High Maintenance Mom

B started first grade on August 11 and N started his last year of preschool right after Labor Day. It's late September and we're still trying to adjust. Going to bed early is a struggle and with it comes difficulty getting up / out of the house in the morning. It's exhausting. We're trying to stick to a schedule to make life easier on everyone but it's hard to find time for soccer, homework, food shopping, cooking, and cleaning...

In first grade there are fewer recesses and the kids are expected to behave better. The class has a color system (green is the best) and B's weekly charts have been multicolored. I've talked with his teacher and his English teacher. Both are working with us to help B learn to control his body. B's English teacher started to send notes home about his progress. We hang the notes on the refrigerator and talk about them at dinner. "B had a good day today. He was able to give other's their turn and follow directions while sitting next to a very friendly friend. Good Job B." The positive reinforcement makes B proud of his accomplishments and talking about his day is helping him come up with solutions to some of the problems.

So far, being involved in B's classroom and with his homework has really helped but it has come at the expense of spending time with N. Luckily my husband has been spending more time with N. I try to read a little with him every night and I'm hoping that our schedule is starting to calm down enough that I can work out a more equal routine. These transitions are always hard and can feel like they take forever. Looking back, I can see we've made a lot of progress. Of course, that doesn't mean the next month is going to be easy but I can only hope that it's going to be easier than the past month. My plan is to try to do less, once soccer ends.