Summer is coming, and those posts are back again… the ones saying “we only have 18 summers with our kids. Cherish every moment.” Ugh. Yes, life seems to fly by sometimes, but let’s not put any more pressure on parents and carers to make every moment of the summer holidays magical.
Firstly, I adopted my son, so he had his first summer with his birth family and most of the second summer with his foster family. I would of course have loved to know this amazing boy sooner, but I’m glad that he had those summers with his birth family and foster family, because they’re important parts of his life. The photos we have from those times are precious.
Secondly, parents don’t necessarily lose summers with their children once they turn 18. You may not have the entire school holidays together, but if you don’t live too far apart, there are evenings, weekends and days off. I still hang out with my parents in the summer!
Thirdly, the school holidays can feel like a LONG time to keep children entertained. It can be daunting. There will be some less-than-magical moments. I know I’m not the only one who has children who find comfort in routine and struggle in the holidays. It’s OK to not cherish every minute. Of course I hope you DO have lots of magical moments with family this summer. I also hope you have buckets of patience, perspective and support to get you through the less-than-magical moments.
Best of luck, folks!
