Summer Break: Finally a Reason to Rejoice!

In a normal year, summer break gives many of us a twinge of anxiety. Particularly for the working mom who does not also get a summer break. We have a long list including what to do with the kids and if we can take time off from work for a summer vacation. For those with more than one child, it also becomes a puzzle figuring out camps that all your kids will enjoy and often results in us having to sign up for multiple camps and then coordinating multiple drop off times and locations. It honestly is a huge task each year and one I have taken on for about six years since my oldest outgrew the daycare state.

In a normal year, the idea of summer approaching means I have to take a deep breath and get to work on planning for the season.

But we all know this has not been a normal year.

Instead, this entire school year and half of the one prior has been a puzzle. Figuring out at home schooling, balancing work with constant school needs during the day, who will be there with the kids when mom and dad head to work; the list is long and exhausting.

I live in an area in the Pacific Northwest where public schools closed in March 2020 and never fully opened even in this 2021 year. So it’s probably no surprise that when summer camps started opening registration in the spring; instead of adding a weight to my shoulders, it felt like that weight was being lifted from me.

Finally, I found myself looking forward to summer! No more classroom in my house, no more constant school interruptions while I am on work calls. At last there became some options that would mean my kids could be entertained, interacting with peers and no longer in the house 24/7.

This year has been hard on parents. It has also been incredibly hard on the kids. Even with certain safety protocols still in place, summer can bring a glimmer of normalcy and give our kids some much deserved relaxation and fun.

As we settle into the summer of 2021, I am truly rejoicing the season. I know we are not fully out of this pandemic yet but I am rejoicing how far we have all come. A year ago, it was nearly impossible for me some days to feel optimistic or to have a day where I didn’t feel completely overwhelmed. We might still not know exactly what the 2021-2022 school year brings. But for now, I am choosing to focus on what is right in front of me instead of months from now.

Are you rejoicing this season we are in and how far you have come?