Surviving the End of the School Year

If it feels like your house is being held together with forgotten permission slips and lukewarm coffee, you’re not alone. May is chaos. And for parents of teens and tweens, surviving the end of the school year can feel like an extreme sport.

In the latest episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Melissa Wellner, MD, and I (Sam Straub, LCPC) dive into the messiness of the final weeks of school—why they’re so overwhelming, what to let go of, and how to prepare for a summer that doesn’t leave you screaming into your pillow.

Here’s a sneak peek of what we unpack:

🔥 Why Burnout Is Inevitable—and Normal

The end of the year is hard on everyone. Teachers are toast. Kids are exhausted. And parents? We’re the glue… and we’re cracking. If your teen is more forgetful, moody, or resistant to studying, it’s not just laziness—it’s a stress response.

🎯 Lower the Bar (On Purpose)

Now is not the time for perfection. That B-minus essay? It’s fine. The forgotten lunchbox? Also fine. Adjusting expectations helps preserve energy for the things that do matter—like those final exams your teen is barely hanging on for.

🧠 Finals, Testing, and Academic Pressure

We talk about the very real challenges teens face with high-stakes testing in low-energy months. Tip: If your child is prepping for SATs or final exams, ease up in other areas. Something has to give—and it shouldn’t be their mental health.

🌞 Summer Doesn’t Need to Be Pinterest-Worthy

Surviving summer doesn’t mean crafting magical memories 24/7. A little structure goes a long way. We share ideas like:

The Alphabet Summer activity series
Teen dinner nights (they plan and cook—yes, really!)
Anchoring the week with one shared activity
Managing screen time without power struggles

🙌 Permission to Phone It In

We said it on the podcast and we’ll say it again here: you have permission to be a low-bar parent. Sometimes, the most connected families are the ones that say, “Screw it, we’re having cereal for dinner.”

🎧 Listen to the full episode:
Episode #27 – Surviving the End of the School Year

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