If you have school age kids, the month of May can be a bit stressful.
Everyone has their different experiences depending on how many kids you have and the kid’s level of concern, but either way it’s the culmination of the school year and everyone seems to get a little whacky.
You see, I have two kids – we are blessed that they are both extremely smart; however, one cares about school like you wouldn’t believe and the other one has set a record for how many times he has asked me to check him out early because “mom, this class is so boring.”
This is one of those years though that I might be just as thrilled school is over as they are. No, I might even be more thrilled this year… This last semester has been rough. With my beloved daddy passing away at the end of January that really threw our family for a loop. Understandably, it sort-of “messed up” the flow and we were all left scrambling a little to get back into some kind of routine. As a result, it’s been a really, really tough semester for the family as we all have had to learn to adjust and let reality sink in.
The impact on my daughter has been significant and just made this second half of sophomore year rough. Rough on her and rough on anyone who cares about her–it’s so hard to see someone you love suffering. To top things off, a tragedy happened this semester where a teacher she knew lost her life. This only added to this whirlwind of emotions and stressors—and as a mom, it was so hard to know there wasn’t much I could do other than just try to be there with her through it all.
Mom-ing is really hard sometimes. Like really, really hard. But we do it because we love them more than anything in the whole-wide-world. Even if that means pulling almost all of our hair out and reaching for a glass of wine at times.
Listening to tears over schoolwork while yelling at the other to stop gaming at midnight before a standardized end-of-the-year test – sometimes I don’t know if I am coming or going. Am I doing this parenting thing right at all? I’m pretty sure I must be screwing one of them up, and yay for me because only time will tell that. Haha…sigh…
We, us moms, we are doing the best we can—but I do think that the month of May tries very hard to take us out. Keep in mind, the teachers are exhausted—the kids are exhausted and “over it,” and the parents just want it to be over too. We all want the same thing. Our level of patience may be questionable though…
Many reading this have kids who are already through with school – congrats!! Mine are almost there—one’s last day is today (hopefully he knows what he is talking about) and the other still has a few more days to finish up some assignments and take a make-up test. This mom is thrilled!
The stop-you-in-your-tracks part for me, though, is that with all the hustle and bustle of making it to the end of the year – finishing all the 5 million projects thrown at them and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel –it also means the completion of another year of grade school. Another school year in the books. Another school year that has now become a memory.
You know, they only have so many and each year I have a moment where I get a little sad in the midst of the chaos. Time really does fly by and each year that passes I realize the painful truth told to us all by those older than us: “the days are long, but the years are short.”
Sentimental moments aside — HALLELUJAH! We all made it…thank you, sweet baby, Jesus! Whew!
Oh, yes! mom-ing IS hard and the truth is…none of us get it right…most of the time! However, they all make it through (even parents and teachers) by the grace of God! Enjoy the ‘moments’ for like you said, the years ARE way too short!