By Rebecca Hastings

August has arrived and you’ve survived another summer! Soon comes school supply sales, return to routine, and the quiet joy of sipping coffee without hearing “I’m bored” every 15 minutes. Let’s take a moment to honor all you’ve endured these past few months.

Epic Battles:

Sunscreen Struggle: Spray? Mineral? SPF? Who knows which to buy?! And we all know that applying sunscreen to a child is like wrestling a greased octopus that also happens to scream. Despite your best efforts, there’s always one streak of sunburn.

Pool Towel Debacle: You’ve washed, dried, and folded approximately 4,279 towels, only for them to end up in a damp, smelly heap within an hour. The faint odor of mildew will linger long after summer ends.

Snack Wars: You bought enough snacks to feed a small village, yet somehow there’s “nothing good to eat.” You’ve resorted to eating the bag of crushed animal crackers at the bottom of the swim bag.

Car Smells: Should you try to clean the car out or just get a new one? It’s a toss-up.

Bedtime Negotiations: Remember when bedtime was a thing? Neither do your kids. It now takes multiple reminders, bribes, and threats of “no screen time tomorrow” to get them to sleep before midnight.

A Week-by-Week Breakdown of Your Sanity:

Week One: “This summer is going to be magical!”

Week Two: “This isn’t so bad.”

Week Three: “This is a lot of togetherness.”

Week Four: “I love my kids. I love my kids. I love my kids.”

Week Five: “We’re out of money, patience, and the will to entertain these people.”

Week Six: “I’m just going to check and see when the first day of school is so we’re ready.”

Week Seven: “Dinner? Ummm … who wants ice cream?”

Week Eight: “School starts soon. I think I’ll miss them. Maybe.”

Week Nine: “Wait, did we do enough fun things? Should we take a last-minute trip?!”

Week Ten: “Officially out of energy. Someone hand me the back-to-school supply list and a giant coffee.”

Unexpected Talents You’ve Developed:

Professional Event Planner: You understand why camp counselors exist.

Amateur Detective: “Who ate the last ice pop and left the box in the freezer? Who has the good goggles? Who dumped sand in the car?”

Olympic-Level Referee: Stopping sibling fights before they escalate to WWE-level brawls.

Expert at Answering Impossible Questions: “If sharks had wings would they still live in the ocean?” 

The end of summer is near and you survived. That deserves a trophy, but you’ll settle for five minutes to scroll your phone in peace. Happy new school year! 

Rebecca is a published author and former teacher passionate about authenticity, faith, and family. In real life, she can often be found typing words, driving her kids places, or wherever there is chocolate. Connect with her at RebeccaHastings.net.