So, you’ve got March break covered, right?

Don’t worry, other parents are scrambling to make plans, too

March break is around the corner, and if you’re a parent, things are about to get real, really fast. You see, parents fall into one of the following three categories when it comes to March break: alpha, beta ( betta save money) and gamma (we’re going to Gramma’s).

There are the alpha parents who have family vacations booked weeks, if not months, in advance. Their tickets are printed off, their itineraries are booked, the dog sitter is scheduled and the mail has been set to be put on hold. The schools have been notified on the off chance the kids might miss an afternoon to accommodate their flight (although in reality these parents have already thought to book outside of school hours.)

These are seasoned travellers. They take one look at their children’s calendars in August and plan out their family trips to coincide with pedagogical days and official holidays. Then there are the beta parents. A travel vacation might not be in the budget, but that’s all right.

They have their local activities earmarked and day trips planned. They are gearing up for a staycation to get some relaxation time while saving money and supporting the local economy.

These parents are organized and frugal. They know that saving a few dollars here and there adds up. They also know that swapping play dates and packing lunches helps a lot, and that it’s all about helping their kids have fun while saving money.

You see, once you have kids, we all belong to the same club.

When the bills are high and the number of hours of sleep low, staycations make the most sense for many young families. Some may opt to eat out a little more during their staycations to give themselves a much-needed break while remaining financially responsible.

Then we have the third set of parents: the gammas. Now, there is absolutely no shame in being in this category. We’re all human; most of us have been there at one time or another. You might be reading this and wondering when the heck your child has March break. If so, the truth is, you might fall into this group. Life is hectic, the kids have hockey practice, karate and recital, and it all adds up fast. Life after school begins to resemble being an Uber driver, minus the tips.

You’re getting through your week, more often than not, flying by the seat of your pants, when you realize that March break is coming up fast. You have no plans made, no money put aside and desperately want to hold on to your sanity. You call up your best friend, who’s also a parent, and casually bring up the topic of March break, secretly hoping they are as disorganized as you are.

As you listen to their rapid breathing and realize that neither of you has made any plans, you inwardly shriek with excitement at not being alone and high five yourself for choosing awesome friends.

Then you scramble to make plans for the following week, which includes swapping play dates with your friend and their offspring if/ when either of you has appointments. You figure out what activities the local bookstore might be hosting and, of course, schedule a visit to Gramma’s house.

You see, once you have kids, we all belong to the same club. Fewer people than you might think have it all together, and if it looks like they do, well, they might just be better at playing the part.

Despite your kids trying to convince you that everybody else has all these grand plans and every kid in class will be vacationing in the Bahamas, know that you’re not alone.

Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed is a lifelong Montreal resident committed to celebrating Canadian diversity and building bridges through dialogue. The mother of two children, she is the founder and editor-inchief of CanadianMomEh.com, a lifestyle blog.