Mom? Tough times – your child is in the school now!

August 21, 2007 Katja Presnal

Mom? Tough times – your child is in the school now!



Ok, I wrote about children’s separation anxiety, when starting the school.
You moms made a great point asking, what about us moms…

If you are like me, and you have stayed home with your child until it’s time for your child to start the school, it’s even harder to see your little one to start school.

You have devoted your life and time for your child, and the school start is as big of a jump for you, as it is for your child.

I’m still going to have my youngest one home with me for one more year, but I have started early to try to cope next year, when all of them are in school. Like for many other moms, outside of home job is not even an option for me. I want to be able to pick up children from the school, and attend the field trips and other school functions when needed.

What I did, I started my own company, and then I started this blog. I am hoping that both of them together will expand in the next year, and they will keep me so busy when all my children are in the school, that I don’t have time to miss and worry about them.

Not that I don’t care, but it’s just this mom’s survival mechanism.

If you are afraid how to cope with the Big Step, my best tip is stay busy. Release the inner Martha Stewart!


1. Start a new hobby. Join a new gym, or start organizing the vacation photos and making nice scrapbooks. Learn to sew and start making the Christmas gifts for the family. Try mountain biking or something else, you have always wanted to do, but just didn’t have the chance.

2. Renovate the house. Remodelling is fun, and you can even take classes at Home Depot how to do things yourself – or working with a skilled interior designer is fun too.

3. If your house is perfect, start gardening. If you don’t have a garden, get a window box of herbs.

4. Get more into cooking – take a cake decorating class or classes how to cook thai-food.

5. Get more active at your church.

6. Volunteer at your child’s school or at the local animal shelter.
Get a pet.

7. Start a home business or get a part-time job.

8. Have another baby and if possible, have your husband to come home for long lunches and some afternoon delight – after all, the house is empty, the kids are at school.

9. Join with other moms, who have the same situation. Enjoy the child-free-shopping-sprees and lunches. Re-connect with the friends who do not have children, and have lunch with them in the business district. Or do what I do – connect with other moms in the internet.

10. Think about YOURSELF. You are a great mother, and your child is growing up. It is OK to let your child grow and give a little slack for yourself too. Let yourself think what you want, and focus on your needs for a while.

In the school of life, this is a big step for you too, and a lot of learning is ahead – make sure to listen to yourself so you don’t miss a great class.

Katja Presnal

Katja Presnal shows how to live Nordic inspired life to the fullest and plan your dream life. Katja owns Presnal5 strategic marketing intelligence agency and wants to help marketing professionals to combine a dream career and dream life via freelance work. Katja is an award-winning marketing strategist, and a well-known speaker. Katja has lived in five different countries, and seven states in the USA. Her three children were all born in different countries within three years. When not working or jet-setting the world, Katja is at home cooking big family dinners. She has been featured in NY Times, Glamour, Redbook, Fodor's, Forbes and Woman's Day magazines among many other national and international publications and written for MTV3 and Lifetime TV networks.

Comments (7)

  1. FireMom

    I won’t really have time for any of that for quite a few more years as LittleBrother will demand my time and energy while BigBrother is off learning.

    But someday I will have time to write this darn book! I swear! :)

  2. Healthyfreemom

    It’s a great time to start a home business. Money plus flexibility if you do it right!! I happen to my homeschooling my child, so I have to balance the two…but even if she was in school, I’d choose my residual income generator over working for an hourly wage, anytime. Why live in a resort town if you can’t take advantage of the skiing, biking, hiking, fishing, etc… when the mood strikes?!!

  3. pamela

    I will have four kids in school for the first time in 12 years. I appreciate your tips. I have to find something to do other than shop!

  4. New Mama's Nest

    So glad to see you posted this! I think that Separation Anxiety often effects us Mama’s more than the kids!

  5. Deb

    Have another baby??????? No way, I just cleared the house out! I do PTA and Sunday school stuff.

  6. MorningSong

    Great advice! It is hard to send those little ones off! They are still our babies!!

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