‘Twas the night before summer break

No parent of a school-age kid needs to be told how crazy the calendar is in the month of May. We are already well aware. We intellectually assent that if we just write an organized list of small to-dos, it would be easier, “take moments to ourselves,” practice self-care or use “simple meal planning tips.”

We don’t need to know how to do May better or be told healthier ways to cope with the end of the school year. When you’re on the front lines, offering more tips and techniques can sometimes heap another helping of “not doing it perfectly” guilt on your already full plate.

Beth Collums is an Atlanta-based writer. Her professional background as a child and family therapist and passion for offering support to families gives her a uniquely insightful perspective on the intersection of mental health, relationships and education

Some seasons in parenthood must be laughed (and/or cried) through, and “quick and easy” is just not available. The end of the school year for me has been sheer chaos, trying to nail down summer camp schedules and activities while celebrating “graduations” for kids that aren’t truly graduating from anything. Just an aside, can we all collectively agree as parents to one graduation and it’s placed at the end of SENIOR year!?

All this has possibly pushed me over the edge this year, and a poem felt like the perfect way to make light of the “May-hem” parents are dealing with.

Here is my version of the Christmas classic with a pre-summer break twist:

‘Twas the night before the summer break, and all through the house, not a mom was asleep, clickety clicking her tired mouse;

Her face all aglow by the light of the screen, it’s her time to shine, not cook and clean;

She knew end of school would be here soon, faster than ever, summer sign-ups are only for the brave and the clever;

Sweatband affixed and connection speed a ready, it was her race to win if she stayed focused, her palms sweaty;

Check it off the list, summer weeks are all booked and paid on the card, vacation’s on the calendar if she can make it that far;

Kids are asleep dreaming of movies seen at school, because we all know learning in May is only for the fool;

Junk and cupcakes have been the steady diet for weeks, maybe Petit Fours depending on mom’s social media feeds;

No time for herself, mom’s running on empty, school’s almost out, chicken nugget dinners a plenty;

Healthy meals can come in a sack she knows; drive-thrus are fine, indeed, they sell apple slices and potatoes!

Why does each start of summer come as a surprise? It’s almost like the school calendar was made for farming at sunrise.

Wait a minute, that’s it, this schedule isn’t made for modernity, it’s for farmers and agriculture, an agrarian society;

She could lament and get down about skipping haircuts and doctor visits, or she could pause and look for the silver lining … but only for 3 to 4 minutes.

Getting through the summer will come soon enough, the whole village will have to help parents, so tough;

It’ll take grandmas, camps, daycares and nannies, aunties and neighbors and sometimes screens with candies;

The kids are excited, and well, I guess she is too, summer break’s almost here!

And yes, Mr. Barista, she’ll take two.