The end of May is filled with cheering – from culminating activities and graduation to beginning of summer barbecues and lounging – we are ready for a change of pace.
Yesterday was Bea’s last day of school and when we got home, she fell asleep on the couch, unable to wait until official nap time. (When we got home, she asked if it was “real bedtime” yet.) In the craziness of dance recitals and preschool endings, I forget how much she internalizes and how exhausting that can be.
We buy her flowers and give her verbal affirmation of a job well done, but really, she needs snuggles and movies and quiet play. I need to remember this as we march through the years of school. May will get busier and busier and I need to remember to reign back our extracurricular activities and to focus on a gentle finish rather than a loud one.
When I was young, I would finish every school year with a days-long migraine headache. I internalized all of my performance anxiety until the very end and the moment I wasn’t asked to do anything, my body shut down.
I need to remember this for Bea. (And perhaps Elle, too. We’ll see…) The end of anything is exciting and culminating activities are so rewarding. But. They can take a toll on us, and I need to figure out how to help our daughters succeed without the chaos that can so often be involved with finishes.
Are you on school year-mode? Is May a busy time of endings or a celebration of the beginning of summer?
Linked with Kate Motaung’s Five Minute Friday, a time to write without editing. Today’s prompt is “cheer.”
Annie Rim 
Good words! We need to know the rhythms of our children and how to meet them.
Thank you for this reminder. This is the first time I have set a goal in my daytimer to help my girls wrap up their school year well. One down…one to go! This is perhaps the busiest May we’ve ever experienced but my daytimer helps me stick to what’s important and cut out extra activities that could send us over the edge. Whew! Hope you have a wonderful summer!
Love that intentionality of putting it in the planner! I’ll remember that…
I love how you are paying attention to what your girls need, instead of pushing them on to more activities (as our society seems so competitive sometimes)!
Thanks! It’s easy to get sucked in… Trying to stay intentional!
Such a great reminder. It really can be exhausting. I think many of us are ready for a change of pace. Oh and by the way, I’ll be heading to my usual continuing Ed trip in Estes Park in three weeks or so.
Yay!! Would love to see you if there’s time!! Email me 🙂 anniehrim@gmail.com
What a good mom you are! It’s so easy to miss that our kids need rest because they all don’t show it in obvious ways. Hope you have a headache free summer! 😉
Thanks, Debby! More reentry, right? 😉