Well, it is upon us once again – March break.  As a kid I would covet and cherish this time, which my memories tell me always seemed to come as a most pleasant surprise.  A week away from school, responsibility and, at least in the early years: homework.  I could stay up later, sleep in comfortably, and trek outside to build snow forts or race down the toboggan hill at precisely the time my friends and I deemed fit.  It meant a hot lunch, cartoons, and fun.  Occasionally it might mean going away, but more often than not it was more desirable and enjoyable to stay home and reset in our existing creature comforts.  That was then, this now.

‘Now’ represents the time in which I grew out of March break and into the world of adulting.  It dawned on me in the later high school years – the first period of my life when I didn’t get to just phone it in for a week in between Winter and Spring, in fact, given my history of work in the restaurant industry, it actually meant I was busier because more people were headed out to eat.  Then I had kids and I now look at the whole March break situation through a very different lens.  There are no morning cartoons for me, and while there is staying up later to tend to the needs of the kids, there is no sleeping in.  There’s no creature comfort.  There are few things that change for the week, I suppose: my overwhelming jealousy as I leave the house while the kids are still sleeping, the bags under my eyes, the increased in food and entertainment costs, a 5,000 piece logistics puzzle to put together, my growing resentment as I receive mounting numbers of out of office emails, and let’s not forget a time change to battle through.  Sadly March break isn’t so much a treat a treat anymore, it’s a juggling act with too many pieces hitting the ground.  But no, you kids go have fun.

Alright, that perhaps escalated as my curmudgeon inner voice took over.  I don’t actually begrudge anyone taking time away, and I love that the kids have a chance to reset.  It’s a beautiful thing.  More than being grumpy about the whole thing, I think what I’m realizing is just how grateful I am for two things:

1. what my parents did for us when we were kids
2. my wife’s impeccable talent and skill for planning and coordination

Only now do I see, recognize and appreciate the planning, consideration and scheduling that must go into March break (and Winter break,  PD days, snow days, government holidays and Summer vacation, for that matter).  Until becoming a parent and being responsible for manging the daily lives of individuals who can’t simply be left on their own, the thought of needing to plan ahead for such events had never even crossed my mind.  Nor did it cross my mind how much these days would cost – day care?  Day camp?  a Nanny?  All of them more expensive than me taking a vacation day, which leads me to the other realization that vacation days are no longer my own.  They aren’t used for travelling to far away places, or to pick up a new video game so I could veg out in front of the TV for 12 straight-hours (an indulgence that actually doesn’t sound too appealing to me to be honest…but I always liked knowing I had that option).  Nope, vacation days, for the most, belong to the school schedule and dentist appointments now.  So, thank you, Mom and Dad.  It may have taken me 42 years, but I get it now.

And then, of course, there’s my wonderfully patient and supportive partner in this life; where could I possibly begin?  I suppose with honesty:

Being that I am a project manager, planning is truly an important process that I hold in high regard and understand its value.  Having said that, I openly admit that I did nothing to prepare for March break and need to not only publicly credit Alison for her ongoing efforts to keep our household in check and out of chaos, but I need to celebrate her for it.  I knew the break was coming, yet my brain didn’t bother computing the fact that the kids cannot practically (or legally) can’t take care of themselves just yet.  Nope, my normally organized and prepared thinker went into full on ignorance-mode, and I just carried on watching the world go by with supreme naive innocence, like sitting on a bus without caring for or paying attention to the stops.  Yep – she worked to ensure they wouldn’t fall into squalor and the activities she planned out will surely keep them entertained.  She is a wonderful in countless ways.  Thank you.

Jealousy, envy, and resentment, grumpiness and attitude aside – witnessing my kids experience March break is really quite beautiful.  They are excited to spend their days lost in imagination and play.  They look forward to the special event of staying up a little later and, not so much sleeping in, but taking their time in waking up.  They both spend the first two hours of their mornings in their rooms coloring, reading and scrapbooking.  Their brains are getting a chance to mellow out for a moment, which is something Alison and I hold as a precious value.  Our society is getting better at recognizing the need for mental health or ‘personal days’ for adults, and I feel that need is just as important for kids.  We grown-ups may think that kids don’t have the stresses as us because they aren’t paying the bills, or navigating world politics, along with so much else.  But I challenge any adult to head back to the playground politics and tell me that it’s not stressful or that the social pressures or acts of self-discovery to figure out where you belong don’t weigh on you.  Kids not only have deadlines and expectations to meet, the same as our daily jobs probably present us with, but they are also learning everything at the same time – from language and math to how their own bodies work in the environment around them.  If you’ve ever suffered an injury that has caused you to re-learn a particular skill or function, then you understand how tiring that can be.  Stress, anxiety, and the nasty ‘thought monster’ does not care about your age.   So, yeah, a break is a good thing.

The weather is unpredictable (certainly no tobogganing this year!), public spaces are a zoo, and logistics are a challenge, but there are also a lot of wonderful things to accompany and overshadow the challenges.  From libraries and museums, to dress up parties and maple syrup, to bike rides and hikes, to parks and some incredibly lovely volunteer-driven events, the week can prove itself to be fun without actually breaking the bank.  Sure, it’s great to venture to a beach on some tropical island, but it’s no more magical to my kids than hitting up the swings at the park down the street on a day they would otherwise be in class.   So, thank you, Alison – for all that you do for this family, but in particular for thinking and planning ahead.  For spending all the time that you have in the kitchen with the kids this week, teaching them how to make jam, smoothies, and chia seed donuts.  Thank you for the countless trips to the library, for getting them involved in morning yoga, for the laughter-filled play dates, and for the heart-warming mid-day videos that you’ve been sending me to show how much fun they are having with all of it.  March break wouldn’t be what it is without you.   And now I hope you can take a break too.