Summer is finally here, and already, it's shaping up to be a way better experience than what we collectively went through in summer 2020. This time around, we actually get to make travel plans, which can go a long way in surviving having our kids home now that school is out … but what about the other weeks of summer when they're in our homes, telling us they're bored?
Summer with kids can be rough, especially for those of us who are also attempting to work from home. It's no wonder that there are plenty of parents out there who are actually dreading summer — and they aren't afraid to tell the world about it. Our homes are louder, our grocery bills are higher, and it's even more difficult to actually get things done. And can we talk about the mess?!
We're definitely excited for the memories we'll make with our kids and the extra time we'll get to spend with them now that they're out of school … but no matter how much we adore them, the time will come when we will wish we could fast forward to fall and kick them out of our homes.
Is it Really a Break?
Sure, our kids might be on summer break, but everyone knows that for parents, there's no such thing. As this tweet illustrates, sometimes our schedules can be even busier now that our kids aren't in school — and that's definitely not always a welcome change!
Mom's Summer Plans
Our kids may be home and terrorizing our homes, but this mom's got a backup plan: hiding and watching a TV show like Orange is the New Black, which is all we can manage to do sometimes after a particularly draining day wrangling the kiddos. This mom knows how it's done!
Freedom
We can remember the days when the last day of school felt like freedom, but unfortunately, those days are long gone. We plan to live vicariously through our kids so we can experience that kind of joy ourselves, but nothing is as good as having a whole summer in front of you, responsibility free.
Sleeping In
Before kids hit the middle school ages, their definition of sleeping in and our definition of sleeping in are two totally different things. If only we could get our younger kids to snooze past 8 a.m. — but as this parent points out, even 7 a.m. is pushing it.
The Good Old Days
Summer before kids: warm weather, planning fun drinks, drinking fruity cocktails, sleeping in on weekends.
Summer after kids: figuring out what's for lunch every single day, cleaning up at least 10 times the amount of messes in our homes, and playing chauffeur for play dates and activities.
Goodbye, Summer Camp
For the second year in a row, a lot of parents are dealing with the reality of summer without being able to send their kids to camp. Hopefully, the situation will get better as the summer goes on — but until then, it can be rough out there with the kids home 24/7.
We've Got a Runner
This tweet may just describe the absolute chaos our homes and families descend into just as summer begins. Just as we thought we had our routines down, our kids are home from school, and that means that we don't have everything quite as figured out as we thought.
Wake-Up Call
Like we said, summer break does not mean sleeping in for parents. In fact, it usually means getting up even earlier than usual so that we can still manage to have some time to ourselves in the morning before the kids wake up — that is, if we don't want to drink cold coffee.
The Volume Level
With our kids home all day, that means the volume level in the house is about to go up signficantly. That also means that we might end up losing our patience with them a lot quicker than we'd like to, especially for those of us who are working from home. Ear plugs might be necessary this year!
A Learning Summer
As parents, we've lived long enough to amass all kinds of facts that are pretty much useless — and it's kind of exciting when we actually get to share one with our kids during a relevant moment. Unfortunately, summer can be a rude reminder that they don't always actually care …
A Small Breakdown
Summer break can definitely take a toll on a parents' stress levels, and the mini nervous breakdowns mentioned in this tweet are a whole lot more common than many of us would like to admit. Can we suggest taking the advice of a mom in a previous tweet and hiding out to watch TV when this happens instead?
Ruining Oreos
These white chocolate-covered Oreos are beautiful and look so yummy — something we'd love to snack on at home. But to kids, it just looks like their beloved Oreos became a bit too fancy and now they are "ruined." Silly kids. These Oreos are actually vastly improved!
Constant Eating
Just in case anyone forgot that their kids totally have the ability to eat their parents out of house and home, here's a timely reminder. Sure, they only eat lunch and maybe a snack at school, but when they're home and have access to the pantry and fridge, all bets are off.
Ready For Fall
This is a thought that just about every single parent has had before — minus those of us who have the patience of saints. (Is that anyone in real life, though?) As much as we love our kids, at certain points, we're just ready to send them back to school. It is what it is!
The Rudest of Insults
Our kids really know how to hit us where it hurts: reminding us how much being an adult can really suck sometimes. That being said, this little girl wasn't wrong. It is sad being us, living our lives without a summer break.
Hyper Boy Energy
Yes, we're familiar with hyper boy energy and the toll it can take on a mom's emotions! That energy only seems to be kicked into high gear during the summer, when kids are sleeping more and spending less of their energy on homework. Sending out thoughts and prayers to the moms who could have written this tweet themselves …
Summer Mom Hack
Without school to rely on, some moms have to take desperate measures if they want to get a break from their kids (and honestly, time to get anything done around the house during the summer). That means enrolling them in activities, which will give moms some of their precious free time again.
Time to Relax — Not
Summer break might be most difficult for those of us out there who have both school-aged kids and babies or toddlers. Even if we can get our older kids to sleep in, the little ones have no concept of what that might be like, which means we're still early risers.
Working From Home
Honestly, this chart is pretty genius. Has this dad ever considered mass-producing it so we can all benefit? These are all the times it's appropriate to interrupt parents who are working from home: not if the house is on fire, not if you're wounded, and not if the Russians are invading, not ever!
Those Loud Nights
Video games are a double-edged sword, really — they keep our kids occupied for hours, but they also get very loud when they're playing with other kids online. It's one of those things we just have to accept if we need a break, though. And when it's time to turn them off, we will have to deal with their rage.
