I see so many posts from moms not wanting summer vacation to begin. Their kids home day after day. I guess I kind of get it, but I personally can’t wait. It can’t come soon enough. Maybe it’s because I work full time and I’m not stuck in the house with them day in and day out? I don’t know.

For me summer vacation is a wonderful BREAK! I need it. It’s a break from making tedious lunches. Three separate lunches for kids that like different things. I’m telling you now, I’m not making any sandwiches this summer! I’m done with it. I started my lunch count-down…

You see that? That’s Common Core math. There’s the other reason I’m excited for summer vacation. The homework and ridiculous new math methods. We can’t just multiply 3 times 7. Let’s use a full page to display our answer, as my kids have to do 5 steps to get an answer that they already know in their heads. The spelling homework, with a different task each day. The book reports. The book talk projects. I’ll be happy to pack away the rubber cement and glitter for the summer.

I’ll be cartwheeling again on the last day of school.

Then there is the BONUS of summer vacation…my kids do more chores. Here’s where I truly win. I leave them a list each morning of things they need to get done. 20 minutes reading, unload the dishwasher, take out recyclables, clean the bathroom sink…I add whatever I feel like. No electronics until it’s all done.

We’re all happier in summer. We’re all less stressed, we spend  more time outdoors, and although the mom guilt sets in once in a while as I’m sitting at my desk at work, we still manage to spend wonderful quality time together…because now there’s more time for it.

So bring on SUMMER!

How do you feel about summer vacation?