It’s been a long and busy summer, and it’s only now with just a few remaining days until the school year begins that I’m able to carve out some time to write.
I’ve had some disappointment with myself these last couple of months – not being patient enough, not having a better daily schedule for the kids, not being physically active enough, not consistently eating well, not regularly having a menu plan for the family.
But the summer happened, and the kids had a great time. I may not have created art projects for them, but I gave them markers and papers, scissors and tape, and they made their own projects.
There wasn’t a weekly menu plan, but we still had three homemade meals and snacks every day.
There were messes all day long, but they got cleaned up and I even got some decluttering done.
We didn’t do amazing trips but the younger kids were happy with our park outings and a trip to the beach. We did a house swap and spent three days in Beit Shemesh, where we spent time with married children and grandchildren.
While I was feeling inadequate that our days felt like an effort and everything wasn’t running like a well-oiled machine (‘if only I had a better schedule!’), overall everyone was content.
With just a couple more days before they go back to school, I can step back and recognize how much energy was needed to keep the days running smoothly for everyone. It takes time and effort to have lots of people around all day long.
Telling myself it would feel easier if I was more organized wasn’t helpful. As I often remind my family, “Done is better than perfect”, and I need to regularly remind myself of that, too.
I don’t think I’m the only parent feeling tired after a long summer with everyone home. We all deserve huge pats on the back for what we’ve done these last two months! I tend to neglect to appreciate myself, minimizing my efforts while focusing on what I could do better. Not good.
It was a good summer for our children of all ages, and despite not having ‘me-time’, I can say it was a good summer for me, too. Yes, it’s been a lot of work, and yes, I’m very much looking forward to quieter mornings. But I’ve done a good job.
Please give yourself some appreciation and loving affirmations for all of your hard work!
Avivah
Leave a Reply