Has anyone else felt the same progression as I have?
March was a mess.
In April, I slowly found my footing.
Now as we head into May, life feels (thankfully) far more predictable!
As schools and other organizations make firm decisions on how they will finish the school year, I feel like I can finally get my bearings.
As a planner, that makes me so happy!
I don’t know everything, but I at least know what to expect with my son’s preschool, my daughter’s dance, and the other end of the year events. However, since each event is very different than originally planned, I need extra help staying on top of things.
My kids are also struggling in a different way.
They have been stuck at home for so long now, that to them it feels like life will never change. Just saying, “School will be over in a few weeks,” doesn’t mean much to them. Kids need a visual, tangible way to mark the passage of time and to stay focused on the fun events coming up.
I want them to see and feel that this is the home stretch! They only have a few weeks left, a few more assignments, a few more video dance classes, a few more virtual preschool sessions.
If they really knew how close we were to the end, I know it would boost their energy.
I did three simple things to help the whole family finish the school year strong.
FIRST, I created a special calendar just for the month of May. The kids can have fun coloring the ice cream cones, and I get to take all the bits and pieces of emails and flyers and announcements and put it all in one place. (I am sharing this FREE template with all of you! Click to download at the end of this article!)
SECOND, I let the kids mark each day with a sticker as we go. Every evening, we count the days until the next fun event. As they inch toward the big change from school to summer, they are getting more and more excited!
THIRD, we chose an end of the year celebration! Something fun for the whole family to look forward to. We decided to have a “Pancake Party,” followed by a Family Game Time, finished off with a Movie Night.
The Family Celebration will firmly mark the end of the school year and the beginning of summer.
I have no idea what summer will be like.
I don’t know if we will be allowed to follow through on our camping trip, or our visit to the grandparents, or the vacation bible school. But we will cross all those bridges when we get there.
For now, I am going to focus on May, and enjoy the events I can predict. At Home On Purpose, we are all about making life easier at home. So let’s give everyone something to look forward to and finish this school year strong!
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