Why Summer Isn't Actually A Break...

Unpopular opinion alert 🚨:

Soooo, how’s your summer going?

I know, it’s technically not summer until next Sunday, June 21st, but our family is in full-blown summer mode. (Reminder: that’s also Father’s Day, and I have a great gift idea below)

The lightning bugs were out last night, kids are out of school, and we’re actively in the throes of summer activities and no structure.

I’ll be honest, and this might be an unpopular opinion: Summer Doesn’t Feel Like A Break.

I’m talking about it on the podcast this week, as part of our #Momfessions series all month long.

Maybe it’s the reality of summer not meeting our expectations, or the pressure of feeling we have to create magical memories for everyone, but summer can be incredibly stressful, especially for parents. In fact, 90% of parents lose sleep trying to determine childcare and schedules!

I’ll be honest, I have a lot of flexibility with my work schedule (and that is a privilege I don’t take for granted), but most parents don’t. Just this week, I felt like an UBER driver between:

• Summer League Basketball games

• Sports practices that happen in the middle of the day and allegedly “aren’t mandatory” (yeah, right)

• School sanctioned weight lifting classes

• All the appointments we can’t get in during the school year

I’m curious, does summer feel like a break for you?

Make sure you listen to the podcast to hear some helpful solutions, plus I’m also sharing a helpful guide in my favorites below, to help you savor your summer.

And a reminder, YOU’RE ALLOWED TO HAVE A SUMMER, too! It’s not just for our kids. In fact, they want and need to see us having a great summer.

Before I sign off, I’ll leave you with this photo.

Our oldest (Caroline) graduated from high school May 23 and the next day, we left for an epic family vacation to Europe to celebrate. Here we are on a Gondola in Venice! I can’t wait to share more with you about the experience, plus what we learned during our travels.

Happy summer, friends!

-Paula xo

Because Father’s Day is NEXT SUNDAY, I’m giving away FIVE copies of funnyman Chip Leighton’s newest book.Just comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of “Dad Can You Not? A Dad’s Guide To Being Less Cringey”. To illustrate the hilarity of this book, here’s an excerpt: “This book is a tongue in cheek field guide for the modern dad–complete with hundreds of real examples of embarrassing dad behavior and dozens of brutally honest texts sent to dads by their own kids”.

We’ve established that summer can be stressful and we can forget ourselves in the process and pressure of trying to make it magical for everyone else. My team at CARRY Media has put together a FREE Savor Your Summer Guide here. Ditch the overwhelm and download it today.

SUMMER FUN: If you want to capture memories without being on your phone all summer, this screen-free camera is SUCH a fun idea for families!

We’re back with Momfessions–—our month-long series, talking about how we really feel about some of parenting’s biggest, hottest topics. And I’m joined by my teammate at CARRY Media, Kristen White, a mom to three boys.

This week: Why Summer Isn’t a Break.

We spend all year dreaming about summer, but when it finally arrives, many of us are juggling childcare, camps, schedules, work, guilt, and the pressure to make it all feel magical.

In this episode, we’re sharing our real thoughts about summer, why so many parents feel exhausted before it even begins, and practical ways to enjoy it without burning out. Plus, Kristen introduces a simple idea called “Proof of Mom“ that just might change the way you experience this season.

Because your kids aren’t the only ones allowed to have a summer.

LISTEN HERE!

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