A Mom’s Guide to Surviving May

If you’ve looked at your calendar lately and immediately felt stressed… welcome to May. 😅

May is basically the unofficial Olympics for parents. One minute you’re buying flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week, the next you’re trying to remember what color shirt your kid needs for the spring concert while simultaneously searching for cleats, signing permission slips, and wondering how there are only a handful of days left of school.

Honestly, whoever scheduled all of this in one month clearly loved chaos.

So in honor of survival season, here’s your very realistic Mom’s Guide to Surviving May.

1. Accept That Your Car Is Now Your Second Home

Your vehicle currently contains:
• at least one water bottle with unknown origins
• sports equipment
• a sweatshirt nobody claims
• snack wrappers
• 47 papers from school
• one lonely french fry

And honestly? That’s okay.

May means living in pickup lines, parking lots, baseball fields, dance rehearsals, and drive thru lanes. You’re doing great.

2. Teacher Appreciation Week Sneaks Up on All of Us

Every year it arrives and suddenly parents everywhere are panic ordering gift cards at 10 PM.

Good news: teachers truly appreciate kindness more than perfection.

A handwritten note from your child, coffee gift card, flowers, or even a simple thank you can mean a lot. No Pinterest level creativity required.

3. Prepare for Concert Season Chaos

Somehow every child in America has:
• a concert
• a recital
• an awards ceremony
• a band performance
• a talent show
• or a “special classroom presentation”

Usually all within the same 10 day stretch.

Bonus points if your child tells you they need:
“black pants and a white shirt” approximately 14 minutes before leaving.

4. Sports Parents Are Not Okay Right Now

May sports schedules are aggressive.

You’ll go from:
baseball → soccer → dance → racing → volleyball → back to baseball

…all while surviving exclusively on iced coffee and concession stand pretzels.

And somehow there’s always one game scheduled during dinner.

5. Field Trips Require More Work Than Buying a House

Permission slip.
Lunch packed.
Waiver signed.
Money turned in.
Wear blue shirt.
Need parent volunteer.
Bus leaves at 8:07 sharp.

No pressure.

6. Mother’s Day Is Somehow Also Work for Moms

Can we talk about how moms often end up planning Mother’s Day too? 😂

The reservations.
The outfits.
The reminders.
The logistics.

Here’s your reminder that it is completely acceptable if your dream Mother’s Day includes:
• silence
• coffee alone
• nobody touching your snacks
• a Target trip by yourself
• or simply not answering “Mom?” for 30 minutes

Valid. All of it.

7. The End of School Is Basically Controlled Chaos

Spirit weeks.
Countdown chains.
Class parties.
Extra projects.
Field days.
Early release days.
Random schedule changes.

And suddenly your child remembers they need poster board at 9 PM.

May keeps us humble.

8. Lower the Bar a Little

This is your reminder that survival counts.

Dinner can absolutely be:
• cereal
• Costco pizza
• chicken nuggets
• snacks disguised as a meal

Your kids will survive.

You do not need to volunteer for everything, bake homemade treats, or create magical memories every single day.

Sometimes making it through May IS the accomplishment.

9. Don’t Forget to Actually Enjoy Some of It

As exhausting as May can feel, it’s also full of really sweet moments.

The concerts.
The sports victories.
The goofy field trip photos.
The handmade Mother’s Day cards.
The excitement heading into summer.

It’s messy and busy and chaotic… but it’s also the stuff we’ll miss someday.

Even if right now we’re mostly just trying to survive until June. 💕

Looking for family events, spring activities, and local fun happening this month? Be sure to check our event calendar and subscribe to our free weekly newsletter so you don’t miss a thing!