“We get 18 delicious summers with our children. This is one of your 18. If that’s not perspective, I don’t know what is.”
-Jessica Scott
We’ve probably all heard the expression that you only get 18 summers with your kids, so you should make them count. I have mixed feelings about this saying. On the one hand, I absolutely agree that time is a thief, and before you know it, your children will no longer spend most of their time with you; therefore, we should be intentional about the time we do have. On the other hand, I want to believe that if I do a semi-decent job at parenting, my children will always be a constant in my life and always consider me and their dad their home base. This may sound silly, but one of my parenting goals is to have a bunch of my children’s stuff in my basement years after they move out. To me, that means stability, safety, and trust, and that’s what I aspire to provide for my boys.
While summer is a wonderful season to make memories, it can also be very stressful and become quite the balancing act for parents. All of a sudden, the little people in your life go on “vacation mode” while you are still trying to juggle what your normal day-to-day looks like before adding on the extra fun stuff as well. Summer can be hard on many families for a variety of reasons. Maybe providing food all summer long is a struggle, finding and paying for childcare is a burden, or perhaps you can’t afford the extra activities or family vacations you see plenty of other families doing on social media. I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to compare your lifestyle to others you see on social media. We are often our own worst critics, and most of the time, it takes very little to put a smile on our children’s faces.
I want to challenge you to make a realistic summer bucket list with your family. You might be surprised at the simplicity of activities your children ask you to add to the list. Focus on quality over quantity. Focus on small day trips instead of big, long ones. Focus on laughter instead of pictures. Focus on connection, focus on love. Live like a tourist in your own city and discover ways to get involved at the same time. Make this summer count, but not for the sake of filling the scrapbook or keeping up on Facebook. Make it count for the ones inside your four walls and the ones you hold closest to your heart.
Modern Mom