You’ve survived the school year! Schools out! Welcome summer! Um, no…not you, kids. Step to the side, please. I’m talking to the adults in the room.
If the last few months were anything like mine, take a seat and breathe. Congratulations on surviving! I cannot tell you where the time went or how we managed the delicate balance of the overwhelming schedule, though apparently we did. Can’t say how successful we were, but at least it is over!
This is especially true if you have children in elementary school. There are countless end-of-the-year celebrations – so much so that they can’t all fit into the month of June. They actually start in May! Thankfully, they are all positive events celebrating the children’s accomplishments, such as orchestra and band concerts, art shows, and end-of-year celebrations. And if you have a child graduating from a school (excuse me, I mean “moving up” – c’mon, really?), you get double the fun – moving up ceremonies, award nights, dances, parties, and senior trips.
Of course, most of these aren’t for the parents – yet, most of the prep is, including transportation to and from.
Not to mention extracurriculars and community events, such as a town carnival, which apparently you can’t just go to once. I am quite glad that my children can experience it all… but so very little downtime… until now!
But now it’s officially summer. It’s time for us to unwind, even if just a bit. Take a step back from the rat race. Seriously, summer is not just for the kids. It’s for us too!
June Craziness Leads to Summer Fun
Who said the kids get to have all the fun during the summer? Forget the kids! Well, don’t “forget” them… but what I mean is that they already have the no-school thing. What about us parents? Sure, the majority of us have full-time jobs, yet we are completely and utterly allowed to get our summer vibes on, too – and carry them all through the next two months.
Hit the Water
A beach day, swimming pools, and water parks all basically scream summer. I’m lucky enough to have a pool nearby, and each summer I tell myself to spend an hour a day there. I have yet to fulfill my own plan, but I do get a lunch break, and this pool closes at 7:00 p.m. Weather-dependent, I must aim to complete this mission!
Or hit the beach for a bit. Some town beaches aren’t too far or too pricey. Relax with a magazine or juicy novel, but don’t go home without some kids’ play, like building a sandcastle or collecting seashells. Head to a water park and avoid just being the chauffeur and chaperone; go on rides, too! Hey, if all else fails, surprise the kids with a water balloon fight.
Easy Meals
Who likes to work over a hot stove and make a hot meal on a hazy and humid evening? How about something like summer fruits and cottage cheese or shrimp cocktail, instead? Or salads galore – green salads, pasta salads, tuna salads. Keep it easy and light. If you must do a hot meal, there is always grilling if you can. Pretty much anything can be thrown on that barbecue. Also, ice cream is an approved summer meal.
Play
Again, not only for the offspring! Have a catch, frisbee, disc golf, mini-golf, fly a kite, bike, and many, many others.
People Watching
This is totally a thing. I love it when the warm weather starts because people seem to come out of the woodwork! After the intensity of the school year, they emerge from their homes, and you begin to see people again. It’s pretty incredible when you see how much your neighborhood kids grow after hibernating all winter!
Vitamin D
Doctor’s orders, right? Well, to a certain extent (don’t forget the sunscreen). The warm weather, the sunshine, and the ability to stay outside without worrying about frostbite. Working outdoors is a nice change, too, sometimes.
Late Nights Outdoors
During the week! On a work night! (Blasphemy!). Watch the sunset and don’t head inside until the sun is completely down. Watching the kids catch fireflies is heartwarming and so simple. Listen to some music, lie outside, and stare at the stars.
Socialize
Take some time to see friends and family that you haven’t seen because you’ve been “so busy.” Outdoor café, host a barbecue, or cocktails with friends at a rooftop bar. Seriously, day-drinking here and there seems a little more acceptable in the summer, no? Maybe it’s cause daylight lasts much longer! There is no time like the summer to check out some of these places for brunch in Westchester.
Less Clothes
Show some leg, mama! Show some shoulders, lady! The comfort of fewer clothes is NO joke. Whip out those sundresses that have been hanging in your closet. It’s a freeing feeling. (Heck, even I take off the leggings in the summer). Just getting in and out of the car is so much less of a hassle, right?
Sleeping
The occasional no alarm clock at the crack of dawn. Even though my kids have camp, they don’t have to get out the door until 8:30 a.m. in the summer, whereas during the school year, my son leaves home at 6:45 a.m. That’s a substantial difference. Can’t sleep in? How about an early evening nap, perhaps? I also love crashing on the couch after swimming.
Say “YES” More
One evening last summer, my daughter asked to take a ride to an arts-and-crafts store. I looked at the time, and it was around 7:30, and instinctively I wanted to say no. Guess we do that often as parents. Then I thought, why not? Sure, I had work in the morning, but it’s summer! And off we went. The ability to get off the couch is much more appealing.
The Gift of Time
Can you sneak in a longer lunch? If so, go! Raise your hand if you have vacation time built up that you never seem to use. You’ve earned it – use it! You need it. In many companies, it’s use it or lose it.
Enjoy it now, my friends. Do not wait. Seriously, how fast did the first six months of the year go? It’s an unfortunate indication of school supplies, pumpkins, and, dare I say, Christmas trees popping up in our purview before you know it.
