What all parents think about in the summer, secretly from their children
If parents had to write a story about summer vacations, it would be very different from the one children would write. As summer vacations approach, parents eagerly await their start, but by September, they often wonder how long summer vacations last and whether they should suggest to the school principal to shorten them next year.
Summer vacations are about to begin, bringing a whirlwind of emotions for all parents. Whether you’re eagerly looking forward to spending a full 12 weeks interacting and playing with your children, or waking up in a cold sweat at the thought of balancing childcare with work, business trips, and other responsibilities, summer vacation time is always a challenge for moms and dads. No matter how you feel about the holidays, the following thoughts are inevitable:
THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER VACATION
«Hooray! The holidays have started, 12 weeks ahead with our dear children and no school fuss. What could be better?» «How wonderful: the kids are on vacation, and we are on leave. It’s already 8 a.m., and we’re still in our pajamas… This is the life!» «I love watching the kids play together – something we really miss when they’re in school.» «By the way, where were we planning to go as a family during summer vacation?»
THE END OF THE SECOND WEEK
«My goodness! Another ten weeks of all this? I dream of at least five minutes of peace. How can I keep them occupied for another hour?» «Monopoly is the longest game ever when you’re playing it with an eight-year-old…» «Is it too late to buy summer camp tickets?»
WEEK FOUR
«Have my kids always been this annoying? How do teachers handle them?» «Does daily bribing with ice cream mean we’re bad parents?» «We’ve been to the park four times this week. Next week, we need to come up with something new.» «Maybe we should come up with some sort of summer vacation program…»
WEEK SIX
«Hooray! The beach! It’ll be fun!» «The gentle sea and sandcastles remind me of my childhood – finally, the kids are silently occupied with something.» «Why is there sand in our food? If the kids eat sand, will they get sick?» «Okay, we’re never going to the beach again. Sand in my bed? How did it even get there?»
WEEK EIGHT
«We’re going on a trip! Food is packed, tablets are charged – let’s hit the road!» «If I hear ‘I need to go to the bathroom’ or ‘Are we there yet?’ one more time, I think I might cry…» «Finally, we’ve arrived at the amusement park! The kids are thrilled!» «An hour-long wait to ride? Great! A whole hour in line with whining kids just to get on a train ride…» «80$ for lunch? I’m afraid I’d have to mortgage the house to pay for family meals by the end of the trip…» «I hope they sleep on the way back!»
WEEK TEN
«I’m looking forward to September when they’ll go back to school. Am I a bad mother?» «Maybe we should leave the kids with grandma for the weekend?» «Yes, a weekend without kids! I can have a glass of wine!» «My husband says he misses the kids…»
WEEK ELEVEN
«A children’s party with old and favorite friends? — Check» «A children’s party with old but not-so-favorite friends? — Check» «A children’s party with relatives? — Check» «A whole day in front of the TV watching cartoons? — Check» «New school uniform? — Check» «New backpack? — Check» «I did it! Or did I?»
THE LAST EVENING OF VACATION
«Please tell me they weren’t assigned any homework!» «Of course, they were…» «Summer vacation diaries and crafts?» «Spent all night making two albums» «It’s a good thing summer vacation is almost over…»
THE FIRST SCHOOL DAY
«Oh, they’ve grown so much!» «Posted 30 photos on Instagram» «Now I’ll see them less often, can’t wait for autumn break…»
Have you ever thought of something similar during summer vacation? Maybe you could tell a similar story about summer vacation with your little ones?