“The truth is that children (and adults) do better when they feel better.”
– Jane Nelsen

Before we begin, let’s take a breath…

If you have made it to June with packed lunches, school runs, lesson plans, bedtime negotiations, forgotten forms, emotional mornings, tired afternoons, and the occasional “How is it only Tuesday?” moment, you are still here. Still showing up. Still learning. Still growing alongside the children in your care.

That matters.

June has a funny way of looking cheerful from the outside. There are sports days, assemblies, class celebrations, transition days, performances, and the promise of summer somewhere on the horizon. On paper, it can look like the lighter part of the year.

But many parents and educators know the truth: this stretch can feel surprisingly heavy.

Children who have been coping well may suddenly seem more emotional, distracted, clingy, silly, resistant, or simply done. Teachers may be counting down the days while still holding an entire classroom together. Parents may be juggling the usual routines while also thinking ahead to changing schedules, childcare, reports, holidays, and all the little endings that come with the close of a school year.

It is not quite the end, but everyone can feel the end coming.

That is the almost-finished feeling.

It’s the strange in-between space where the finish line is visible, but there are still uniforms to wash, lessons to teach, friendships to navigate, homework to finish, shoes to find, and tired bodies to get out the door in the morning.

And in this season, behaviour can start to speak louder than words.

A child who usually manages mornings may suddenly refuse to get dressed. A child who has worked hard all year may start saying, “I don’t care.” A child who seems excited about moving up may also become more sensitive, more restless, or more unsure of themselves.

It can be tempting to think, “Why now? We are so close.”

But perhaps that is exactly why.

There is something tender about almost being at the end.

The year has asked a lot from children, from teachers, from parents, and from everyone who has been trying to keep life moving with care.

By June, the feelings that were easier to carry in September or January may start to feel heavier.

Children may show it through behaviour. Adults may show it through shorter patience, quieter exhaustion, or that familiar feeling of having very little left to give at the end of the day.

And if this is where you are right now (I know I am), I hope you can hear this gently: you are not the only one.

You are not the only parent wondering why evenings feel harder lately.

You are not the only teacher noticing that the class energy feels different.

You are not the only adult trying to stay calm while quietly counting how many more packed lunches, school runs, assemblies, reminders, and emotional goodbyes are still ahead.

This season can feel wobbly because it is wobbly.

June is not just a countdown. It is a transition. And transitions often bring up big feelings, even when the thing coming next is good.

So before we rush to correct every behaviour, push through every task, or tell ourselves we should be coping better, maybe we can begin by noticing what this season is asking of us.

Not perfection. Not endless patience. Not the ability to make every feeling disappear. Just a little more understanding.

A little more steadiness. A little more compassion for the children in front of us, and for ourselves as well.

Because when we understand what is happening underneath the almost-finished feeling, we can stop seeing June as something to simply survive.

We can begin to see it as a chance to help children feel held through change, encouraged when they feel tired, and reminded that they do not have to move into the next season alone.

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