Community Corner

Mom's Talk - Harried Spring

How can families deal with the change of time and season?

by Deneen Wohlford

Are we the only harried family in the spring?

Every spring things get out of control in our house. And, every spring I say "never again." I am sure it is the same for many households with kids, jobs, pets and activities. How did we end up "that family?" You know, the family that is overbooked, who is running around from activity to activity.

We didn't start out that way. My husband and I agreed that we would put family time above all else. Then came the girl scouts, dance, theater, swimming, soccer and baseball ... and that's just our kids. My husband coaches my son's baseball team and I am my daughter's Girl Scout cookie mom and am a PTA and class volunteer at my kids’ school.

Don't get me wrong. We have alot of fun and we have developed some life long friendships through our participation in these activities. But, there has got to be some relief.

It really is me (isn’t it always). I love to volunteer and be busy. It is just who I am. Then, it all starts getting out of control. I start getting crabby. We start eating out more frequently. My husband starts complaining about all the Girl Scout cookies (and stuff) piling up in the house … not to mention the extra money I am spending.

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This year is different, though. Usually, I just continue careening out of control until school ends. This year, I am saying enough is enough. Yes, I am still the volunteer. But, I am consciously putting a stop to this spring madness earlier than June.

I know I am not alone. There are resources that help us stressed out moms. Kaiser Permanente has pod casts, wellness coaching and healthy living tips. For more information, visit their health resources section of kp.org/diablo.

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