Surviving the Summer as a Work-at-Home Mom

While summer break can be a lot of fun, it can also be hard.

As a work-at-home mom, getting things done (writing, interviews, etc.) while both kids are home can be difficult to say the least. (I’ve recently had to lock myself in the bathroom to make it happen. Please don’t judge.)

I’m the type of mom who thrives on routine (aka Type A). I love knowing where we will all be going and what we will be doing each day. I actually enjoy the school year and the monotony of it. The breaks are just long enough. But summer . . . it really makes me appreciate those sweet teachers so much more. 

I’m a planner, and getting things scheduled for those 10 weeks out of school has been a chore. I began working on summer plans in mid-April. I looked at all the options and finally got everything on the calendar. I was only left with two weeks with nothing on the calendar.

My kids are nine and four. I did intentionally want them that far apart in age. The oldest is a boy and the youngest is a girl. They aren’t into the same things: movies, toys, activities. When they do play together, I can count down the minutes until they’ll be arguing, someone is hurt, or whatever other drama will eventually ensue.

Here’s my struggle as a work-at-home mom: it’s inevitable that whenever I sit down to start working, one of them always needs something, and even more so if I take a phone call. This is when they both need all the things.

Each morning they wake up (all too early) asking what we’re doing that day. I don’t have the time, money, or energy to make something extraordinary happen on a daily basis.

That age difference also comes into play when planning things for them to do. Besides vacation bible school (for another year or so), they aren’t able to go to the same things. If I’m going to put one in something, I may as well put them both in something.

Here’s some of what they’ll be doing:

• VBS at our church
• Summer fun program for my daughter at her preschool
• Two different church camps for my son
• Our family vacation (to visit my in-laws in Hilton Head, SC)
• Science camp and basketball camp at a local church for my son
• A second VBS for my daughter at the church where she attends preschool
• A day at Six Flags with friends
• Swimming at the YMCA
• Playdates with friends

I did a Facebook poll to see what my friends’ thoughts were. Out of 21 responses, 62% love summer and 38% said it can be stressful.

One said, “I LOVE summer for the flexibility and freedom but also like structure. That means we can sleep in and be lazy but also have some planned activities so that everyone isn’t spending their entire day watching t.v. and playing video games. Looking forward to play dates and pool time!”

Another said, “Being a full-time working mom could make summer super stressful, but I start planning months ahead. I enroll the kids in day camps, vacation bible school, and take off days for our beach trips and long weekends. I’m excited because I have such a diverse and fun summer planned for the boys.”

I really do wish I was one of those fun, carefree moms who loves having her kids home for summer break. Some of my friends are those moms, and some are like me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids more than anything. We’ll have some great times and make some great memories, and I know one day I will be missing those long summer days doing the things that stress me out right now. So I’m going to do my best to enjoy it while it lasts.

Are you a work-at-home mom? How do you feel about summer break?