Back to reality: The struggle of post-holiday adulting

AH, THE bliss of public holidays. Those sweet, fleeting moments when the alarm clocks are silenced, the school uniforms lie untouched, and the only “lunch prep” involves deciding whether to have your second helping of leftover braai or not.

But like all good things, the break had to end. And now, here we are, crawling out of the warm, comfy cocoon of holiday mode and crash-landing back into the chaos of weekday adulting.

Let me paint you a picture: it's Monday morning. My alarm goes off at an ungodly hour, and for a split second, I have no idea what day it is or why I’m awake while the sun is still snoozing. Then it hits me — school is back. The holidays are over. Reality has entered the chat.

I stumble out of bed like a confused meerkat, desperately trying to remember how this whole morning routine works. Why are children always so hard to wake up when it’s time for school, but bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5 am on a Saturday? I call out, “Time to get up!” for the fifth time before the blanket monster finally stirs.

Then there’s the daily conundrum: school lunch. Why is packing a lunchbox such a high-pressure event? Am I sending enough food? Is it too boring? Too healthy? Not healthy enough? Somewhere between a slightly squashed banana, a yoghurt, and a peanut butter and jam sandwich, I make peace with the fact that I’m doing my best — even if there’s a suspicious lack of vegetables.

And let’s not even talk about school socks. Where do they go? Is there a school sock Bermuda Triangle? Because I could swear I bought a dozen pairs before the holidays, and now, mysteriously, we have one and a half.

By the time everyone’s dressed, fed (sort of), brushed, out the door, and dropped off at school, I’m already dreaming about coffee number two and wondering how many more weeks until the next public holiday.

So yes, the struggle is real. We're back in the rhythm of early mornings, forgotten homework, mismatched socks, and lukewarm coffee. But even with all the chaos, there’s something strangely comforting about the return to routine — even if I still don’t know what’s for lunch tomorrow.

Did your post-holiday return to reality hit just as hard?