The days between school ending and summer beginning; what are they called again?
It’s not an official holiday…but parents definitely need to find child care. There are wonky half days, field days, fun days, picnics and ceremonies, ah, those early dismissals and auditorium events usually called for some time between 11AM and 2PM.
It’s not working parent friendly, at all.
And we know the majority of parents are working, right? And yet the school systems (private or public) have not acknowledged that reality. Frankly, closing for 3 months every summer is also ignoring reality, but I’ll save that for an author who has already covered this topic.
So here’s a confession. Although you may know me as happy and go with the flow, this mom of three 3-and-under, well, I LOVE ME some structure. School. Camp. Routine. I’m a stressed out little puppy in the face of Memorial Day, god help me on Christmas break, and this time between school and camp, well it just sorta sucks.
I don’t know what to do with my kids, and how to balance work and their needs. I like my systems, I like routine. Boundaries help our family thrive.
This year, I decided to go with it a bit. Take the days off. Be around. Hang out with the kids and do something different. Author and coach Gretchen Rubin had a whole podcast about marking summer as different by behaving differently. Eating differently. Taking note of doing differently and making that it’s own celebration.
Well, weird week, I got you. I got zoo and I got butterflies and I’ve got fishing rods. I’m ready to do things I haven’t done with my kids before, and enjoy this time. I’ve got weird sandy vegetables from my co-op and I’m ready to cook them. After I teach my sous-chefs, I mean kids, how to wash them properly.
Sure, my husband gets to work while I improvise. But if I can’t fight the reality, better to enjoy it and turn it into something fun. As soon as I give up the fight, and frustration with what this week is not (normal), I can yield to what it is and find what works for me. Being present in the break.
What are you doing with the kids in the nether zone this year? Drop me a line or tell me more in the comments below.
