Aviation for Women is the flagship member publication of Women in Aviation International. Articles feature women who have made aviation history, professional development ideas, and current-topic articles.
Issue link: https://afwdigital.epubxp.com/i/715635
40 Aviation forWomen S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 I only really enjoy one season—summer. I absolutely love the overwhelming heat and humidity and the scorch- ing sun. I love summer activities and the fact the outdoors be- comes an extension of our homes. I'm barefoot and in tank tops most of the time—thanks to having a home-based office—and my hair air dries in what I like to think are messy beach BACK TO SCHOOL J O D A M A T O , C A M T H E J U G G L I N G A C T waves (more likely looks like bedhead), while a tan that de- feated all the sunscreen I wear serves as the only makeup I need. A typical summer workday for me star ts with an early morning run, a quick shower, kids off to camp while I spend the day in my office, and then some fun activity with the kids that cel- ebrates the casual feel of summer. It can be as simple as grilling out on the back deck, popping over to my parents for an evening swim, or playing Poké- mon Go at a local park. I don't really enforce bedtimes, and I'll lazily sit on the deck with a book and a cold drink until it's become too dark to see the words on the pages. The only thing missing from most of these days and nights is that I am usually on my own during the week. The casual pace of sum- mer also means I'm not asking my airline pilot husband for the strange and random day-off requests that we need during the school year, but instead can encourage him to bid to stay busy the entire months of July and August. Even with my increased "single mom" workload during the week, I am not the mom who ever says summer is too long and my kids need to be back in school. It is the time when my two boys reconnect with each other and become best friends all over again. With the help of nearby family, a summer sitter who has become a dear friend, and some real- ly fun day camp opportunities, my boys really get a chance to unplug from the chaos and frenzy that identifies their school year lives. Here in New Jersey, summer vacation starts in mid-June and doesn't end until after Labor Day. It's an 11- or 12-week experience that starts out stress-free as the summer unrolls seemingly endlessly in front of us. While the first five or six weeks are total bliss, the back-to-school stress creeps up on me when the stores start to change their displays mid- July from s'mores ingredients and lemonade to bulk packs of snacks and juice boxes. Without fail, I'm suddenly making back to school to- do lists in my head. I'm almost angry when I realize we'll need to sacrifice a nice evening or a weekend day at the pool for back-to-school shopping. I set up doctor's appoint- ments and fill out all of the medical forms for the nurse. I start getting emails and texts from the PTA president reminding me of some of the duties I signed up for—which both seemed like a great idea back in May. Should I start harassing the seventh grader to practice the saxophone that's been collecting dust since June? Does the fourth grader remember the multi- plication tables that he memorized in third grade? After having done this for a number of years I finally figured out how to cope with the transition without making us all crazy, or sacrificing the rest of our sum- mer enjoyment. Stay calm and breathe. We live and work in a world and an industry that is a 24/7 global reality. Nothing really ever be- gins or ends; we're just always moving on to the next phase of something whether it's linear or cyclical. If we let these things overwhelm us then we'll only ever be playing catch up, which leads to avoidable stress, which then affects everyone around us—especially our kids. Teaching them to not freak out by setting a good example when seasons change and schedules get overloaded and workload increases is a life skill they will need. Do whatever your version is of staying calm and breath- ing. My version is to intentionally will myself to stay calm, slow down, and repeat mantras in my head that make sense at the time. Getting myself in a tizzy helps no one. Make a master calendar. In aviation we live and die by our calendars, so chances are you already depend on this step as much as we do. Using Google Calendar, our family over- lays my husband's monthly flight schedule with my work and travel schedule, the kids' sports schedules and extracurricu- lar activities, the school calendar, all of our volunteer and social events, and even my running schedule. Anyone who needs us for anything can usually get a straight answer from us on our availability within a four- to six-week window. This gives all of us peace of mind. The back-to-school stress creeps up on me when the stores start to change their displays mid-July.