When summer is officially over it’s totally normal for Mom & Dad to feel sad that the kids are back in school. Here are some practical ways you can combat the back-to-school blues for parents!
The Weber Gang has now been back to school for almost 2 weeks, and both the hubs and I are still feeling a bit down about not having them around.
Don’t get me wrong, the house is much cleaner, our food isn’t disappearing at an insane rate, and it’s certainly much more quiet and peaceful around our place, but the parental “Back to School Blues” is a real thing here in the Weber Abode.
Back to School time not only marks our three kids getting a grade older, but we also have 2 kiddos with birthdays the first week of school, so it also is a time that we say goodbye to another age our kids will never be again.
There have been quite a few mama tears not only because there are certain phases that are now forever gone, but also because I feel like the kids’ childhoods are literally slipping through my fingers, and I so desperately want it all to S-L-O-W D-O-W-N!
Unfortunately, that’s not how time works, we don’t get to choose the speed. Kids grow up, and things are always accelerating and changing.
My husband Gavin and I were sharing the other day because he’s struggling with the kids being older and how fast it’s all going by too.
We were reminiscing about how it seems like yesterday that we stood in our kitchen crying when our oldest started Kindergarten.
Through our tears at that time we were saying how we knew it would go by so fast.
Fast forward all of these years later and now our oldest is a Junior in high school.
We were right…it’s gone by in a flash and we’re doing our best to deal with it!
We don’t have it all figured out yet, BUT here’s how we are doing our best to navigate these uncharted waters that I want to share with you.
Our Top 5 Things to Combat the “Back To School Blues”:
1. Feel – Let it out, girl
I know it sounds cliche, but it’s true.
There is great power and healing in being fully present to how you are feeling.
Trying to stuff your emotions or simply being in denial about it doesn’t really resolve the challenges you are going through.
For me, it helps to talk with my hubby, close friends, and family about it.
Simply giving voice to my sadness and honoring the transition helps it dissipate, and even shedding a few tears feels like a positive release.
2. Swap – Make the most of your time
After you’ve given yourself ample time to acknowledge your feelings, it’s important to not linger too long there and wallow in negativity.
So, it’s time to wipe away the tears and start focusing on some new things that fuel your enthusiasm for life.
Love jogging?…Do that!
Find meaning in volunteering in your community?… Do that!
Enjoy drinking mid-day cocktails with your neighbors…well, maybe don’t do that, you’ve probably got carpool to drive, but you get the picture, right??
Swap out the time you were spending with the kids at home for other things that make you smile and bring you joy and purpose. (Top of my list…doing more jigsaw puzzles, no joke!)
3. Connect – Spend more time with your peeps
One thing that really helps me every year when the kids go back to school is intentionally making it a priority to spend more time with the people who matter to me the most.
Every year a big group of us moms gather together for breakfast on the first day of school to celebrate a fresh start and to also share how we are feeling.
There is something deeply comforting about knowing you aren’t going through the Back To School Blues alone.
I also make it part of my weekly schedule to walk with my dad, to go on a date with Mr. Organizen, and to grab a coffee with a friend.
Carving out time for other significant relationships helps make the Back to School transition easier.
4. Create – Plan what’s next
On my lunch date with my main squeeze last week, we enjoyed a walk on the beach, indulged in some yummy Mexican food (and beverages), and made a list of all sorts of things we had to look forward to in the next month or so….
celebrating our birthday with a big party with our friends
a couples weekend getaway
hosting the football team at our house for a BBQ
Making a list of fun upcoming things will help you shift your attention to the future and all of the exciting events you have coming your way!
Don’t have anything fun planned??
Well, you better get out your calendar, girl!!
Start making some plans and create what you want your life to look like!
Get going!
And if you need some help creating a Fall Bucket List, you are in luck, because your wish is my command!!
5. Savor – Soak it up and enjoy
My last suggestion for battling the “Back to School Blues” is to truly savor each present moment you have.
Even though I often feel nostalgic for the times when our kids were little, I know there will be a day, I look back to these days at their current ages and miss them too.
Each moment you are living NOW will one day be “the good ole’ days”…savor it, relish it, and be grateful for now.
As it’s been well said before, “the joy is in the journey.”
We get to intentionally create our life journey and it’s absolutely possible that the next chapters of our lives can be our best…
We just have to be willing to make it so!
Got any suggestions that have worked for you when you are mourning a new transition time?
Let us know in the comments below…what you share might be exactly what someone else needs to hear!
Until next time, cheers to savoring the moment and cheers to you!
XOXO,
Magan
