Help for the final weeks of "Maycember"...
A few things to remember, and some curated lists, to make this final stretch of Maycember go as smoothly as possible...
Maycember! This is the word that parents often use for May because it has all the intensity of December like school and outside of school performances, school and outside of school sports playoffs, days off school, more homework and testing as the kids wrap up the semester, parties in and out of the classrooms, prepping for a big holiday break - May is basically the same thing as December but somehow not given the credit for being as intense!
When I was making movies, the last 2 weeks of prep before we started filming were super intense! That’s how I think of these last 2 weeks of May - it’s like the final 2 weeks of prep before the start of filming a movie. Heading into these final weeks I find myself again merging my movie prep experience, with my Type A personality, plus my 11+ years of parenting, to find efficient ways get this season’s behind-the-scenes work of parenting done well. My goal is to help us figure out how to get through May organized, sane, and still have the bandwidth to celebrate the end of the school year with our kids!
Here are my reminders and suggestions for what to do as you wrap up the school year and get ready for summer. I know there are a lot of little items swirling around in our heads that must get done, so I hope this list helps you organize those “to-dos.” Also, I intentionally made these ideas simple so we can actually get them done!
WRAPPING UP SCHOOL
The end of the school year is very hectic with a lot of parties on and off campus, a lot of performances and ceremonies, and a final push to get school work completed! Here are some ideas for how to get through all that efficiently.
YOUR SCHEDULE
Check for all the school performances, classroom parties, and graduation ceremonies you need to attend and then make sure they’re in your calendar so you can take the time off work to attend, and/or get childcare for any of your other kids who are not included in that event.
CLASSROOM PARTY
This party is usually what a room parent will handle. If you are a room parent, or have volunteered to throw this party, pick a theme and then plan easy food and activities! A summer beach/pool theme is always easy for this - kids love having flower leis to wear, fun sunglasses, and then doing a summer craft like this bracelet making craft or this summer sign craft. Oriental Trading Company’s website has tons of amazing ideas to help (plus they’re sold in bulk)! Simple mini bagels, muffins, clementines, yogurt/applesauce pouches can make great early morning party food, or juice boxes, Pirates Booty, pretzel packs, string cheese, mini muffins, clementines, for a snack party! Remember to ask teachers about allergies in the class (I’ve found Abe’s muffins or Made Good to be great allergy safe prepackaged options).
CLASSROOM GOODY BAG
This is usually what the room parents give at the end of the year, but I know some families who also like to give gifts to their child’s classmates. The gifts will vary by age, of course, but most preschool through elementary kids love beach balls and bubble wands so start there and then add items for their age!
TEACHER GIFTS
Think of what teachers want to use over the summer during their break from the classroom!
Gift card to Bookshop: this is a website that connects independent bookstores to shoppers so you can buy from a local bookstore
LL Bean tote bag: great for travel, beach days, and then school days in the fall
You can fill this with fun summer items like a picnic blanket, water bottle, baseball hat or sun hat, sunscreen - or give any of those as a gift by itself!
Note from your kids: your kids fill out this note about their memories of the year and how the teachers helped them which is really special
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
If you take pictures with kids holding up the “last day of school” sign, print the sign before that morning to save you from panicking that it’s not printing quickly enough!
GRADUATION/CULMINATION GIFTS
Preschool and Kindergarten Graduate
Elementary School Graduate
Nintendo Switch 2 (you have to get on a waitlist for it!)
Stoney Clover Lane personalized cute fanny pack, personalized tote, or leather tote in a sweet color
Day at an amusement park with friends
New sports equipment - like tennis racquet, golf clubs
Middle, High School, and College Graduate
This is an age I have not yet experienced so I suggest looking at the amazing lists my friend Jackie (who writes the Substack Motivated Clone and runs this Instagram account that curates gift and shopping lists into the best of the best) put together! Her Substack article about what to get each age group is here and it’s filled with great ideas!
SUMMER BREAK PREP
Summer break requires a lot of coordination from parents. Hope these reminders and ideas help you as you prep for the long stretch of no school.
Summer Schedule: finalize what the kids are doing each week and add it to your summer schedule
To help kids track their summer (the schedule is not always the same like it is during the school year so it can get confusing for them!), consider putting a “beats of the summer” schedule next to your every day schedule that they look at. It will help them track what they’re doing each week in addition to seeing what they’re doing each day. Click here to see how I do it!
Summer Day Camp: finalize what day camp sign-ups you need to do in order to have the childcare you need. Some ideas for national camps that probably still have openings are:
Sleepaway Camp Prep: make sure to get all the required gear that your kids’ specific camp lists on their official camp packing list. And then, check this list that I put together about the “extras” kids like to have at camp that aren’t listed on the official camp lists like games for their cabin, fill-in-the-blank camp stationery, hair glitter for skit nights (that washes out easily!), friendship bracelet making kits, lounge pillow to chill on their bunkbed, and the kind of sleeping bag that’s easiest to put away - one with a “stuff sack” that doesn’t need to be folded to fit into it’s bag!
Summer Clothing for Kids: most kids have outgrown their bathing suits, water shoes, and hot weather clothes! Unless you updated those for their spring break, now is the time to buy them - otherwise when you need them in mid-July all the stores will be selling fall/back to school clothes and you’ll be left with very little to choose from in your kids’ sizes… A few summer specifics to be sure to get:
Beach/Pool Shoes: my daughter C(8) loves these Freedom Moses two band slides for the pool and beach days, and my son N(11) loves his Adidas slides.
Water Shoes: these are great for running in and out of streams/rivers and onto dirt/rocks because they have tread and a reinforced toe (great for ages 6+, and these water shoes are easy for younger kids (ages 3-6) to take on and off (my son A(5) loves his and there are no painful middle of the toe issues like there can be with flip flops!).
Swimsuits: my sons N(11) and A(5) like the SPF 50 rash guards from LL Bean and swim shorts from Patagonia, and my daughter C(8) likes the two-piece rash guard suits from Ruffle Butts (SPF 50 and you can monogram them!) and she loves getting the new season Lilly Pulitzer one piece suit (also SPF 50 and has a matching suit for moms that’s ruched across the stomach which makes it so flattering!). I loved these full zip-up swimsuits for my kids when they were toddlers.
Sunglasses: cute sunglasses for girls, my kids loved these Babiators from 0-2 years, then ages 3-5 this size Babiators, and now ages 8+ they’ve been loving this version of Goodr sunglasses
“Summer Slide” Prep: some kids fall academically behind over the summer since they are not keeping up with schoolwork. If you know you have one of those kids, make a plan now for how they’ll stay up to speed so you’re not in a jam at the end of July wondering how you’ll get them ready for school in a few weeks (and scrambling to find available help!)! If you know the logistics of getting to a learning place will be difficult over the summer (traveling, different camp locations, different kids at different places so you can’t easily coordinate the driving) then virtual classes and tutoring are helpful! We’ve loved:
Enriched NYC: private tutoring in academic subjects
Curious Cardinals: private tutoring between a college undergrad and your kid in whatever your kid is interested in - great for summer passion projects
Outschool: private or group classes for various time commitments
Mathnasium: our local center offers virtual so yours might too!)
Summer Adventure Bag: it’s a good idea to refresh your park/beach bag for the summer! Update items like:
LL Bean tote bag (in large or extra large with long handles for easy carrying over your shoulder)
PARENT SURVIVAL
All I know is, eventually May will end and we will be in summer… until then, try a few of these to stay sane!
Flewd bath soaks to wind down after these sprint/marathon days
Calm App to have some zen moments in the middle of this chaos
Walking Pad to get steps in on days when you have no time to exercise
Use Instacart, Thrive Market, sameday.costco.com to save time!
Order takeout so you don’t have to cook!
I know that each of us has more to do than just that list during this Maycember, but I hope this helps you get through those items efficiently and with confidence! Am sending us all strength and patience as we get through this final marathon-sprint of the last 2 weeks of May😊
🩷, Amanda, your Type A Mom friend