Dear Mama, School Starts Next Week... and I'm Not Emotionally Prepared

Yes, dear mama, it's true.

The day we've all been pretending wasn't approaching is now standing right at our doorstep, looking at us with an almost suspicious amount of confidence.

Next week, school officially starts.

Already.

Honestly, I don't know how this happened. Wasn't it just yesterday that summer vacation began? Wasn't I just buying sunscreen, beach towels, and watermelon while thinking we had endless weeks stretching ahead of us?

Apparently not.

So today, I'd like to take a moment to mourn the passing of a season that always leaves far too quickly.

Goodbye lazy mornings and relaxed rhythms. Goodbye spontaneous evening ice cream outings and random trips to the park after work. Goodbye family dinners at whatever hour we happened to feel hungry. Goodbye Netflix evenings without constantly checking the clock. Goodbye leisurely breakfasts with avocado toast, eggs, fresh coffee, and the lovely illusion that I had all the time in the world.

And goodbye to my recent Saturday hobby of wandering aimlessly through different Montreal neighborhoods, discovering corners of the city I never knew existed.

It's been lovely.

Because next week, reality is making a dramatic comeback.

Suddenly, the alarm clock will be ringing at 5:30 a.m. The school bus passes at 6:50, which I continue to believe is a completely unreasonable hour for any human being to be functioning properly. If I dare dream of fitting in a morning workout, I'll probably need to wake up around 5:00 a.m., a plan that sounds wonderful every August and significantly less wonderful every September.

The lunchboxes will return.

Three of them.

The homework supervision will return.

Three of them.

The endless cycle of laundry, meal preparation, school emails, forgotten gym clothes, forms requiring signatures, sports activities, grocery shopping, and strategic household management will return.

And somewhere in the middle of all this, I will once again attempt to squeeze an entire life into a few precious evening hours before collapsing into bed, wondering how it became 9:15 so quickly.

The funny thing is that years ago, I used to look forward to the start of the school year.

Really.

Back then, I imagined peaceful workdays and uninterrupted concentration. I dreamed of a house free of sibling arguments while I tried to prepare professional proposals for clients.

But somewhere along the way, something changed.

The older my children get, the more I genuinely enjoy spending time with them.

I love our conversations. I love our adventures. I love the ridiculous stories that somehow emerge during family dinners. I even love the lazy afternoons when we're all simply existing together under the same roof, each doing our own thing.

My husband feels exactly the same.

And that's why, for the first time in many years, school opening doesn't feel entirely exciting.

It feels a little bittersweet.

Because while I'm certainly ready for some structure, I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to this version of summer.

So How Am I Coping?

Not especially gracefully, if I'm being honest.

But here are a few things I'm planning to try during these final days before reality officially resumes:

1. Stop Thinking About the Entire School Year

I don't need to survive until June.

I only need to survive next week.

One week at a time feels much less intimidating.

2. Keep One Summer Tradition Alive

Whether it's evening walks, Friday ice cream, family movie nights, or spontaneous weekend outings, I don't want summer joy to disappear overnight just because the calendar says September.

3. Lower the Bar for the First Week

Nobody receives awards for perfectly organized lunchboxes or color-coded schedules.

The first week is about adjustment, not perfection.

4. Schedule Something Just for You

A coffee date. A bookstore visit. A walk. Even thirty uninterrupted minutes with a good book.

Because moms deserve transitions too.

5. Allow Yourself to Feel a Little Sad

Summer gave us memories, adventures, laughter, and extra time together.

It's okay to miss that.

Missing something beautiful doesn't make us ungrateful for what's coming next.

It simply means it mattered.

So no.

I am not ready.

The children, on the other hand, are absolutely fine. They're excited to see their friends again, meet their teachers, and return to their routines.

Meanwhile, I'll be over here desperately squeezing every remaining drop out of summer while pretending I have accepted reality.

Because the truth is, this season was good.

And perhaps that's why it's so hard to let it go.

Anyone else feeling the same way, or is it just me? ☀️💙

Love, Katerina

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