Summertime...and parenting isn’t easy

Summer can be a challenging time for working parents. The younger your children are, and the more children you have, the harder it can be when school is out and you’re still working 8+ hours a day. Camps can be expensive, and they tend to fill up early. So now what?

Keep a schedule

Schedules are especially important for your younger children. Making sure they still go to bed at a reasonable hour can help prevent late-afternoon meltdowns. Waking up at a normal time, eating breakfast, and getting dressed can set the expectation that Monday through Friday will look different than weekends, even during the summer.

Arrange playdates

This can sound counterintuitive but, especially if your child is an only child, having other kids in the home can provide a good distraction with healthy play. If you’re close to your neighbors, talk to them about trading off days or a week at a time. The same can go for your sister or cousin with their kids.

Set goals for and with your kids

Your children likely have summer reading or math worksheets to do over the summer. To add to that, challenge them to read more books, put together puzzles, or learn a new skill (one that you don’t have to supervise!) and reward them with a trip to their favorite store or ice cream on Friday afternoon.

Give yourself a break

Don’t let mom, or dad, guilt bog you down. No, not everyone is spending a month at the beach followed by a month in the mountains. And no, not all your friend’s kids are going to camp every week. Not every day has to be special or magical just because it is summer. Every year will have a different level of stress, disposable income, and time to spare. Talk to your family about what they want to prioritize during the time school is closed and see how you can all work together to meet some of those goals or go on one trip for example.

Take advantage of the free things

Your local public library is a great resource for free events throughout the week designed for a variety of ages. If your community has free concerts in the park or fireworks on July 4, make sure to take your family to those events. The anticipation and planning for the events can often occupy your kids all day leading up to the event, in a good way. If your kids are old enough, sign them up to volunteer at the local library or hospital. Not only will they earn service hours, but they’ll also learn the life-long value of serving others.

Forbes has a great article from 2023 about working parents during the summer that may provide some guidance to navigating conflicting demands with your employer. WebMD offers some good tips for parents, as well, such as taking advantage of PTO and summer holidays that fall close to the weekends and setting boundaries with your kids who are old enough to understand what that means.

There is no right or wrong way to approach working and parenting during the summer. Just give yourself, and your family, some grace and try to enjoy what you can, when you can.

Youth Villages is one of the largest providers of services to children in Tennessee and a national leader in children’s mental and behavioral health. The organization has been recognized by the Harvard Business School and U.S. News & World Report and was identified by The White House as one of the nation’s most promising results-oriented nonprofit organizations. Learn more at www.youthvillages.org.

Crisis services are available 24/7 if your child needs support. Call 855-CRISIS-1 or text CONNECT to 741741. If you have thoughts of suicide, contact 988 to be connected to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.