If you’re one of the lucky ones, your kids will be at camp and the break from school schedule won’t disrupted your day to day routine to drastically.

But if you’re one of the many, many mamas who have kids home from school, then, for better or worse, you’re about to be thrown into a dizzying shift in your routine.

Whichever group you find yourself in, the inevitable will eventually happen: you will find yourself putting your personal life on hold (you know, everything you do while the kids are out and occupied) and spending all of what was your spare time with your kids.

That might sound frightening to some of you, overwhelming to others.

I get it.

It doesn’t matter how much you love your kids, or even how much you enjoy their company. It’s fair to experience a measure of dread (or maybe full blown panic) when it comes to temporarily forfeiting your freedom.

To get the support you need, join me and a group of moms for the Summer Support Group

I used cringe at the thought of having my kids home full time. It meant a whole new load of needs and demands that I would have to quickly adapt to and meet. But the hardest part was that I wouldn’t get to do what I could only do while my kids were otherwise out of the house and occupied by something else.

Not much has changed, except that I have more kids!

But one thing  IS different…

It didn’t happen over night, but now I’m actually looking forward to having my kids around.

Yup, that’s right, I’m looking forward to it.

I may not have the freedom to do exactly as I please while my kids are about, but I realize that, like you, I have the freedom to choose how I view our time together.

Summer vacation is indeed an extra over-sized load of work (read: keeping them adequately entertained so they don’t kill each other), but it’s also somewhat of a family holiday.

Even though family vacation is stressful and demanding to the point that you need a vacation upon your return, one of the perks of any holiday is a break from routine and the opportunity to experience one another in a different way. Especially yourself. 

So this summer, I’m not just focussing on my kids and our relationship, I’m also investing in my own well being.

Because I know by now that if I don’t look after myself, I can’t be the parent that I want to my kids.

If you’re like more support this summer vacation, be sure to check out the Summer Support Group for Moms, a 6 week, online support group to help you stay patient, present and enjoy the summer holidays with your kids.