MAY-cember: Juggling Mom Life in the Busiest Month of the Year
For moms, May is just like December with the expectations, responsibilities and all the kid things. Recently known as “MAY-cember“, May chaos for moms is just like December chaos, but without the extra joy, presents and twinkly lights!
If you know, you know: “MAY-cember” is unavoidable.
If you’re a mom, you’re already living in the chaos! For those who don’t speak fluent #MomLife, “MAY-cember” is the (not-so-official) season where May becomes the new December—full of end-of-school-year madness, non-stop to-dos, and let’s be real, enough ‘obligations and expectations’ to make your calendar sweat. We may not have twinkle lights or Mariah Carey on repeat, but we’ve got teacher gifts, playoffs, spirit weeks, parties, recitals, graduations, and a slew of permission slips fluttering around our kitchen tables.
May-cember isn’t a date on the calendar, it’s a whole vibe.
It’s forgetting to pack lunches because you’re too busy ordering last-minute items for yet another school event, only to remember you also signed up to help at the class party AND teacher appreciation—all in the same week.
It’s juggling end-of-year projects and numerous awards events while Google searching, “quick dinner recipes for when you forgot you had to feed people again.” It’s hugging your fellow mom friends at pick up, most of you running on caffeine, sheer determination and maybe a little dry shampoo.
Add in the end of sports season and the start of the summer season (back to back weeks) and we have what hell on earth must feel like. May-cember is MAY-CEMBERING!
Here are the things moms can’t get away from or change during MAYcember, the last month of school
End of season sports:
- playoffs
- championship games
- parties
- awards
- recitals
EOY at school:
- summer camp planning
- school awards
- recognition events
- plays and performances
- themed days
- class parties
- are we going on a summer vacation?
- field trips
- projects
- graduation
- summer sports season beings
- teacher appreciation week
- Mother’s Day is in there somewhere!
- Memorial Day planning
Then comes June to December at lightning speed….
Summer Planning:
- Vacation
- Camps
- Juggling Work
Back to School:
- all the school planning
- prep for meet the teacher
- school supplies
- grade transitions
All Things Fall
Holiday Season
Somewhere in all that are Father’s Day, some birthdays and holidays that the kids are home from school!
But here’s the real magic of MAY-cember: underneath the wild schedules and the frantic pace of life, we get to celebrate how much our kids have grown, navigated, and thrived during another school year!
We get to high-five ourselves for making it (mostly) on time and with only a few forgotten meals and assignments along the way.
There’s beauty in the chaos—even if it sometimes feels like you deserve a medal just for getting everyone out the door fed and with their backpack in tow.
So, here’s your official permission slip to take a breath, order takeout guilt-free, and relish in the (chaotic) moments, they will be gone before you know it- and I promise you will miss this one day!
You made it, mama. Welcome to summer! We survived MAY-cember—the most wonderfully hectic time of the year!
Check out our WESH segment on how to navigate MAY-cember
We got to chat with WESH 2 News, Meredith McDonough and mental health expert Cherlette McCullough about all things MAY-cember!
Moms really are superheroes!
