Back to Mom

Okay, moms. We all know that spending the summer nervously watching new swimmers at the pool, repelling mosquitos, playing referee to the kids squabbling in the backseat on a family road trip is part of the refining process that is motherhood. But, guess what time it is? It’s back-to-school season. Once the school supplies have been purchased and divvied up, it is time for Mom.

Here is a list of musts for your newfound freedom:

1. Coffee Date with Girlfriends

You actually drink your coffee the first time it’s served. Have you been to All About Cha? Their goguma latte is truly delightful. Be on the lookout for a soft opening at their new location in Covell Village this month.

2. Shop

Now is your chance to go to the stores and slowly peruse the aisles instead of racing through before your toddler melts down. Broadway Antiques is one of my favorite spots in town. Check out Moore Home Interiors and do so in perfect solitude…or with your favorite co-room moms.

3. Binge watch/Laundry

If Game of Thrones isn’t your thing, try re-watching Grey’s Anatomy from the beginning. You can thank me later. The only cure I have found for folding mountains of laundry is doing so while watching your favorite series (instead of PBS kids).

4. Self Care

Go get your mani/pedi, take a mom nap, get your hair blown out, surprise your husband with a lunch date, the list could go on! Treat yourself without the guilt that you could/should be focusing on the littles.

5. Personal Productivity

The title “working mom” is so redundant. Every mom I know is taking on many different roles while remaining present for her family.  Maybe it is direct sales, house work, running a small business from home, training for a marathon, or the aforementioned laundry. There really is something so rewarding about remaining productive for seven hours straight without any interruptions.

Bottom Line Is

Motherhood is the practice of serving yourself last. More often than not, we busy ourselves with the needs of our family, home, and marriage, especially in the summer. We serve as the family’s tour guide through the long, hot summer days and forget that even tour guides need a break.

This August, I hope you can indulge in your newfound solitude after school drop off, but just remember we only have 12 back-to-school seasons with these babies under our roof. Soak up the silence and relish the quiet, but then be present in the chaos of the after-school shuffle and bedtime routine. After all, just like the sweet summer days, the time we have with our kids at home won’t last nearly long enough.

Bethany Schwarz is the mother of 3 active children (6, 5, and 18m). She is in pursuit of building community while getting to know her neighbors through story and shared experience.