Wow! I was remembering back when I had 4 kids in school and I'm not sure which season was busiest, spring, right before winter break or the weeks coming up to school starting in the fall. Spring was definitely one of them. Each child having end of the year exams, programs, signing up for summer recreation, lining up child care and transportation..... Uff Da!
As a parent with grown children, let me give you permission to set limits on summer rec activities. Your children will enjoy and remember trips and time spent with you more fondly then t-ball practice. If that is something you are able to make work. It doesn't have to be a trip to Disney or even a weekend camping at a State Park! While those are nice, I know for me those kind of trips were either out of my price range or the thought of planning for them sent me into overwhelm.
I would suggest playing it by ear. Research no or low cost things in your area that would be fun. Make a list . Then when you have that good day and feel like you are ready for an adventure, pick one and go. I get that many kids start sports in pre-school now. I also agree that sports and extra curricular activities can be a motivation for some kids to do well academically.
You know what else significantly improves your child's chance of a positive educational outcome? Having parents that are not burnt out from driving them around at all hours of the day and night. Parents that are making their health and quality time with family a priority.
Yes, if I could do it all over again, I would have done it very different. Between keeping up with the Jones and trying to honor my children's every want, I drove myself and my health into the ground. It didn't do them any favors either. They didn't learn how to prioritize health and wellbeing. They often felt like an inconvenience and that they were a burden. With exhausted parents, we weren't there for them in the ways they really needed us. Sure, we drove them to activities and helped them build their pine box car, all the while exhausted and feeling like it was work. We didn't learn how to manage our emotions or health. We were teaching them by example that life was hard, grueling, and unfair. Look what you have to look forward too! Poor kids!
While I admit, life is not fair and it isn't always rainbows and lolly pops, it didn't need to be that hard.
If we would've said no to a few more things and focused on our health and had clear priorities and better boundaries, we would have had more energy available to just "spend time" with our kids and have fun. Sometimes we would go on "adventures". We would take them to a park or for a walk out in the woods. Those are the times they remember. Take a minute to feel into what things you want to prioritize in your family.
You have to make the decision for yourself, what is doable for you. Here's my suggestion. Figure out what you can do without feeling overwhelmed. Then take a couple more things off the list. It's a good way to teach kids priorities and how to make tough decisions too, having them choose one thing over another. These are life skills that no one else teaches them. If you allow yourself less scheduled time you may feel more like taking that spontaneous adventure!
Remember, no child was ever traumatized for being in summer art and not dance. Now is the time for them to experiment. You can provide opportunities for them to do this as well. Many libraries and other places have free programs through out the summer, to try our art, science, movies in the park, dance, acting.... check out your local county STEM programs and YMCA's or do it yourself! They also usually have free movies at the theatre during the day in the summer!
Remember to have fun and be yourself with your kids. If you are always tired or stressed out they will never get to know the real you. What a shame that would be. The person that was once a child with an imagination just like them. That child is still in there. Being a parent doesn't mean you have to be serious all the time. I remember when my kids were teenagers and I was sitting around the bon fire with them. I had relaxed and was being silly. My youngest exclaimed, "Mom! I didn't know you could be fun!" That broke my heart a little. Not gunna lie. Tap into the fun side once in awhile. Remind your kids where they got that amazing sense of humor or wit!
