Happy Labor Day

I know that January 1st is the first day of the New Year but the first day of school feels like the start of the year for me as a Mom and definitely for my children. The weekend before the children go back to school I am planning what I want to conquer once they are in school. What bad habits have I picked up over the Summer and need to change? Isn’t this what most do a couple of days before New Years? 

For me it seems like the days before school feel like a time for life evaluation. What do I like and what do I think needs tweaking in my life style? What bad habits do I have that I know I need to change? Why for me does it always revolve around food? It is a new year and time for a clean slate. But, most importantly I have to get my children prepared for the start of school and that in itself is a huge job.   

Luckily I had my children very close together, (of course daily I change my mind and wonder if I am lucky or if I was just plain nuts) and they are all teenagers right now. Two are in high school and the youngest is in his last year at Middle School. Two of them need to be awake no later than 6:30am and the younger one by 7am. For the past three months they have been sleeping till 9!! In fact, today I was up early and I looked at the clock at 7, then 8 and heard nothing. At 8:59am I had to do something!!! They need to get up!!! In less than 48 hours I will have to be the alarm police and make sure they are up and ready to go! New schedule and new habits. 

All summer they were able to sleep and have a leisurely schedule. This pending day will change their entire existence. They have no real worries during the summer unless you call getting your friends to hang and finding a job a worry. Mine did get the great opportunity to go back to camp and live in the woods with no electronic devices and re-entry for them is another story, but school is here and my kids are actually really excited to get back and see their friends and get back into a routine. Yes, they will miss their sleep and they might have to show up at school not showered, but soon they will be back into the groove. 

The routine for the parents is another story. Dropping off and picking up. How many times a day can you go to a school? Last year it became a joke in our house. One of my children forgets everything! He would forget his head if it wasn’t attached, literally. One day as I was driving home from the high school. I see my ex-husband going in the same direction as the school. I picked up my cell phone and called him to see where he was going. In my mind I hoped he wasn’t going to the high school. Well my hopes did not come true. Yes, he was going to drop something for that same child! Well, this year there will be no extra trips to the school and if my children don’t have what they need it is on them!!!

New times and a chance to do it right this year. I am going to get them off to school daily; organized and happy. If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you! Even if that is my goal, it is hard to transition. Imagine if we didn’t get the chance to try and do it right this year. Life would stink! The children learn from last year what tricks help them get better grades, get to school on time and have some form of balance. 

For me, one habit that I had over the summer was eating ice cream every night!!!! Yes, I went to put on a pair of jeans that has been hibernating in the dresser and I remember the last time I pulled these soft and comfy favorites and went to button them there was a little room at the waist, and hey, I felt good in them! OK. What happened? Did they shrink during those couple of long hot days? That definitely had to be it. Wait, did I wash them in hot water and then dry them? Sure, those are all of the excuses that I hoped were the reason for one of my Fall fashion favorites not being comfortable after pulling them on. But, to be completely honest, it must have been the lack of discipline and my inability to turn down an ice cream cone :-)  So here I am at the start of the school year hoping to stop eating carbs and exercise daily. 

It does sound like New Years!!! Well, as I do on January 1st,  I will hope to try and change during the next couple of weeks. I will have some awesome results and then some less awesome results. But, I will be aware of the need for change and that in itself is a move in the right direction. Enjoy the first couple of weeks getting into a new routine. School and juggling all of the things that need to get done. I am sure if you are like me you will have lists and calendars galore in hopes of being organized. During this time remember that no one is perfect and you are doing the best you can!!! No beating yourself up!!! This is a stressful time of year. Please breathe and smile. I promise it will help.