As summer dwindles and the days grow shorter, I can’t help but notice the school supplies lining the shelves at Target. My inbox is overflowing with notifications about drop-off routines, back-to-school events, and extracurricular activities. Summer is almost at its end, fellow parents. Soon we’ll be back to the grind of homework, schedules, and endless emails from the PTA.
And honestly? I can’t wait.
The enchanting allure of summer? Yeah, I’m done with it.
Back in May, I envisioned a summer full of joy. At that time, the thought of squeezing in another school concert or PTA event felt unbearable. With school lunches often reduced to sad bologna sandwiches and field trips seeming like a slice of hell, summer appeared to be a breath of fresh air.
I daydreamed about lazy mornings in pajamas, picnics in the park, and carefree afternoons splashing in the pool. I pictured my kids enjoying a relaxed summer filled with bike rides, lemonade stands, and late-night games of ghosts in the graveyard. I looked forward to family dinners on the deck followed by strolls to the ice cream shop, free from the burden of homework and reading charts.
But then the reality of “summer vacation” hit me like a ton of bricks.
Instead of preparing one lunch a day, I was making and cleaning up from what felt like 37 snacks daily. Rather than sorting through backpacks, I found myself surrounded by wet towels, inside-out swimsuits, and stinky sandals. Forget about homework disputes; I was stuck mediating sibling battles over who touched whom first and who devoured the last ice cream sandwich.
Our mornings? Not lazy, but instead starting at the crack of dawn because — surprise! — kids don’t seem to enjoy sleeping in when the sun is shining. A lemonade stand meant a sticky mess in the kitchen, kids guzzling sugary drinks instead of selling them, and everything ending up, well, sticky. Late-night games resulted in cranky kids who hadn’t quite mastered the art of sleeping in. Dining outside turned into a feast of mosquito bites and bee stings.
You know what my kids seem to adore during summer break? Whining, bickering, and leaving the door wide open. And guess what? I’ve had enough.
I’m fed up with wet towels, sticky surfaces, and the chaos that seems never-ending. Late nights and early mornings? I’m over it. The relentless noise — the ear-piercing noise! — is exhausting. Wrestling with my kids at the pool while attempting to apply sunscreen? I’m exhausted. The constant pleas for snacks and the aftermath of crumbly messes? I can’t take it anymore. And the reminders to shut the door every 5.3 minutes? It’s driving me insane, along with the continuous bickering and whining.
Just a few weeks ago, my kids attended a week-long day camp. Each morning I dropped them off at 9 AM and didn’t see them until 3 PM. I’m not exaggerating when I say that was the best week of my life. I could finally hear my own thoughts. I took showers without interruptions from screams about someone dropping a Kindle Fire in the toilet. I worked uninterrupted during normal hours. I had phone conversations with my mom that didn’t involve me repeatedly saying, “Just a minute” to remind a child to stop riding the dog or get down from the car hood. I enjoyed lunches that weren’t merely leftover crusts. It. Was. Bliss.
For one glorious week, my kids were in someone else’s care. And I thought, “Oh wow, this is what the school year feels like.” Back in May, when I complained about packing lunches and overseeing homework, I had no idea how good I actually had it. Teachers, I truly don’t know how you manage. You deserve all the accolades and rewards for handling these noisy, whiny, little tornadoes for six hours a day. You’re practically mythical creatures, or superheroes. Seriously, do you keep your capes hidden under your cardigans?
As I write this, one child is howling at another for ruining his cushion fort. A half-eaten bowl of Goldfish crackers sits on the counter, while another child demands a different snack in a different bowl. There’s a mountain of wet towels and inside-out swimsuits right in the kitchen. I can barely think over the cacophony of screams, whining, and the television blaring some obnoxious tween show. Everything is sticky and wet.
I am over it. So very over it.
There are only 4 weeks, 6 days, and 19 hours until the kids head back to school. But who’s counting?
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In summary, summer break can often feel like an exhausting contradiction, full of chaos rather than relaxation. If you can relate, you’re not alone. Here’s to surviving the madness until school resumes!
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