I saw a post on Facebook one day and it said something to the effect of we only have 18 summers with our children, so cherish it. I saw this in May and it gave me so much hope for an amazing summer! Now it is the end of June, approximately 45 days into my cherished summer and I could punch the person who wrote that article in the face! I think they meant to write you only have 18 long, grueling, exhausting summers with your kids so hold on tight – it is a roller coaster. Now, granted I am a stay at home Mom, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. And my kids are not quite to an easy age of late bed times and endless adventures! My summer angels are 8 months and 4 years old. We are still on a tight schedule to ensure minimal meltdowns while still having fun! Spontaneity is hard, exhaustion is at an all time high. and – lord have mercy – when we go somewhere the whole house comes with us!!
So how on earth do we survive another month of this agony!? Maybe I am a little bitter now because I am on a long stretch of no break from my kids, no date night with the hubby, and extreme mom guilt about getting a sitter for a nail appointment. I am exhausted. I can not think straight and I literally smell sunscreen in my sleep. It also is my first summer with 2 kids which is a whole new level of multitasking. Sure let’s go to the pool precious 4 year old who has graduated from the puddle jumper. I would love to hold your screaming brother, who is ready for a nap, while hoping if you drown another mom will at least give me the heads up. So wait? What was I saying? Oh yeah – how do we survive!?
I have said this numerous times in my motherhood journey, manage your expectations with your kids. Sure it sounds like a fantastic idea to nap in the car in between activities or spend the day on the sand, but at what price? I remember a family vacation when my oldest was 2-ish. It was a rainy day at the beach and we drove to the outlet mall. She rode in the stroller for 2 hours with maybe 30 minutes at the playground. Off to dinner we go. Worst dinner of our parenthood journey for sure! She flipped the 
high chair over, poured sweet and sour sauce all over her, the table, and the floor, and just cried louder and louder. But truly what was I thinking? I expected her to be her normal, well-behaved self, but she had been sitting for so so long already and was overtired from days of playing in the pool and sand. Lesson learned. My expectations were way off and since that day we have had a new understanding of our kids and how they adjust and adapt. Now, on the other hand our youngest is along for any ride for any duration, but let it get to the “witching hour” and he is miserable!!! Overtired and overstimulated! And I refuse to sacrifice my happy baby to be on the go all summer long! And I almost forgot the wonderful family beach trip we embarked on when all the cousins got out of school. Weather great, house great, and everyone was super pumped! Except this momma was in the bed with strep throat for 3 days, the baby is apparently allergic to the beach, and neither of my kids thought sleep was important. And the icing on the cake was that Strep and antibiotics literally made me go crazy. I was crying hysterically, throwing our things in a bag, and yelling at my husband that we were going home on day 4! But even though this month hasn’t been what I expected, I still hope to turn it around, so here are a few things I am trying to make the next month my cherished summer I had hoped for!!!
-One nap for baby at home, whether it is his morning nap or afternoon nap he will have one of them in his crib! He is happier that way and the whole family stays happy.
-Snacks upon snacks and more snacks!! My four year old is apparently snack driven. Mention a snack and she will get out of the pool for 10 minutes to give me time to put the baby down for a nap or go change a diaper.
-Strict bedtimes, I know, I know – summer is the time to stay up late catching fireflies, roasting s’mores, watch movies, but it doesn’t work for my kids. We tried it with our 4 year old and it turned into epic bedtime meltdowns, terrible mornings and long days of just being tired. So back to bedtime at the same time every night with the same routine. Not all kids do well with change.
-Understanding that fun can be in small increments. A few minutes here, a small craft or activity or a making everyday things feel like a summer adventure. Bring out a new toy from the Christmas/Birthday stash, paint, play with the water table, do sidewalk chalk. Bigger isn’t always better and to kids, it really doesn’t matter.
-Vacation with one child. This is something new for us. We wanted to take a second summer trip and we realized it wasn’t really baby-friendly, two kids flying for the first time, hotel living for 5 nights – NO THANKS. So we decided to just take the 4 year old. Less stress for Momma, means more fun for all. And he will get quality one on one time with his grandparents and we will get quality one on one time with our oldest. And later this month, our oldest will be off on a trip with her grandparents while we spend time with the baby. So it is a win win!!!
-Monitor the sugar intake. And yes I am aware that this is a no brainer but long days at home, trips to the movies, and all the popsicles at the pool can catch up to you and before you know it your kid is elbow deep in that giant bag of Sour Patch Kids she convinced you to buy at Sam’s thinking candy is a great lunch option. And somehow, for a tired momma, ice cream for dinner is very appealing after a long hot day at the pool!
-Pack the alcohol first!!!This is pretty self explanatory!!
We will survive, and on the first day of school I will dance my way down every aisle of target with a coffee in hand! And after that I will eat a full meal in peace and maybe take a nap, who knows I may just sit and stare at the wall. So moral of the story – I love Summer and I love my kids, I just have to figure out how to love them together!!
