Adjusting To The Back To School Overwhelm
EPISODE 43
by Dianne Jimenez
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Adjusting To The Back to School Overwhelm
- Intro
- Back-to-school month
- Realizing how much we have on our plate
- Others are on the same boat
- Reach out to other parents
- What it looks like for me during this time
- Time is so rare but not impossible to make it work for you
- Finding time just for us
- What I started recently and how I got to insert myself in the busy schedule
- Adjusting to the new routine
- This period is a constant adjustment
- Don’t do this alone, reach out to others
- Strategy I use to help cope with the adjustments and overwhelm
- Thank you and please follow this podcast
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Hey everyone, welcome to the Parenting Guide Organizing Habits Made Easy podcast, and you are listening to episode number 43, where I’m gonna be taking a little bit of a pause from my series of interviewing my kids because I wanted to just touch base a little bit with you all about this time of year.
Back-to-school month
So for those of you listening into the future, thank you for being here. But this time of year is a crazy one, especially for parents because it is the back to school month at least. But I’ll get to that later on because although we all take those cute pictures of our kids going back to school on that first day, the actual whole process is so much longer than that because that’s pretty much the start of it.
Or if you’re those super organized people and have everything ready weeks and weeks before school actually starts, by the way, just in case you’re wondering, that’s not me. And definitely not this year. I was getting school supplies the day before school started and still running to the store to get the last minute things the day after day one of school. So back to the first day of school where you would take all those cute pictures, that’s just the start of the month, at least back to school. And it’s a whole, I don’t know, animal that together with the activities and the extracurricular activities, not just the ones that we choose, pick and choose for them to do after, after school.
Realizing how much we have on our plate
But when we actually get the chance to sit down and consider all of these things that are adding to our schedule on top of everything that life is just throwing at us and the adjustments we need to make.
It’s a little hard. No, it’s very challenging for a lot of us to just wrap our heads around it and it’s, it takes a toll on us mentally when we think about everything that we have to do on top of putting food on the table, getting to work, making sure that the kids are fed and they’re, you know, they’re sleeping well, all of those things. It’s a lot on our plate that we’re adding in this short period of time. And if you have kids in different schools, high school daycare, elementary school, it’s, it’s just, you can go wackadoodles.
find out how families with 3+ kids tackle the beast: laundry!
Others are on the same boat
So I was just with a bunch of girlfriends last night celebrating our dear friend’s 50th birthday, and I had so many conversations with my friends who were moms of, you know, one to multiple kids. It’s just everybody’s on the same boat. So I wanted to jump in here to let you know that you’re not alone. I hear you. There are so many moms parents out there going through, maybe not exactly the same scenario as you’re going through with your family, but we are going through very similar thoughts and feelings as you are.
Reach out to other parents
So if you haven’t reached out to a fellow parent yet, I encourage you because there is power in community and talking it out, even just to compare notes, for example, I enjoy speaking to other parents this time of year because we hear each other and we’re there for one another, whether it’s in person or through texting this part of parenthood to get used to this new schedule.
Getting back into the groove of things with homework and lunches and practice days. There are also special events to consider, like competitions and shows. So these are all the things that, that you have to find room in your schedule as well as if you have multiple kids, fit it in so that it all works. And just trying to figure all of this out with your own schedule, it’s a lot and totally normal if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
What it looks like for me during this time
So just to get a little behind the scenes with you. Yeah, for me, I was getting, it’s almost like not claustrophobic feeling, because I’m not really sure how exactly to the extent of that, but it almost felt like everything was just caving in for me when I realized that, you know, oh, we’re very close to September and school starting, and all of these things are about to start, like everything. And it’s a huge adjustment, you know? And where do I fit in in all of this, aside from being the driver, the chef, the everything. Where do we find space to stop, breathe, think, you know?
My Secret Sauce for setting the kids up for success
Time is so rare but not impossible to make it work for you
Time is so rare at the start of a new phase in our life, in particular, first day, first month of back to school. So it’s almost impossible to think of blocking off pieces of time to do anything, whether it’s just to take a run in the morning or start a new class, a new course.
The idea of starting something back in the summertime or at the end of the school year last year, yeah, it was a great idea. It was awesome, and you could do this back then because you had time to process everything. But now when we’re in the thick of it and things are starting up again, and the stuff that we wanted to do, now it’s just, it just feels like it’s impossible. And I wanna tell you it’s okay to feel that way and it’s okay and totally normal that you’re going through this.
Like I said, this is an adjustment period.
Finding time just for us
However, I find that women in particular, we somehow find a way to figure things out, especially when it comes to our family and the things that need to get done around the house, and even making time for everyone around us. We just find a way. But there is also, I find a fire within us and maybe we just have to dig in a little bit to see it, but it’s there. And this is to give ourselves a little bit of that space, to have that time in our schedule. That’s just for us, for our own needs.
What I started recently and how I got to insert myself in the busy schedule
So for example, now that we’re closing the month and heading into October, it still feels like we’re trying, or I’m trying to get in the groove still. And you know, it’s, we’re, we’re completed almost a full month of school and we should be “getting used” to things. But no, honestly, I’m still trying to adjust. And not only that, but other things get added on.
3 things to establish now before losing your s#!t later on (during the school year)
So for instance, I recently started taking swim classes. Now this wasn’t something that I was planning to do months ago, or even last month. It was just kind of like, still in the back of my mind, maybe I’ll start something. This year I had to do something for myself because I haven’t been in a long time. So when I talked to a few girlfriends and considered it and spoke to Onnig about it, you know, it was kind of like, yeah, I need to be putting myself first too, especially with my health. So that’s when I started looking into taking swim classes.
Adjusting to the new routine
And initially, I was thinking I was just gonna do this once a week, because that’s all the options I had. It was either once a week or three times a week. And when I was initially looking at this whole thing, three times felt like a lot because it wasn’t just an hour; It’s about an hour and a half in the pool doing laps, right? And it’s also including the prep time that’s getting my bag ready. So that’s ensuring I have the proper clothes and toiletries for after swimming. Not only that, I had to consider the time to get there and the time coming back, drying up at the pool, as well as drying everything, the second I got home.
It’s really not just an hour and a half, it could be close to two hours, maybe even two hours and a half of a chunk of time out of my already packed schedule. But I know this is just the beginning, this is again, an adjustment. The more and more I do this, the faster and faster I will get. So it won’t be two hours and a half, it’ll get a lot shorter than that because I’ll be more efficient with my time.
This period is a constant adjustment
So where I am today is I decided to, after a few conversations again and confirming everything would be okay and starting gradually instead of doing the whole hour and a half because I’m not even there yet, I’m only gonna do about 30 to 45 minutes sessions. And I’ve signed up, not once a week, but three times a week. Yeah, it’s a commitment to myself. It’s definitely an adjustment and something that I have to prioritize for myself. So that also gets squeezed in my schedule at night while the kids are already in bed, I have to take off and do things for myself. And that’s where we’re at in our life. It’s a constant adjustment.
Free training: "How to find time in a busy schedule"
I know I keep saying it, but that’s what it is this first month, month and a half, maybe even two months of the beginning of the school year. So speaking of which, we just got an email that my Youngest’s dance classes are starting up again in a couple of weeks as well.
My oldest one has decided that he wants to take an extracurricular activity, which is cooking class. And I will not say no to that, and I will not say no to that, not just because the school’s offering it, but it’s going to pay off so much in the long run. In addition to this, our daughter is graduating grade six, so guess what’s happening with that graduation committee meetings starting up real soon as well as events for the graduates.
And you know, I’ll be signing up for those too. It’s a busy, busy time, my friends, and I don’t wanna sound too cliche or anything, but it will go by so fast, even though it doesn’t feel like it right this second.
Don’t do this alone, reach out to others
So before I come off here today, I just wanted to let you know that it’s okay that September, October, even November, can feel like a huge chaotic mess when it comes to our schedules and finding time to do the things that we wanna do ourselves. It’s really challenging. It’s really hard, mentally, physically, and spiritually. And again, it’s okay to feel all that you’re feeling. I just hope that you are not keeping this all to yourself, all these feelings, because sometimes we hear that someone is suffering in silence and I wanna let you know you don’t have to, and that you have some sort of an outlet, whether it’s an activity or an exercise or something that you can do for yourself and for your mental health.
And I really encourage you to reach out to someone. Maybe you have been hesitant about doing so, but I hope that you being here listening to this episode today, that it gives you that little bit of a nudge or a little bit of a push to reach out to someone and just, you know, check in with them to say, ‘Hey, what you up to? What’s going on in your crazy busy schedule? Are you feeling the same way as I am?’
Stay on track with laundry & tips to getting the kids involved
I’m sure they are feeling exactly the same way you’re feeling, even though their circumstances may be a lot different from yours.
Strategy I use to help cope with the adjustments and overwhelm
Now, before I head out, I wanna leave you with this strategy to help you along the way, especially when you find it really difficult to go somewhere. Prep for the next activity of the day. Try to remember this strategy to stop, take a moment and just breathe, even if it’s for five, 10, or 15 seconds, take those few seconds for yourself to just slow down as simple and maybe even ridiculous as it sounds. This will help you have a better grasp or just kind of like a refresh to be able to take your next best step.
Thank you and follow this podcast
Alright, my friends, thank you so much for being here and for tuning in. I hope you enjoyed today’s episode, and I wish you so much patience and kindness with yourself, especially during these very challenging, difficult, mind-boggling times in this parenthood journey. If this is your first time listening to this episode, thank you so much. I hope you get to join us again next time.
And whether you’re new or you’ve been joining us more often in other episodes too, please don’t forget to follow the Parenting Guide Organizing Habits Made Easy podcast. I so appreciate those extra follows because the extra follows means the platform will basically just boost this show up to more eyeballs and listening ears to help other parents who need this also. So thank you so much and I’ll see you next time.
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