The End of School Can’t Come Soon Enough

The beginning of June is a challenging time of year for everyone. Kids are chomping at the bit to be finished with school and are ready to race into the relative freedom of a summer schedule. Adults might notice that they are feeling more stressed as the end of school requirements mount up. Figuring out how to complete everything can feel overwhelming.

The end of the school year is both a milestone and a celebration. It marks the achievement of another academic year completed and being promoted to the new challenges of a different grade. For certain, this is something to celebrate in addition to the satisfying feeling that the schedule of the school year winds down. Many parents though need a sense of their kids having a schedule (similarly to many children needing the certainty that a schedule provides in knowing what comes next). Racing to secure childcare can also be difficult.

Getting through the end of the year can pose a dichotomy: kids are excited and full of energy whereas parents can feel beleaguered and stressed. The piling on of end of the year activities (field days, awards, performances, graduations, goodbyes, etc) get packed into schedules that tend to be stretched thin already. Add in the requirement that most of these events are held during the day, and parents who work start to feel a nice side of guilt. Feeling the need to prioritize which events you can attend and which you need to miss can be difficult–especially if you have more than one child and their events overlap.

While there is no perfect way to manage (most of parenting is far from perfect anyway), one idea is to talk to your child about which event(s) are the most important to them. This can help to arrange expectations (as well as schedules). Connect with other parents that might have overlapping events and see if you can trade taking pictures for one another (this is more of a collective idea). If you are able to utilize the “it takes a village” parenting model, make sure that your kids know who will be representing you. If you have other family in the area (or family is planning a visit), scheduling it during this busy time might be ideal, especially as a way to share the celebration with others who might not get that opportunity to see your kids shine.

As parents, we do the best we can in each moment. Setting expectations (for ourselves and our children) can go a long way in preventing hurt feelings and disappointment.