Perfection Pending

By Meredith Ethington

  • My Books
    • The Mother Load
    • Mom Life: Perfection Pending – The Book
    • Free eBook: Sometimes Motherhood Sucks
    • How To Grow Your FB Following
  • Motherhood
    • Inspiration
    • Encouragement
    • Childhood
    • Humor
    • Parenting Memes
    • Friendship
    • Marriage
  • Kid Ideas
    • Recipes
    • Practical Tips
    • Babies & Toddlers
    • teens and tweens
    • The Elementary School Years
  • Mental Health
    • Mental Health
    • Anxiety
  • About
    • Favorite Posts
    • My Portfolio
    • Privacy & Disclosures

Encouragement Kid Activities kid ideas Motherhood Parenting Parenting Tips

A Real Mom’s Guide To Surviving Summer

11 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Summer is kicking my butt this year. And, I’ve heard this from lots of my mom friends. We think summer sounds fantastic until summer is here and then we are not that into summer because

1. Kids all day long and

2. HOT. It’s so freaking hot. Which tends to make me angry.

But, the truth is, summer is fleeting, and I do want to enjoy it (as much as one can). But, I also get to the end of my rope repeating all my familiar phrases of summer over and over. It can be tempting to straight up lock them out of the house.

So, I’ve come up with some tips to surviving the rest of the summer with your kids. Now this list isn’t here to make you feel guilty for not planning the perfect summer for your kids, but it’s to help you enjoy it. So here’s my real mom’s guide.

summer

Lower your expectations even LOWER than you thought they were at the beginning of summer.

Sure, you thought you’d be the fun summer mom super excited about lemonade stands and summer reading programs but also being OK with the house being a mess, right? But, the truth is, now it’s actually a mess and there are soggy towels every where and you are dying a little inside each day. Am I right? It’s OK – Take that cool summer mom idea you had in your head and punch her in the throat. To enjoy the last few weeks of summer, you REALLY need to let go. Of all of it. Do what makes you and the kids happy.

Even if there are more TV days than lemonade stand days.

Have pajama days with zero guilt in the summer. 

This is key to enjoying summer. You need to de-stress. The kids need to de-stress. It’s just life.

The school year will be here before you know it and the routines and early bedtime and homework stresses will come barreling back to you with a vengeance.

Since you can’t muzzle the kids, or give them sedatives, enjoy these last few weeks by having pajama days. Read books and watch movies and just be a sloth creature at least once a week. But the key is to feel ZERO guilt. You’re re-charging for what’s to come in the fall.

Have structured summer days.

So we can truly enjoy the pajama days, we have to have some structure too. If you can afford it, sign your kids up for summer camps. I managed to get my boys into a couple last minute just this week – it’s still possible.

If you like water parks, head to one. If you can only afford free activities – go on hikes, to the park, to the library, or to a free day at the museum (we have those here). There ARE things to do in the summer that you can’t do any other time. Get out and have busy days too so that you feel zero guilt about your sloth days.

Use a daily summer checklist before they get the fun stuff.

This has been a LIFESAVER for my own sanity this year. So many kids today feel entitled to all the fun stuff that summer has to offer. It can be expensive. They also feel entitled to play video games all day long. Yes, we have plenty of TV around here. I’m not one of those moms that stresses about 30 minutes of TV time. But, I do put limits on Kindle, Computer, and video game time.

This year, I created a summer checklist before they can earn screen time and the fun activities. I did this to give me structure, quiet time, and teach my kids to EARN something. When everyone is doing their 20 minutes of reading to earn their trip to the zoo or video game time, it also gives ME quiet time which is a lifesaver for this work at home mom.

Create a summer bucket list with your kids.

I did this one year and was surprised at what my kids wanted to do with me. Their ideas were REALLY simple. My daughter wanted to draw together and have an art contest. It was such a simple sweet activity that we did together one day. Kids don’t always need the fancy and expensive activities to make them happy. They often need simple ones that show that you’re giving them your attention.

Here are some awesome bucket list ideas to conquer with your kids before summer is over:

  • Have a lemonade stand
  • Write letters to grandparents, relatives, or military
  • Visit the library every week for new books to read
  • Make a public park bucket list and go to a new one each week
  • Go on a nature hike
  • Camp in your backyard
  • Stay up and look for constellations in the sky
  • Family slumber party in the living room
  • Family movie night
  • Eat cake for breakfast
  • Plan Halloween costumes
  • Start a holiday wish list
  • Do an act of service
  • Participate in a random act of kindness for a stranger
  • Listen to a book on tape

Let them be bored

My biggest suggestion is to be OK with your kids being bored, and tell them right now -TODAY that if they tell you they’re bored, then they get an automatic chore. I promise this works. I’m so guilty of being scared of letting my kids be bored. I think a lot of moms feel this way. But, kids need to use their imaginations. Some kids need a little push to come up with something, but the ONLY way you can accomplish this is by letting them be bored.

I tried it a couple of weeks ago and you know what happened? My oldest made crepes. From scratch. By herself.

She asked if she could and I said yes on one condition – she could get zero help from me including clean up. It was magical. She made crepes, had her little brothers working in the kitchen with her, and cleaned it all up. Bonus – they all got in one of their eleventy billion snacks for the day in too.

Let them be bored. I promise, they will find something to do without you, and you will get more alone time than you think you will. Because when my kids use their imaginations and really get into a game, or activity, they leave me alone. And, that’s one of my big goals every summer if I’m being perfectly honest.

Practice Self-Care

Last but definitely not least – summer doesn’t have to revolve around them. Kids will figure out ways to fill the hours if you let them. They will be OK if you have to go in your room for 30 minutes and lock the door and have some down time (disclaimer – obviously if you have an infant this does not apply). They will be OK if they have to have a sitter one day so you can accomplish things to feel human. They will be OK if you get a sitter one day to go to lunch with a friend. Your kids will be OK if you take care of yourself too. The world does not revolve around your kids, and summer shouldn’t either.

Yes, we want to plan summer activities, and do lemonade stands and reading challenges, but we also need to be real – mama needs her space, too. Or she just might go insane.

 

 


1 Comment

« 20+ Camping Activities Your Kids Will Love
DIY Glow Stick Lanterns For Kids »

Trackbacks

  1. The Reality of Summer’s Schedule – Tired & Crunchy says:
    July 6, 2019 at 3:54 pm

    […] “A Real Mom’s Guide to Surviving Summer” by Perfection Pending […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome! I’m Meredith.

Mom. Writer. Diet Coke connoisseur. Born and raised Texan. Lover of real talk and laughter with a hint of sarcasm mixed in.

The Mother Load

Perfection Pending on Instagram

perfectpending

Mom • Author • Mental Health Therapist In Training
Grab my new book, The Mother Load, available now. 👇👇

Meredith Ethington
I see nothing wrong here. I see nothing wrong here.
Still not there yet. 😑 #ikea #momlifebelike #ik Still not there yet. 😑 #ikea #momlifebelike #ikeahack #jokesfordays
This was my mom’s desk when she was little. At s This was my mom’s desk when she was little. At some point it got passed down to one of her grandchildren. Then it made its way to my house and all three of my kids have used it too. 
My middle decided he was done with it and I had no idea what to do with it. It’s almost an antique at this point and I knew my mom felt sentimental about it. It’s heavy and tiny but it has good bones as they say. 
My mom lives too far away to come get it and the grandkids are all getting too big to want this desk in their rooms. 
I walked around my little house looking for a spot for it. There really isn’t one. 
Could it be an end table? Or swapped out for an entry table? 
But then I walked into my bedroom and saw this bare wall. It’s not ideal. My husband will hate it. But I’ve been thinking that I needed a study spot in my house (in a room with a door that shuts and locks) since I’m in school again at 46 years old. 
I’m hilariously too big for this little desk but also it seems just fine for sitting and writing papers. 
The older I get, the more I realize that this life is short and I’m sure it will make my mom happy to know I’m not only hanging onto this desk a little while longer but it’s going to be used for actual school work again instead of hoarding useless scraps of paper, half filled notebooks and dull crayons no one has touched in years. 
I’m breathing life back into this desk for a few more years and it seems symbolic of my taking something old (me) and using it for something new (becoming a therapist). 
I’m not super sentimental about furniture but I’m sentimental about the people that I love. 
She loves this desk so I guess I’ll love it a little longer on her behalf. ❤️
🚨Vulnerable post alert! My latest on substack: 🚨Vulnerable post alert! My latest on substack: "I feel depressed that it’s back, when I had been handling things so well.
I feel hopeless that although I know it will end, that it will come back again.
I feel embarrassed that I’m sometimes mean to the ones I love most.
I feel like I want to give up.
I feel tired.
I feel overwhelmed by the tiniest thing.
I feel alone. I feel like I’m literally the only one feeling that way in that moment even though I know I’m not deep down. But, anxiety makes me feel like that.
I feel like I just would be better off if I could disappear."
First day back after a week long vacay to the fun First day back after a week long vacay to the fun of carpool and the reality of being a responsible adult is kicking my boot-ay. Can you tell? 😅
Yup. 😂 @themumcrew Yup. 😂 @themumcrew
Best thrift find ever. 😂 Best thrift find ever. 😂
Mental health matters. ❤️ Mental health matters. ❤️
You get the full tour if you’re my friend. You get the full tour if you’re my friend.
Because apparently it belongs to no one. 😑 Because apparently it belongs to no one. 😑
Just like building muscles in our body, to have go Just like building muscles in our body, to have good mental health we need to build muscles in our brains as well. What does that look like? 

For me, it often looks like practicing things that make me uncomfortable. 
Saying no. Setting boundaries. Sitting in discomfort with feelings I don't like. Being OK if someone is mad at me. Learning to validate MYSELF. You get the idea. 
But, really it can be anything that you need to work on but makes you feel REALLY uncomfortable. So much so that it feels like your brain is literally rejecting it. If you want to build that muscle in your brain that is OK with disappointing people in favor of your own mental health, you have to treat it like muscle building in your body. 

1. Do it often enough. 
2. Start small, and work your way up. 
3. Go heavy when you're ready. 

Practicing it often enough is really when you're going to get big results. Soon you'll get used to those negative feelings that come along with telling someone no and knowing they're disappointed. You'll build up endurance to tolerate the feelings and be able to sit with them and let them go. And finally, it will become second nature to you to do all those things you didn't think you could do. Just like strength training for a marathon - consider strength training for your mind. 

One thing I'm working on is telling myself I'm OK. I struggle with seeking validation from others when really I need to be seeking validation from myself. Because MYSELF is good, worthy, and OK 99% of the time. 

What are you practicing right now? I'd love to hear if this is true for you.
Love this so much. @nellie_scales Love this so much. @nellie_scales
If you’ve loved anything I’ve written, conside If you’ve loved anything I’ve written, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber on Substack where you won’t miss any of my posts. Here’s the latest - link in profile. 

#mentalhealth #anxiety #depression #mentalhealthawareness #stopthestigmamentalillness
For the moms fighting all the battles no one sees. For the moms fighting all the battles no one sees. My latest on substack. ❤️ Link in profile
Truth right here. Truth right here.
Same girl, same. Same girl, same.
Yep. 😂 @sixfootcandy Yep. 😂 @sixfootcandy
Sounds about right. @theimpatientsloth Sounds about right. @theimpatientsloth
My newest post. I hope you’ll read it. Link to S My newest post. I hope you’ll read it. Link to Substack in profile.
😂😂 @fiftyfirsttates 😂😂 @fiftyfirsttates
Load More Follow on Instagram

You might also like

Here’s How to Deal With Hating Being a Parent

Am I real? Mom holding newborn baby

Am I Real? The Question That Started “Mommy Blogging”

Mom holding crying baby I yelled at my baby and feel horrible

I Yelled At My Baby And Feel Horrible. What should I Do Now?

baby smiling and crawling on floor with white background

Are Babies Born With Kneecaps? And Other Weird Baby Facts

Girl with long hair and glasses pointing with a shocked look on her face

9 Powerful Phrases To Say To A Narcissist

Copyright © 2023 · Perfection Pending · Designed by Krizzy Designs

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

11 shares