Summer Brings a Mix of Fear and Excitement

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The summer is biting at our heels, which means our children will be also. For some, school is already out, but I still have a few coveted days of “serenity” before the spawn take firm and constant hold of every day of the next 3ish months. I feel fear. I feel excitement.

Friends…. fellow mommies… I am struggling.

I love my kids. I adore my kids. I sometimes shake my head and pinch myself to check if it’s real — the fact that my 3 amazing kids are mine. MINE. Who am I to deserve such a charge? An honor. A blessing. What a blessing to be the one who gets to love and protect and provide for and apply band aids & kisses on the owies of three very unique, lovely and simply delightful little people. Blessed.

*Turning the corner*

I love my kids, but if I love my kids, why do they drive me SO crazy? I’m talking curse-word crazy… “turn your head and neck RED-MAD” crazy… “put oneself into time-out” crazy… “want to run away” crazy… “a straight jacket would feel better than this” crazy… ???

*Enter summer break*

My, how these world of emotions collide. I find myself vacillating between excitement and fear. I am excited to have time with my kids. I am looking forward to a lazier schedule and doing “projects” together. I can’t wait to have time to visit and play and be spontaneous.

And I am afraid. Oh the dread and woe I see forthcoming! The sibling fighting and bickering. Issues over TV time and the constant reminders to “GO OUTSIDE!” Not to mention the mess, or how about running every errand with 3 extra people.

Nice.

Obviously, this is coming from the perspective of a stay-at-home-mom, but I know that regardless, the summer schedule brings good and difficult changes for all of us. Whether it’s like mine — “What are we going to do for 3 months?! No. What am I going to do for 3 months!” Or what a mom who works outside the home must deal with — childcare issues, taking time off… No matter what, our kids are going to be around more. It changes the dynamics of our homes. How do we deal?

I desperately want to be the mom who is so excited to have all this time with her children. And I am. But I know the reality of life and summer life. My strategy is to make a positive attitude about the time I get with my kids and make that positive attitude my default. I realize, though my kids are still young (4,7 and almost 10) I see time flying by. I need to grab hold of these summer days and make memories worth remembering. Memories I WANT my kids to remember. Regardless of what we do or do not do, they will have memories of our summer. What memories will I help them make? I hope working hard for that “positive default” will help produce memories we will all cherish in the years to come.

Jenny Ingram is the mother of three children (ages 4, 6 and 9) and lives near Seattle in Washington state. She loves writing here at Type-A Mom, for her own blog, and has a passion for encouraging moms in this journey…for she has been encouraged.

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