UNITED STATES—Labor Day has officially come and gone, so do you know what that means? Summer is over and fall is now fast approaching. The days of hours long of sunlight is starting to dwindle. Just a month ago, it was not getting dark until around 9 p.m. or little later, now it’s getting dark earlier by the minute.
School is officially back in session for all students, elementary, middle, high school and college. The routine for many families is back in full force. For kids, they likely hate it, but for parents they love it. Why? Less time at home, less time on screens and more time being attributed to homework amongst other things.
The routine of the fall season can be crazy for some parents. Why? It’s not just kids back in school, you also have extracurricular activities. You have parents working all day, then getting home then taking kids to play sports or so much more, and then getting home, prepping dinner and then you have homework as well. Yes, the days are long with things that must be done as it feels 24/7.
The weekend feels like you get a moment to breathe as a parent, but not really. Why do I say this? If your student plays a sport, you’re likely attending a sporting event on Saturday or Sunday, you get 24 hours to yourself. That is a single day, and guess what, you likely don’t want to do anything, but rest. You have to prepare mentally and physically for work the next day.
I know that is my mental state when you have a day off because you cannot help but think about what is coming your way. Now, I know we talked a lot about the bad that comes with fall, but let’s talk about a lot of the good. You do have plenty of holidays on the horizon. You have Halloween, which is one of my favorite holidays. Kids trick-or-treating, you have costumes, you have candy, you have scary movies and the spooky element that is exciting.
A lot of money is spent during the month of October. Is it as much as Christmas, I want to believe that is not the case, but it’s possible. Before Christmas, you have Thanksgiving. It is another holiday I love, but it’s not my favorite. I love the thought of family gatherings and cooking a ton food that you don’t get to indulge in year-round. You have turkey, ham, dressing, Candied Yams, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potato or pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, apple pie and a host of other fattening foods and treats.
The cooking aspect is fun, but it can be exhausting as well if you play host to the big festivities. With that said, you spend a bit more as well. Let’s pause on the holidays just a bit to talk about the importance of fall: football. Yes, football season has kicked off this week, for college, as well as the NFL. I’m a bigger proponent of college football because it is more exciting to watch and I love the rivalries. There is nothing like watching college football on a Saturday and tailgating with family and friends.
I like the NFL, but I’m not the biggest fan of it if I had to make a decision. The games can be exciting at times, but they are not as exciting as witnessing those last-minute moments that you get in college football, they are just nail-bitters. Let’s pause things on sports and talk about the weather.
I love fall, I mean love it. The crisp weather, where it gets chilly, but it’s not too chilly. You get to where all that clothing that has been stashed away in your closet, the jeans, the sweats, the hoodies, the fall jackets, you really get to pull out your wardrobe and showcase your style in a unique way. You also have the kickoff of the new TV season after a bit of a break for the summer, before the chill in the weather turns frigid as we usher in Christmas, snow for some and the weather that can be downright brutal and deadly at times. Enjoy the fall when you can because before you know it, it’s over.
Written By Jason Jones
