hot mess monday:

Moms of School-aged kiddos - how is your start of school going?

Mine are 9,8 and 3.

I promise you I am no parenting expert, nor am I perfect parent. However, with 3 kids you learn in the trenches. I'm sharing some of my favorite tips for the start of the year for the month of September. If we aren't friends on the Gram already - follow me here.

Okay. Let's start off by admitting that afterschool can be a disaster. We are usually home by 4pm. Which feels really unfair to working parents, btw.

If I can avoid it - I stop working at 3:30. This gives me 30 minutes to decompress before I am hit with disregulated children.

Like, we're human too. I hate being interrupted when I'm working. If I'm disregulated... I'm not going to be any help at teaching them how to manage their emotions. Of course, this doesn't always happen. I have "office hours" from 2-4pm on Tuesday and Thursdays ( you can book with me here), which they are used to at this point. I genuinely love what I do, so chatting with my team, my clients, or an inquiry lights me up.

However, most days I like to be available. Some of you who don't have bussing can use the commute to the pickup line to listen to a podcast, make phone calls, or read. The point is, give yourself a little downtime.

Also -

I love an afternoon tea, flavored bubbly water, or a protein shake. Hydration is really important, especially if you're breastfeeding. I drink water all day, but I love a lil treat at 4pm. My kids also love a hot tea or cocoa during the colder months, it's a win for everyone.

This is desert time in our house. We have a chocolate, popsicle, you get the idea. I don't love having dessert after dinner/ before bed, so this is when we do it. Pair this with a fiber or protein and they won't crash. Typically I make them finish whatever is leftover in their lunch boxes before I give them dessert. (This can also be tossing a granola bar at them on the way to after-school piano lessons.)

Our kids bring folders of work home each day. This contains all the permission slips, art projects, and homework. I don't make them do homework afterschool, we wait until after dinner or while I put #3 to bed.

I used to empty everything and grill them about their day when they got home. However, my husband would miss out on these conversations and it was annoying to have to pull everything out of them again. I also find that they're just plain exhausted. I give them a hug, and we save the conversations for when everyone is home around the dinner table.

You'll figure out what works best for your family. My only suggestion here is to stick with it.

Expectation management is helpful in general. If kids anticipate they must complete chores, practice an instrument, do homework, etc before they're allowed to go outside and play, this can alleviate frustration when it's met with a no.

My goal for them is to be independent people. I once left a tuna fish sandwich in my backpack over winter break when I was in middle school. Anything you can do to avoid that, great.

I'm sharing these because these are conversations I have with my clients in order to help them be more successful. We as moms don't have excuses, we have actual barriers which limit our time for ourselves. Employing strategies that increase your time, productivity, and peace allows you more time for exercise and recovery.

As a fellow parent, I completely understand the limitations we have. This is why, when I work with my clients, I identify what their boundaries are, and I program their workouts around them. This job isn't for the weak.

Please share your favorite afterschool tips below!