Being a Working Mom: Five Things That Saved Me This Summer

I love my kids. They are the coolest, funniest, most interesting people I know. And I love all the extra time with them that the summer provides.

But this summer almost killed me.

Striking the perfect balance of down time (important for kids), time with friends, physical activity, intellectual stimulation, and family time for them is hard enough … trying to juggle it all while working myself and trying to maintain our household and my own sanity was extremely difficult. Working Moms, you know what I’m talking about.

My kids went back to school last week. And although I’m sad that the summer is over, as I reflect on the past three months, I have to give a shout out to these five things that allowed me to keep my sanity in check:

1. Other Moms. There is no doubt, Moms need other Moms. I can’t count the number of times I needed logistical help, a place for a child to hang out for a few hours, or someone to have a laugh and a drink with. I’d be lost without my group of Moms.
2. Summer Camp. Whether it was the month-long camp that my daughter attended (and loved every minute of), or the shorter weekly camps that my sons popped in and out of, we all needed the activity that they provided.
3. Amazon Prime (and Prime Now). Knee deep in laundry and ran out of detergent? Need required summer reading books? Don’t want to brave the lines at Staples for school supplies? Enter Amazon Prime and Prime Now, where everything is delivered right to your door in a matter of hours. Heaven.
4. Me Time. Tennis. House of Cards. Bubble baths. Me time. I didn’t get much of it, but when I did, it recharged my batteries and gave me some much needed escapism.
5. Gratitude. Yes, I felt like I was burning the candle at both ends for three months. But focusing on all that I have to be thankful for helped me keep things in perspective.

I’m lucky. Here on the Porch, we are all in the same boat and our Chief Rocker has built her business into something special that lets us all have our cake and eat it too. I am thankful for that.

So long, summer. Until we meet again.