Dread, relief… and a new school-year resolution
Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy DdtzrPuerRw on Unsplash
As the school year starts, I – like many parents out there - find myself caught in a strange mix of dread and relief. Two opposing feelings, tangled together. Let me explain.
Why the dread?
There are the obvious worries that come with every new school year: Will our children like their new teacher? Will they be happy with their classmates? What surprises will this year bring?
But the biggest dread is the relentless rhythm of routine. For some, it’s comforting - predictable bedtimes, neat calendars, everything under control. For me, the weeks can feel like cut-and-paste copies of each other, stretched on repeat. The word that comes to mind is: tedious.
But, the part I dislike most is the constant clock-watching. Everything is timed: wake up, school van, get to work, leave work in a rush, get to drop-off van on time, homework, feed, extracurriculars, feed, cooking, chores, feed, bathtime, bedtime - squeezing it all in leaves little space for passion projects or just breathing room.
Weekends, instead of a reprieve, often become checklists of chores, personal appointments and social obligations and, for some, more extracurriculars.
And yet, the relief.
Strangely, the very things that weigh many of us down also bring comfort. Routine means us parents no longer have to plan endless entertainment or figure out where to leave the kids during those summer school vacuum weeks. The schedule solves that for us.
And yes - there’s less guilt around screen time when life is already structured and busy.
Also, if I had to be honest, the routine allows for better planning when it comes to fitting in things you really want to do on a consistent basis - such as a morning walk or a weekly or monthly commitment… it gives you time to plan ahead and ask for help if you need it.
A resolution
And this is why, this year, I want to do things differently. Actually, let me rephrase: I want to look at things differently. For my own sanity, I don’t want to just survive the routine.
I don’t want to see my day as a string of tasks I need to tick and endure. I need to see – then carve out - little pockets of joy and creativity in the margins of the schedule -moments that are truly mine… and meaningful.
It’s worth a shot… don’t you think?
How do you handle routine? How do you fit in the stuff you want to do?
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