here’s to surviving May. June is just around the corner.
