Are you a working mom who still wants to make the most of the summer for yourself and your kids? Me too. It is possible to enjoy summer as a working mom. Let’s find out how!
Mom guilt is ever-present for most moms I know. That includes working moms, stay-at-home moms, empty nest moms, and all other moms. Although there is always something to feel guilty about as a mom, for me the mom guilt seems to crescendo in the summer. My email is full of fun activities happening during the workday, and my social media accounts are full of moms attending those activities with their kids and talking about the easy life of summer. Meanwhile, I’m stuck at my desk and my kids are stuck in a summer program. And life is not easy.
Although I think it’s normal to feel a sense of loss about not having the summer you wish you could have or the type of summer you had as a kid, it’s important to remember that it’s not all or nothing. You can still enjoy summer as a working mom. It might take a little extra planning and a little flexibility, but it can be done!
How to Enjoy Summer as a Working Mom
Vacation
If you really want to experience that ease of summer with your kids, my first piece of advice for how to enjoy summer as a working mom is to take a vacation. Yes, I understand that not everyone can take a week off in the summer, but if you can, you should do it.
Planning a summer vacation gives you one week to really soak up the summer and give your family the quintessential summer experience. Now, what you do on your vacation is up to you. Want to veg out and relax for a week? Maybe plan a beach trip. Want to explore a new place? Maybe book a trip to a new-to-you city or a national park you have never visited. Want to go to some of those weekday activities that keep popping into your email? Plan a staycation and do all the things your town has to offer.
We are headed to the beach for a week later this summer. I’m hoping to let my hair down and take it slow. If you have a rental house for a week this summer, either at the beach or wherever, you need vacation meals that won’t stress you out and help you enjoy summer as a working mom on vacation.
Weekends
Most working moms don’t work 7 days a week. If you fall into the category of working moms who work Monday through Friday, that gives you two whole days a week to enjoy summer with your kids. With these two days, your options are endless.
I highly recommend that you mix up your weekend fun to enjoy summer as a working mom. Instead of heading to the local pool every Saturday and Sunday of the summer, sprinkle in some other activities so you really feel like you’re getting the complete summer experience. Head to the zoo, or the amusement park. Take a hike at a local park. Try a different ice cream shop in your area each weekend. Go to a museum or library. The housework can be kept to a minimum over the summer. This is more important.
Evenings
You don’t have to limit your summer fun to the weekends as a working mom. The sun sets later in the summer, so that gives you more daylight to get fun stuff done. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily try to fit a major excursion into the evening after a long day of work for you and summer camp for your kids, but you can do small things in the evenings that give your family a little taste of fun.
So, how can you make the most of your evenings to enjoy summer as a working mom? Here are just a few ideas.
Hit the pool
Whip up your favorite on-the-go dinner and pack it up to eat picnic-style at the pool.
Grab a sweet treat
Nothing says summer fun like an ice cream run! No one said you can’t eat ice cream on a weeknight.
Gather round the fire
If you took my advice and got Dad a solo stove for Father’s Day, fire it up on a weeknight and gather the family around the smokeless fire. Want to really maximize the summer fun? Stop by the grocery store after work and grab some s’mores ingredients. Ooey gooey delicious fun!
Lightning bugs
I grew up in a place that doesn’t have lightning bugs (aka fireflies), but for one week every summer, we headed to the mountains of North Carolina where the lightning bugs flourished. One of our favorite activities that week was to try to catch the lightning bugs at dusk. If you live in a place where lightning bugs live, this can be a great way to end the night with some summer fun.
Small things
You don’t have to plan anything special to enjoy summer as a working mom. Just soak up the normal, everyday fun that comes in the small moments of summertime. Be present, that’s all I’m suggesting.
What are some of these small things that can really level up your summer?
Bubbles
If you have smaller kids, I know you have a plethora of bubbles at your house. Individual bubbles, bug bubble containers with multiple wands, and even a bubble machine.
Popsicles
A popsicle can turn any day around, so if your family is having a rough day this summer, grab a popsicle. Sure you can keep a variety of store-bought popsicles in your freezer all summer long, but it’s also a fun activity to make your own popsicles. All you need is some fruit juice (or yogurt or pudding or smoothie) and a popsicle mold. My kids love any kind of popsicle, but they seem to savor popsicles they make themselves just that little bit extra.
Play outside
My children are definitely outdoor creatures. They love to spend as much time outside as they can. It’s kind of shocking just how quickly their moods change when we head outside. Playing outside for just a few minutes each night when we get home definitely makes me enjoy summer as a working mom because my kids are happier. Make sure you are stocked up on outdoor toys so this is an easy one to accomplish.
Priorities
Even though you can accomplish a lot and enjoy summer as a working mom, it’s important to understand that you can’t do all of the summer activities you might wish you could do. So, you must prioritize! And don’t just think about what your kids’ priorities are, you need to consider your priorities too.
A great way to figure out your summer priorities and set yourself up for summer success is to make a bucket list. I made a summer bucket list for moms last year with my priorities and it definitely helped me enjoy summer as a working mom. In fact, it worked so well, I’m using it again this summer. My kids change their minds about what their priorities are on a daily basis, so our family summer bucket list changes minute to minute. If we ever decide on one and feel pretty confident we will stick to it, I’ll be sure to share it here.
Mom fun
You know how I said that you need to make sure you’re considering your priorities too this summer? Well, it’s so important that you actually do think about yourself, I’m going to say it again. You won’t enjoy summer as a working mom unless you have some fun for yourself.
Sure, you can include your kids in your mom fun is it’s family-friendly (like going to an amusement park or having a picnic in the park), but you don’t have to spend every waking moment you’re not at work with your kids this summer. You can have some mom-only fun too. For me, this looks like a pedicure about once a month in the summer. It’s 30 minutes that I get to myself every month during the summer and it makes me feel like I’m intentionally doing summer.
Your mom fun can look like a date with your partner, a girls night, or anything else that strikes your fancy. Just make sure you’re enjoying summer for yourself as well as for your kids.
Grace
Look, it’s not easy being a working mom during the summer. Your summer won’t look perfect, and it won’t feel perfect either. But that’s OK! It doesn’t have to look or feel perfect to be a great summer.
The absolute most important thing you can do to enjoy summer as a working mom is to give yourself grace. You won’t check everything off the bucket list. Your kids might miss out on something that they’d really like to do. But you’re doing your best, and that’s all that counts. Now get on out there and enjoy the summer, mom!
Other Posts
Looking for more content about juggling all the things in motherhood? Oh boy, do I have you covered! That’s pretty much what I do here. You might want to start with these posts:
I really hope that you’re feeling better about your ability to enjoy summer as a working mom. It is possible! How do you juggle work and kids and fun in the summer? Please share your tips below or over on Instagram @sarainseason.