May vs Motherhood

The other day my daughter yelled,

I don’t like May!

When I asked her why, she showed me her calendar. Every day in May was filled with things she had to do. There were sports games almost every night and the other days were filled with practices, birthday parties, double shifts at work, graduations, award ceremonies, and medical appointments.

And all of that was not unique to this year. All of her Mays have been obnoxiously busy in the past. The world seems to go into a frenzy at the end of each school year as if it were trying to squeeze every drop out of life before summer begins. May seems to be the price you have to pay to get to the lazy days of summer.

I remember those days when my children were young. One year, my kids came down with the chicken pox on the last week of school. I couldn’t have been happier. I had the perfect excuse to stay home and rest with the kids instead of running around like a crazy person.

So, how do moms get through May? I asked my mommy friends what they do to mitigate the stress of the end-of-school madness and they had some good advice.

A Synchronized Calendar

My niece has a big calendar that she uses to synchronize everyone’s activities. That way she can prepare for each day knowing what each person is doing.

Let it Go

My homeschooling daughter has learned to be okay with a slightly messy house. If she waited for the house to be perfect and the laundry to be all done, she’d never get anything done. It was hard for her, but she’s learning to ignore the messes.

Cut Corners

Just because you’ve been asked to supply treats for a function does not mean you need to go crazy with perfectly decorated cupcakes or difficult recipes. Make your go-to cookies or buy some high quality store-bought treats. The kids don’t care.

Skip Out

You don’t need to go to everything. Especially as your kids get older, they’d often rather hang out with their friends anyway. Pick and choose the important things and skip the rest.

Practice Saying NO

No is an acceptable answer. When life is driving you crazy with “have-to’s”, simply say no. Plan the baseball party? No. Organize a school party? Nope. Drive three hours for the play-offs? No way! Your mental health is important.

“… What a lioness among lionesses was your mother! She bedded down among the strong young lions and reared her cubs.” Ezekiel 19:2

It Takes a Village

My daughter works evenings. She often has to rely on other parents to drive her kids to evening games or events. In return, she makes herself open to do the driving on her off days. Carpooling can be a great way to get some down time.

Take Care of Mom

You are the hub of your family. If you get burnt-out the rest of the family will suffer too. Taking care of yourself will look different for every mother. For some it means cleaning and organizing the house before school ends. For others it will mean taking advantage of the last school days to meet a friend for coffee, take long walks, or have a spa day.

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Psalm 127:2

Remember Jesus

When life gets hectic it is easy to forget our faith and the peace that comes with spending time in prayer and in the Bible, or just sitting quietly in His presence.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

As you face the busyness of May, remember that summer is almost here and you will soon have successfully seen the end of another school year!

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25