Why Do Moms Put Themselves Last During Back-to-School Season?
Moms put themselves last during back-to-school season because a new schedule feels like one more reason to wait for a calmer moment that never actually comes. The moms who make real progress aren't the ones with more free time. They're the ones who stop waiting for permission to make themselves a priority, even in a season where everything else feels first in line.
If you have kids heading back to school this week (or you already survived the chaos of buying supplies), I see you.
Back to school season does something weird to us as moms. Suddenly there's a new schedule, new routines, new everything, and somewhere in all that shuffling we tend to put ourselves dead last. Again.
"Once Things Calm Down" Is a Trap
Every August I hear some version of the same thing from clients. "Once the kids are settled I'll get back to it." "Once the schedule calms down I'll have more time." "Once things feel normal again."
Here's what I've learned after years of coaching moms through every season imaginable: things rarely calm down. There's always something. Summer chaos turns into school year chaos turns into holiday chaos turns into a new year of the same thing. Waiting for the perfect window means waiting forever.
What Actually Separates Moms Who See Progress
The moms who actually see progress aren't the ones with more free time than everyone else. They're the ones who stopped waiting for permission to make themselves a priority, even in a season that feels like everything else comes first.
That might look like:
A 15-minute workout while the kids eat breakfast
Meal prepping on Sunday so the week doesn't fall apart by Wednesday
Getting enough water and protein in before 3pm instead of running on coffee and whatever the kids left on their plate
None of that requires a total life overhaul. It just requires deciding you're allowed to take up a little space in your own schedule.
One Small Thing, Not a Total Overhaul
So as everyone gets back into the swing of things this month, I want to challenge you to do the same. Not a New Year's resolution level of change. Just one small thing that's for you.
You don't have to figure it out alone either. If you want a plan that actually works with your real life and your real schedule, that's exactly what I do through my coaching.
