Parenting Win of the Week: It's STILL OK to Give Yourself Grace
Don't be so hard on yourself as the new school year begins.
My kids are back in school and all of the excitement and nervousness of the first day is real. What’s also real is the combination of things returning to semi-normal and also things being really...off.
We are back in full swing with in-person meet-the-teacher events, curriculum night, back-to-school bashes and eating in the cafeteria. Playdates and sports have returned even though COVID is still around, it’s not nearly the threat it was.
But we are also facing an incredibly frustrating shortage of bus drivers and interrupted transportation, a heightened alert to safety in our schools, and rising costs on everything from groceries to school supplies.
And life is always stresses replaced by new stresses, but things still just feel out of whack.
I am sure some of it is the emotions of my kids getting older and that takes adjustment too. Plus, I am not a morning person, so setting the alarm now comes with a bit of crankiness.
I am pretty sure I put out this reminder every year, but I am working hard to remind myself that in order for me not to burn out by October, it’s okay to give myself a little grace. That could be getting a manicure in the middle of the day or frankly not caring that my manicure looks half picked off like a 4th grader (it’s me now!)
It could be taking a night as a family and not rushing to every activity or it could be a date night out.
It could be forgoing cooking until all else falls into place.
It could be not getting on a fully established morning routine for a few weeks and flying out the door or planning a little extra time to walk to school instead of drive.
You get the gist. It doesn’t have to be "self-care" in the sense that you need to sit and meditate, but it’s okay to acknowledge that back-to-school mode doesn't need to click into place immediately.
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