As a working mom, summer does not bring the change in routine that it does for mom’s who do not work. This is the time of year, that I am most envious of my friends who truly get to enjoy the benefits of summer – lazier mornings, not rushing to get to school, weekdays at the pool or park, and more time with your kids.
In our house, we still have a change in our routine because preschool is out, but it doesn’t seem to make our mornings any less hectic. And every year when May rolls around, I have great intentions of setting up playdates with Zoe’s classmates for later in the summer. My goal is to keep her as active and engaged with friends as possible so that she doesn’t miss out on fun because her mom works. She gets so excited about seeing her friends from school in the middle of the summer.
I have signed her up for a week long day camp at her preschool as well as some swim lessons. And since I don’t work on Fridays, I plan to make this day a bigger deal in the summer with regular picnics and other outings. We are so lucky to belong to a neighborhood pool, so we try to make it there every week and meet friends when we can.
And my favorite thing about summer has already arrived – the long days. It is a real blessing for working moms. I get to spend more quality time with the girls after work in the evenings. We can go for a walk when I get home or just play outside after dinner. And with no school in the morning, sleeping in is an option for the girls if they stay up a little later than normal.
So although I will still be waking up and hitting the grind, I am feel better prepared for summer than I have in the past. I am looking forward to a more laid back state of mind and three months of fun and sun.
Do any of you smarties have fun summer tips for preparing for summer?
7 comments
I think you are fooling yourself in thinking there is this magical change in routine. Kids still function best when maintaining their routine. That’s not a big change. No sympathy from this stay at home mom (formerly a working mom). You will always want what you don’t have so get over it.
Rosalie – don’t you think that’s a little harsh? There’s nothing like hanging out in your jammies ’til 10am in the summertime.
I agree. The bitterness was unnecessary.Lazy summer days minus all the regular school year activities are priceless. No homework, sports practices, PTA meetings, lunches to make….I wish ALLl moms (working and stay at home) could have this time to recharge and rejuvenate.I live in both worlds as a teacher but as a child my mom worked and did not have all the resources to make the effort Jenny mentioned to keep her kids engaged with friends to keep it fun. Jenny…hats off to you! You dont’ have to “get over it” but instead enjoy those long days and know your kids are lucky to have you as their mom!
I am a working Mom. I agree that was a bit harsh. I have stayed home in the past and do know that it is not an easy job and by mid August I am looking forward to School starting. However, I would love to be with my kids this summer – Eating breakfast in our PJ’s, off to the pool, playing at the parks with friends. Of course, I could still get my house chores done and not feel guilty about not being able to spend time playing in the wonderful summer sun. Chores will have to be on the back burner for me. I want to enjoy the summer what little I can also.
I’m a homeschooling SAHM with a very relaxed schedule throughout the year and the summertime still brings a renewed sense of ease and fun to our lives! Maybe it’s b/c we get to spend more time with our families and friends who are typically scheduled during the school year, maybe it’s the longer days and vacations, but I LOVE the summertime, inspite of the mosquitoes and southern heat 🙂 Enjoy this magical time!
I also work full time, but as of last week I too will have every Friday off from now on! I plan on doing the same things as you. It’s now dubbed “mommy and me fun day” on Fridays at our house. I can’t wait to hang out at our neighborhood pool, meet all the SAHMs in the neighborhood, and see my little girl make new friends outside of daycare. We can’t do it all, but we can do our darndest to try!
We love summer here, too! Dinner picnics, getting our bath done and jammies on straight from swimming at our pool, swim lessons, trips to pick blackberries, afternoons in the park. And we do all this with two full-time working parents. Full time working moms are envied, too, because my house stays clean all day, we having extra $$ for fun vacations and I have full time childcare for days I take off in the summer to do things for myself!