Winter break has come and gone. My kids and I had some much needed time off from school and work. We stayed in pajamas until too late in the day, ate lots of dessert and didn’t have daily things to do and places to be.
As a full-time working mom, those lazy days are few and far between for our family. It’s not typical I get to stay in sweatpants, let the kids play Nintendo and eat pancakes for breakfast. Even weekends are busy with birthday parties, kids activities and catching up on laundry. Monday comes and I barely recall what I did but I know it didn’t include much of anything relaxing.
Yes, the Christmas break was truly enjoyable.
It was also truly exhausting.
Amidst the lazy days and slow agendas, there was also endless fighting between my four and seven-year-old and my kids thinking I am a short order cook with constant requests of random meals and snacks. Literally one day my four year old completely broke down because I didn’t have ingredients for homemade meatballs. Followed by her crying because I left the smallest bit of crust on her sandwich. My seven year old couldn’t figure out why we couldn’t make cookies every single morning or why he wasn’t allowed to change his mind half way though lunch of what he was hungry for.
That was when I instituted a mandatory nap/quiet time.
Am I alone when I say I was ready for school to start back up again?
I made it a priority to schedule play-dates in order to provide entertainment for my kids and adult interaction for me versus days on end of kids, kids, kids. Some at my house, some at friend’s homes. I was even smart enough to schedule some into the evening time so that wine could be a part of the agenda.
Despite the energy I put into allowing my kids to unwind and relax while also getting energy out with friends and play dates, I found the common theme to be a mix of enjoyment and exhaustion.
There was laughter, memories made and quality time spent.
There were also mean mommy moments and a house that truly looked like a storm blew directly through it.
Ok, for sure I am not alone when I say I was ready for school to start again, right?!
Part of me feels guilty for having these thoughts. I feel like I should be treasuring every second with my kids. But the truth is that sometimes the days are long and exhausting. Having Christmas break with the kids really was something I am so grateful to have had. However, I also think it made me appreciate things like the routine of school and work.
The Christmas season has come and gone. The kids are back to school. Are you missing the days of a slower pace or are you grateful to be back to the daily grind?
We’d love to hear from you!
