When I was pregnant and still working, one of my biggest fears about being a stay-at-home mom was that I would be bored and that the days would just drag by. Once Riggins actually arrived, that fear was almost laughable. I was shocked at how quickly days flew by with a newborn. Nursing might have had something to do with that; when you're doing something that takes 45 minutes every 3 hours, days can pass pretty quickly. We hit our stride by the end of the summer, and once fall rolled around our days were filled with BSF, MOPS, my two afternoons a week of teaching, and impromptu play dates and lunches with friends.
But in all honesty, this summer has been a struggle for me. Even before having children, I have always been the type to really thrive when my plate is full. When I have too much time on my hands, I get lazy and unmotivated. I really need the structure that activities and appointments bring to my schedule. By nature, summer just has less of that. While I enjoyed the break from routine for a few weeks, the excess freedom is catching up to me and the familiar apathy is setting in.
None of this is helped by the fact that our temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees every day this week, with not much relief in sight. This wipes out many of our typical activities like the zoo, the park, walking, etc. It's just too hot. So we spend our days doing a lot of this...
Which is truly delightful, really. For a time. But after awhile Mommy ends up laying down in the box too, and if I stay there too long then the zombie takes over and you can bet that the house will stay dirty and we will all have cheese and crackers for dinner.
All that to say, I am acknowledging that summer just isn't my season. There's a reason why I have always adored the "Back to School" hype of late August and early September, and it's not just my penchant for school supplies (though I do adore school supplies!). It's that at my core, I am a person who thrives on routine and activity, who likes her plate full, who needs regular interaction with others (grown ups, that is!), and who doesn't have a lot of internal motivation to be productive during excessive amounts of down time.
Can anyone out there relate to this? Any of you veteran moms have some secrets for how you survive and thrive during the long days of summer with your kiddos?
8 comments:
I know how you feel. We just got a membership at our local YMCA. It's nice because I can drop my son off in the child care room and he can get some social time, while I take a spin class or go for a swim. It's a nice way to break up the day... But, hopefully we only have a few more weeks of this heat wave.
I can definitely relate. It is especially hard after a period of being busy and then you have all this free time and I always end up completely unsure what to do with myself. I usually just end up sleeping, eating, sleeping, sleeping, and then maybe eating again!
I'm the exact same way. I need some motivation to get anything done. Glad to know I"m not the only one whose really feeling the Dog Days creep by.
Leslie, it is difficult when these hot days seem to drag by. My advice would be to tackle some creative or organizational projects that you can do to make you feel more productive. We make a summer bucket list of things we want to accomplish or do to help us stay on track. And remember, before long your summers will be filled with tons of playdates, library trips, board games, sleepovers, movies, and video games. It gets exhausting and you will look forward to fall to catch a break! ;)
Amen and Amen! Summer days, while fun at first, definitely drag on when you live in the stifling South/Midwest, where stepping outside is like throwing yourself in a heated oven. We stay busy by playing in the sprinkler, but even some days seem too hot for that! So, it looks like you're on the right track--cardboard forts and efforts at creativity. :) I'm with you. I need activity and a full plate. These days are tricky, but the end is in sight, right?! In a few months, anyway ... :) I call Erin and we sprawl lazily on the couches while the kids play. You just need to move here so we can all sprawl together!!
Ha ha, I was just about to write that I usually call Katie and her kids in for fun reinforcements! ;) I hear you. The heat (like extreme cold in the winter) kind of ruins lots of activities that help the day go by. I am so missing my daily walks. Today, we also made a cardboard house/tunnel, and we usually venture to Sonic every day during happy hour. Target is always there for us...although that is just temptation to spend money we don't have--ha! Let's just hope we make it through. You're not alone though!
i take them to chick-fil-a and let them play in that play room a lot. and lincoln loves walmart so grocery days are - believe it or not - a hit. ha. other than that we literally go down to our pool almost every morning. sometimes it's for 2 hours and sometimes it's only for 30 minutes. i've NEVER been a fan of summer (except the cali weather - that wasn't so bad!).
Relate? I think you spoke from my heart. Except I have to get over the obstacle of carrying our 12 lb stroller and 30 lb child up and down flights of subway stairs in the 90 degree heat. I sometimes give myself a few hours to veg and then by 2:00 or so, we make it a point to spend at least 2 hours at the playground letting him get exhausted! And then he gets Imagination Movers or Mickey Mouse while I cool down in front of the fan. :)
...and um, I didn't know you loved school supplies?! I too get giddy about new binders, erasers, highlighters,etc!! I look forward to roaming the aisles at the end of every summer. :)
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