I grew up in Florida where being outside in the summer felt like being on the surface of the sun. Despite that, I have fond memories of riding bikes and walking around the mall (with my biggest worry being how to keep my frizzy hair in check in the Floridian humidity.) Those were simpler times.
Fast forward to today, my 17-year-old daughter’s summer is planned out to the minute. Between college applications, sports, and being a normal social teenager, her schedule could be compared to a complex military operation. It made me think about how summer experiences have changed since I was a kid, and how they’ve changed throughout motherhood. We dive into all of it in this week’s podcast.
The Pool Is… Relaxing?
The pool used to be a serious source of stress in my motherhood journey. Now with teens, I can bring a book to the pool and actually read it. (Even I cannot believe it.) I remember all of those trips to the pool with floaties and diapers, and the constant feeling of needing to be on alert. It wasn’t until somewhat recently that I was able to relax knowing that my kids weren’t at the constant risk of drowning. Or pooping. In the pool. (Code Brown is nightmare fuel for all of us parents out there.)
Now that my kids are grown, stresses and worries have changed. Today, it’s things like my son being on screens too long. (We have made a deal where we barter outside time with screen time. I think it’s working.) Or with my daughter, that she’s scheduling herself too meticulously and not allowing herself to enjoy her summer as a carefree teenager. (But how can you not with all the pressures put on teens with college applications? That’s a whole separate blog post.)
The Summer of 69
Summers have definitely evolved for us over the years. I hope that with all of the complexities that my kids face – busy schedules, camps, and social engagements – they are still able to enjoy the simplicity of this beautiful thing called summer.
We dive into all of that in this week’s podcast, as well as unpack how Penn feels about trying on a women’s bikini for a recent sketch and why Bryan Adams has completely ruined me forever. What are your summer plans?? Comment below and happy listening!
