With both of you having busy careers, how do you handle the transition from summer to back to school?
We're both so fortunate that we get to work from home, but one thing that has been hard for me, at least with the end of the summer, is that ... I'd wake up in the morning and want to spend time with my kids because it was the end of summer, and I knew that they were going to be going back to school, but then I also had work to do, so I knew I had to do that. I also wanted to take care of myself and get a workout in, so every morning, especially towards the end of the summer, [it gets tough].
During the beginning of summer, you're doing more stuff, fun stuff like trips and you're like, "Whoo, everyone's home, fun." But then that gets old, and towards the end, I would wake up in the morning and I'd feel guilty because I wasn't totally present with my kids, guilty because I wasn't getting my work done, getting stressed watching the emails pile up, and I was feeling down because I wasn't taking care of me and getting my workout in, and so I would wake up and then, instead of doing anything, I would do nothing, and I would sit there and worry about what I wasn't getting done.
It's almost like a paralyzing feeling, and I talked to a lot of moms about this, and it's something that a lot of moms were feeling, and dads I'm sure, towards the end of the summer.
The transition back to school has been a healthy one, personally, because my kids go to school, and I can focus on my work. Then, when they come home, I can be like, "I got my work done and I can totally be present with them." I always say that time with kids is not about quantity, it's about quality, and with school back in session, I'm finally getting that quality time back in, and I feel like, "Whew, I can breathe." I know a lot of other parents are feeling the same way.
