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Back to School, Back to Me
Muhammad Nadeem
Oct 05, 2026
Okay, so if you peeked into my living room at literally any point during the school holidays, you'd see two things at once: pure, chaotic joy... and total, unfiltered destruction. I love my five kids more than anything, don't get me wrong. But a teenager, a school-aged kid, a preschooler with the energy of a caffeinated squirrel, a toddler who is basically a tiny tornado, a newborn?? All. At. The. Same. Time??
Honestly, some days I feel less like a mom and more like an air traffic controller who also happens to be the janitor and the chef. No cap.
So when the older two finally, FINALLY went back to school this week, the quiet that followed almost felt fake. Like, is this my house? No more digging through the couch cushions for one missing shoe. No more yelling "GRAB YOUR LUNCHBOX" four times while simultaneously braiding someone's hair. The door shut behind them and... nothing. Just silence. I didn't even realize how much I needed that until it actually happened.
Then came the best part of my morning, ngl. I fed the baby, got the toddler down, and I still don't know how this happened- some kind of parenting alignment of the stars- they both fell asleep at the same time. I tiptoed out, shut both doors, and just stood in my living room for a second like... wait. I have time. Like actual, uninterrupted, nobody-needs-me time. Two, maybe three hours.
Was the house a disaster? Obviously. Crumbs everywhere under the high chair, toys all over the rug, laundry piling up like it's trying to become its own mountain range. But for once I looked at all of it and went, yeah, not today. That can wait. This time is mine.
I went into the bathroom and just... slowed down. Washed my face first, kind of rinsing off the whole morning, you know? Then I put on my Renew Light Therapy Face Mask (one of my favorite little indulgences, not gonna lie), curled up on the couch, and let myself just exist for a bit. After that, my Hyaluronic Acid Serum, patted it on, and let it soak in. It's such a small thing, but it's become part of what makes this whole routine feel like mine.
And then, coffee. HOT coffee. If you're a mom, you know it's basically a miracle in itself. I sank into the couch cushions and just breathed for a second. My brain had been running a hundred different schedules, moods, and snack requests for literal months, so that silence? Honestly kind of beautiful. I drank my coffee while it was still warm! And just listened to the house hum.
I used to think self-care meant finding some extra hour hiding in my day somewhere; spoiler, it never showed up. But I get it now. It's not about the hour. It's a few quiet minutes, some products I love, a little bit of time carved out just for me. That's it. That's enough to remind me I'm not just the person running around keeping five humans alive.
I'm me, too.
