Rumination of parent’s life during summer break from the founder of NexSchools will ease your wallowing guilt trip. You’re not alone in roller coaster ride of summer time with kids.

For every parent, summer brings a massive guilt trip along with excitement and angst of just thinking that the summers a re round the corner. The single problem for working or non-working parents is trying to occupy your kids during those long hot summer days. Once the school is out as parents we are in dilemma of planning things to do in summer.

You create a calendar to accommodate everything, almost every activity in the neighborhood and camps. You juggle your life ferrying kids to and from one summer camp to activity classes during the day. Then start thinking those disquiet summers just get over too fast and kids should go back to school as almost a better option at this point.

How about unstructured downtime for children to just hang-out? Like all days are not same similarly every day of vacation is also not same. There are lazy days and crazy days or camping days which is perfectly fine.

However hard you try the summer has usually the same pattern in the families. We are amazed the summer progress into four stages.

All said and done, we all have these four stages on summer break, which one is yours?

School Summer Break – Four Stages

1. Beginning: The lazy days

Summer vacation is a relief to everyone – no more alarm clock, lunches to pack and homework to assist. Break starts with – my kids are tired, I am tired and we all need a break.

So we slack off and lazy days roll in. The kids indulge into board games and playtime with the friends in the morning. Afternoons are for watching more TV and get engrossed into more screen hours in tabs and mobile. We pass on lunch with ordering pizza. Truthfully we can’t deny it either. Sure, we go to the nearby places sometimes and may join the friends in the pool or evening chit-chat group. It is relaxing and enjoyable…

2. Counting the summer break days

Until you suddenly you realize, the bickering starts... The pillow fort in the living room is no more creativity at work but just a clutter, the tall tower made out of Lego set is mess and pajamas and tees are no more cute. We pull out the calendar and count the 36 days until they will go back to school and jittery feeling sets in. We promised it will be the best summer vacation and feel guilty for not being the one.

You invite friends for a play date, summer break parties, take them to a movie, enroll the for activities and classes. Not caring you will have to drive across the time, arrange for car pool or cook for those lil naughty gang of kids. Elaborate planning phase rolls and guilt doesn't stop, we try to fill every minute of time with some structured schedule. Summer break is no more fun.

3. Syncing into summer break ways

Then subtle changes happen, bickering day take a cadenced irregular pattern. Some days we go out, some days we stay at home but those desperate days are over instead there is fun in the air, plans are made to enjoy and relax. Kids start to do their summer reading without prodding, there is sibling harmony while playing together monopoly or business. Ofcourse, until one of the sibling is in total discord with the rule of the game and calls the other cheater. We meet friends at some places and enjoy outdoor and indoor family and friend’s time. Some days we fee like super moms and the just perfect family.

4.  Back to school panic days

Now one day there will be an online alert message from school for books and bag day or other parents talking about school reopening. Something jolts me to reality. Children will be back to school in 10 days and I have not done a thing to get ready. Cleaning up the closet to make room for a new set of books and stationary, shopping… I can’t decide now I’m happy or sad.

Then the day comes when they are all set for school. I pull out the sheet just in case if they want to build a fort out of sheets and pillow for old time sake.

See we all had those long lazy days and totally relaxed summers – as kids. Coming back from boarding school or holidays for two months was a totally reasonable proposition. We played games, ran around with our buddies, even watched movies on the VCR,  sometimes straight 2 movies in day, swam in the pool (which was expensive as there were hardly one or two pools in small town) and played and learnt all outdoor games without going to any sports coaching class – badminton, skating, cricket etc. There was no disquiet in the house. We were happy as can be - we got a break -a nice long mellow break.

So stop going on the guilt trip, summer time is breather that allows us all to break away from the same routine. Let them be in their PJs till afternoon some days, eat lots of ice-cream and get bored.

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