Column: holiday in sight!

It may be hard to imagine if you have just finished the Dutch May holiday and summer still seems far away, but here in Italy you can tell by everything in May that it is almost holiday. This month is without a doubt the busiest month of the year for school-going, sports, music-making or dancing children. 

Busy at school and with sports

Busy at school with the latest quizzes and assignments that count towards the report plus the preparations for the year-end performance. Busy with the last sports matches of the year. Where it might be best to add a few extra training sessions, in addition to the two standard training sessions per week.

Busy with the extra rehearsals for the year-end concert or ballet for all music-making and dancing children, which are more frequent and longer as the performance gets closer. And don't forget the pleasant evenings to end the school, sports, music or dance year together. There's nothing better than eating pizza together and having the time to chat. Absolutely very cozy!

May is exhausting!

But definitely also very tiring, all in all! Not only for the youth, but also for the parents of that school-going, sports, music-making and dancing offspring. You are desperately looking for the right clothes in the right color with the right matching accessories that suddenly appear to be necessary to make the school performance a great success.

You run from regular training to music rehearsal. From extra training to the important dance lesson to practice those last steps and cheer and passant also by the side at a last match.

And you keep hoping that all those different dates and times all fit together logistically, because default is 'not done'. Although you can't mind that you can't split into two or more people if different appointments still fall at about the same time. The only stress that comes with it is choice stress.

Applause (also) to yourself

And when the first week of June arrives and you have clapped exuberantly for the last time at the end of a performance for somewhat tired-looking children, that applause is also a bit for yourself. They did a fantastic job again, but so did you. Now it's time for the calm after the storm. First come around. For three very warm summer months. Wonderful, vacation!