The Seasons of Parenting: Spring Energy and Events
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Season: Q2 2026
Spring Energy
Article by Megan Hughes, PhD & Amanda McGovern, PhD
In our corner of the world, we are experiencing spring after a LONG winter. Along with spring can come new Spring Energy. And, according to Sarah Hart-Unger’s Quintile system of breaking up the year for parents of school-aged children, we are hitting a very busy time of year. As we come out of hibernation, we are thrown into the energy of Spring Cleaning, Spring Fever, and Spring celebrations. Many of us working parents will have recitals, graduations, art shows, and gymnastics showcases, on top of our existing busy work and family life. We’ve compiled some ideas for engaging in the Spring Energy season without completely losing it.
First, take a moment to reflect on your New Year’s intentions. Winter has been challenging, with illnesses, unpredictable weather, the state of the world, and lots of other uncontrollable external factors.
How have you been managing?
Have you been living according to your values related to work, parenting, family, etc.?
Are you making progress on your important goals?
Do you need to pivot and set different intentions?
Now, let’s look at the upcoming Spring Energy season. When spring comes along with warmer weather and more sunlight, you might find yourself with a little more energy. Along with that comes some additional tasks, spring cleaning and preparing for religious holidays. If you have school-aged kids you’ll find a lot more on the calendar with end-of-school-year recitals, celebrations, and graduations.
Take some time to look at the calendar and plan ahead in order to avoid burnout.
Remember, you don’t have to do it all. You can choose what you say yes to and what you politely decline.
Think about some of the extra events of the season. Laura Vanderkam in her Before Breakfast podcast episode “it doesn’t always have to be you” offered a great suggestion. If you can’t make your child’s school day poster showcase, you can recruit an extended family member or family friend to go in your place. That might make the event even more special for your child than if you went. Can you invite another person to take your place?
Be intentional about planning during this season. Reflect on professional issues that might arise during this time, including tax preparation, time-off requests related to summer schedule, any work-related transitions (e.g., end of the academic year, new roles, different work schedules).
How might work issues impact your schedule, availability, and capacity?
In terms of family life, take a glance at the calendar for the next few months and identify vacations, holidays, kid activities, camps, etc. How can you best prepare for the end of the school year and summer schedule?
What help can you get in place for the schedule change of summer?
Do you have to make changes to your work schedule to accommodate kids’ schedules?
Spring is a great time to do a digital wellness check-in. If you notice that you or your children’s screen use has been inching closer to problematic, you can plan ahead now to make some changes at the end of the school year. Summer camp and family vacation offer great opportunities for a tech reset. Or, if your children are in a transition year where traditionally students in your town get smart phones (often the summer before middle school in our town), you can use the spring months to work toward a new community norm. You could use this season to connect with your children’s friend’s parents to talk about smartphone alternatives.
Think about your family’s digital wellness goals. Are there any changes you might want to prepare now to initiate a change in the summer? Check out our previous article for ideas or see the Balance Project’s resources on Tech Leap Years.
Considering this surge of spring energy, there might be a meaningful or fun project that you want to accomplish.
Is there a new goal you’d like to take on?
Break down your goal into specific steps in order to make it more achievable.
Can you schedule a time to tackle the first step?