The Week Before Holiday Break Should Come With a Warning Label
The Week Before Holiday Break Should Come With a Warning Label
If you’ve ever wondered why moms look a little extra tired the week before holiday break… allow me to explain. Because apparently, simply getting our kids to and from school is no longer enough. Oh no. That would be too peaceful.
Welcome to The Last Week of School Before Christmas™ — also known as the Olympics of Parenting Logistics.
First of all, if it’s not in the calendar, it is not happening. And this week? The calendar is screaming. Alerts. Reminders. Color-coded blocks of chaos. I’ve set more alarms than I do for actual vacations.
Let’s start with Spirit Week — because nothing says “festive” like digging through the laundry pile at 9:47pm looking for something that could maybe pass as a reindeer.
Monday: Snowman
Tuesday: Reindeer
Wednesday: Present
Thursday: Pajamas
Friday: Holiday Sweater
Five days. Five outfits. One mom questioning her life choices.
Then there are the holiday parties. Plural. Each requiring a sign-up. Bring treats! Or decorations! Or a game! Or a book! Or all of the above if you accidentally click “Yes” too fast.
Don’t forget the student gift exchange — which requires a gift, wrapping, and somehow remembering the budget limit while standing in the Target aisle whisper-arguing with yourself.
Oh, and early release days, because why wouldn’t we change the schedule when everyone is already hanging on by a thread?
And my personal favorite: “Please join us for the holiday party! No siblings allowed.”
So… find a babysitter. During the holidays. For the middle of the day. Cool cool cool.
Then comes the Christmas performances. Be there 30 minutes early to get a good seat… even though it starts 15 minutes after drop-off. Make it make sense. I will absolutely be sitting in a tiny chair, questioning why I didn’t bring coffee.
Somewhere in there we’re also expected to pull together teacher gifts. All five of them. Thoughtful. Coordinated. Not last-minute at all. Definitely not being wrapped at midnight.
And JUST when you think you’ve got it all handled… You see it.
At the very bottom of the newsletter. Buried in bullet points. Casually mentioned like it’s no big deal.
“Please send your child with a stuffy and a blanket for movie day on Thursday.”
Excuse me, WHAT?
Y’all.
This is only five days. Five days that feel like twenty. Five days where the car line becomes your second home. Five days where you’re pretty sure you forgot something — you just don’t know what yet.
If you need me, I’ll be refreshing my calendar, washing pajamas again, and reminding myself that holiday break is coming… eventually.
Bless us all. 🎄
