Fish Out of Water

It’s officially freshman year around our house which I naively thought only applied to my two kids.  Little did I know that my whole household would be experiencing the highs and lows of freshman year…together.

Do you remember your freshman year? Feeling like a fish out of water. New teachers, new classes, new campus and oh so many things to keep track of.  Trying to find your group while also navigating a social scene that is really unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.  

Pretty overwhelming….right?

Well, with my kids starting their freshman year, I thought this was all going to apply to them and didn’t even account for my husband and I experiencing a heck of a lot of growing pains.

The first 10 days of the new school year was beyond overwhelming.  Dropping your kids off at 8am only to pick them up at 7pm when they both finished their respective fall sport practices is an experience like no other. Racing to get dinner on the table so homework can begin.  Then prepping for the next day while also ensuring kids have organized their gear, prepped their lunches and checked everything off the list, only to fall into bed before the alarm goes off to do it all again the next day.

I was floored and no matter how much my friends with older kids prepped me that High School was a big adjustment, I was completely underprepared.

I’m happy to say after a few weeks, we’ve gotten a better handle on it.  My husband and I have synced up behind the scenes to make the pieces we’re juggling a bit more seamless on the home front and have dove back into calendaring, meal prepping and finding pockets of time to just breathe.

We’re also working to reset some expectations around what the pace of our life looked like a few short months ago when the kids were still in junior high; while also working to find a new normal as we navigate this new season.

And most importantly, reminding ourselves that feeling like a fish out of water is easier to navigate when you’re not doing it alone.

To those adjusting to the newness around your own household (or other areas of your life) chances are you’re not alone.  Find your people to help remind you that you will find your way through it.  

And even better if you can lean on your mate.

I’m cheering you on.

~ A