Like a small child crossing his arm in defiance, standing his ground and firmly protesting bedtime; here I stand protesting the end of summer. Sigh. I am simply wasting my time trying to delay the inevitable while missing out on these final days of carefree summertime bliss.

Cue the scratching record sound…hold on a second, do I REALLY want to delay the return of structure? Sure, beaching it is fun and seeing my kids splash around at the beach without a worry in the world is amazing but let’s be real. I won’t miss the sand (which I will still find in my car until October!) I won’t miss the constant slathering on of the sunscreen, the packing and unpacking of summer gear, endless trays of hotdogs, hamburgers, potato chips….and I won’t miss the phrase “No Mommy it’s NOT bedtime, the sun is still out.”

Don’t get me wrong, this summer has been amazing and my two boys are devastated that it is coming to an end but what they don’t realize is that they too are missing structure. We all are. It feels good to be off track and let go of the daily grind we put ourselves through from September to June but when you go big and pack it all in for 3 months solid, there comes a time when it has just run its course. Plus the leaves start falling in August so let’s just move on to the acceptance portion of the program.

It feels good to relax and kickback but it also feels good to be “ON IT” as my husband would say! If you historically have a hard time getting back ‘on it’ then here are a few pointers to help you get started. It will make the harsh reality of summer’s end seem a little less painful!

1.     Start thinking about it now, get it in your head that in x number of days, schedules are a changin’

2.     Start exercising again. Even just one day a week. This will prevent that dreaded first walk through the fitness center doors from feeling like a task

3.     Say goodbye to hotdogs and hamburgers…dive into those late summer veggies

4.     Don’t pretend your September calendar isn’t there! Look at it frequently now and start that mental preparation

5.     Beat the rush for back to school supplies and get them now! Crossing that off the list now will lift a huge weight off your brain!

6.     Start shifting sleep schedules NOW! If you have a night owl, get them to bed earlier, and if you have one who sleeps in…rise and shine!

7.     Earn your last big summer hoorah! Check off some of these “To Do’s” early! Get things prepared for September so you can send off summer stress free!

-Sarah Caracciolo