10 things parents know to be true in summer.

For some, summer equals relaxation and a chance to slow down and recharge. 

But for parents? Summer can equal late bedtimes, a sand-filled car, hundreds of new memories in the camera roll and just generally… chaos. 

At least that’s the case with kids, 3 and 6. This summer has been all about (hear me out) ‘burying people’. It’s where we dig a giant trench at the beach and one “lucky” kid gets in while the others throw and dump sand around them until there’s only a bobbing, grinning head left showing. They climb out, dramatically of course, sand flying everywhere. Rinse, repeat.

With school wrapping up for most and holidays around the corner, there’s an unspoken circle of understanding among parents. Quite the opposite, really, of Forrest Gump’s “Life is like a box of chocolates.” In this case, we know exactly what we’re going to get.

A soundtrack of your kids’ giggles, meltdowns and, “can Noah come with us too?” Too many things to carry – mentally and physically. (You’ll likely wheel out the ol’ “I don’t have enough arms” a few hundred times). All the little mouths to feed. Your own kids, yes, but also an influx of kids from your street or their schools too. See also: many little people to remind repeatedly about sunscreen. Knowing that best laid plans also don’t stand a chance (due to aforementioned chaos). And the niggling thought in the back of your mind, for mums especially, to enjoy every minute of summer because “they go so fast” and “we only get a few of them before the kids are all grown up.”

Listen, it is not possible to enjoy every minute. You’re not alone in that. But I say, forgo expectations and take summer one day at a time. Low expectations is where parenting joy lives. Remind yourself that school will start up again, eventually.

In the meantime, make sure you’re starting the day with a strong coffee, and that you’re saving some of the good snacks for yourself too.

Here are my 10 observations that we all know to be true about parenting in summer.

1. Snacks, snacks and more snacks.

Meals are optional but snacks are inevitable, multiple times a day. You find yourself at the grocery shop every other day, in the snack aisle buying only packaged items and fruit that can be eaten on the go to satisfy those bottomless pits of hunger. Better stock up because not only are you responsible for feeding your own children but you better have snacks for the rest of the crew that shows up when they hear the crackle of a chip packet!

2. There’s sand everywhere.

Literally everywhere. In the car, in the bed, all over the house and in every bodily crevice. You can try to clean it up or you can go with it, letting the grains exfoliate your body on a nightly basis and the bottoms of your feet each morning. 

If you try to sweep, just know someone will come in and drop a sand-filled towel moments after the broom has been put away, so why bother? You always wanted a beach house right?

3. Slip, slop, slap, repeat, repeat, repeat.

Sunscreen is a summer essential every time you leave said house. Since we’ve all grown up on the “reapply every 2 hours” life rule, you’re used to herding your kids (and their friends on any given outing) back to you to give them top-ups. If only you could hole-punch your sunscreen purchases like you do with takeaway coffees, because Banana Boat’s Kids Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ would be our most repeated restock.

It’s 4-hour water resistant with UVA/UVB broad spectrum protection (double tick). Plus, it’s a non-greasy formula that won’t run into the kids’ eyes, therefore avoiding screams heard across the pool. 

4. Bedtime? Never heard of her.

With glorious evenings staying lighter (thanks daylight savings), later and without the alarm for school going off in the morning, bedtime is just a theory. We can read all the advice about sticking to a routine throughout summer but realistically us parents don’t exactly want to deal with bedtime any more than the kids, so it makes sense to let them run around until they literally drop and fall asleep.

Teeth brushing tends to suffer some nights as a result of this strategy, but they’ll pick that back up in the new year. Apologies to any and all dentists reading this!

5. Ice block bribery.

They’re sticky and sugary, and melt way too fast – and your kids can’t get enough of them. But each ice block offers 3-4 minutes of quiet as kids work their way through a brain freeze. It’s just the drippy hands and elbows afterwards that’s the trade-off. Worth it, I say.

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6. Endless energy. 

“Can we go to the beach?” Every. Single. Day. The good news is getting outdoors running around in the sand and the ocean makes kids exhausted. They have boundless energy when it comes to building, playing and splashing as long as there’s a continuous stream of snacks. If you can get them outside early, you might get a bit of peace in the afternoon while they recover. 

Luckily the towels, bucket, and spades, and the sunscreen live permanently in either my bag and/or the beach caddy for the foreseeable future. 

7. Beach toys have a revolving door of owners.

Image: Supplied.

Speaking of, everyone brings a bucket, spade, and one of those plastic watering cans to the beach with the strong understanding that it’s unlikely you’ll leave with the same ones.

Also, some toys just seem to permanently live at the park or beach, enjoyed by each new overlapping party that spends a sunny few hours in that same general vicinity. When you’ve got kids of a certain age, how good’s the unspoken sharing economy?

8. Summer gear really does seem to multiply. 

Your handbag is suddenly replaced with a giant beach bag filled with goggles, water bottles, spare clothes, thongs, hats, sunscreen, snacks. And somehow you’re also now lugging a boogie board, esky, sun tent and floaties 11 blocks to the car. There’s no summer version of packing light. 

9. Dinner is on location. 

From barbies to beach picnics and park potlucks, the esky gets packed most nights with “kid charcuterie” aka a collection of cheese cubes, fruit sticks, hot dogs, cabanossi and anything else you could throw in, in a hurry at 4pm, long before you actually planned dinner.  

Plastic plates and cutlery also don’t even get unpacked, just rinsed at the outdoor tap, wiped and re-used. 

10. You wouldn’t mind a break after the summer break. 

Between holidays, family gatherings, driving to and from friends’ houses, day trips, weekends away, camping with other family friends etc, do parents actually feel like they’ve had a solid break? Not heaps. Hopefully, you had the joy of assigning another loved one responsibility for your children for an afternoon, so you could close your eyes and enjoy a moment to daydream, or chip away at a good Sally Hepworth read. 

You’ll likely feel like you didn’t have the chance to recharge like you pictured, but... at least the kids had a ball? Right guys?

Shop Banana Boat Kids Sunscreen Lotion SPF50+ at your local Woolies, Coles, Chemist Warehouse, Priceline Pharmacy or online. 

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Wear protective clothing, a hat and sunglasses in addition to sunscreen. Reapply frequently. Avoid prolonged high-risk sun exposure.

Feature Image: Supplied.