Summer Activities for Stay at Home Kids – What is worth the price and hassle?

This summer marks the first time I have both of my littles (almost 3 and almost 5) home with me all summer. I was worried we wouldn’t have enough to do, so I followed the lead of many stay-at-home moms from their school and signed them up for summer camps, pool passes, and memberships. However, I’m not exactly a full-time stay-at-home mom. While I do stay home, I also work 1 to 3 hours a day.

Many stay-at-home moms seem to believe their kids need to be busy every day, but I’ve found that this often stems from their own need for mental engagement. Here’s what I’ve learned about kids’ activities this summer:

Swim Lessons vs. Pool Passes
Swim lessons haven’t been useful for my two sons, both of whom are afraid of water. On the other hand, pool passes have been more beneficial. The time spent at the pool is making them more comfortable with water. Once they overcome their fear, swim lessons might become more effective.

Memberships: Hit and Miss
Zoo Membership: Our local zoo is tiny and takes about an hour to get through. Honestly, we have more fun at the local park.
Living History Farms: Unless there’s an event, it’s not worth visiting.
Science Center: This membership is fantastic. My kids love exploring the different sections and never seem to tire of it. It’s perfect for cold, rainy, or hot days year-round.

Summer Camps
The one camp we tried was awesome. While camps are expensive, we might do another one next year, possibly a science center camp. However, I don’t see myself doing more than one or two camps per summer at this age. My kids can have fun in the backyard with a sprinkler or at a park.

Here are a few considerations:

Time with Friends: They need social interaction. I’m willing to pay for activities like summer camp if it means they can see their friends.
Time at the Pool: While I find the pool annoying and crowded, I think learning to swim is important. My goal is to get them comfortable through exposure, then we’ll consider lessons again next year.
Down Time: Kids don’t need to be busy all the time. Over-scheduling can be a waste of money and may do more harm than good.

Finding the right balance of activities is crucial. Not every activity needs to be structured or expensive. Sometimes, the simplest activities bring the most joy and benefit to our children. As parents, we need to recognize that downtime is just as important as planned activities, allowing our kids to grow, learn, and enjoy their summer. As long as we can make times with their friends, that is really all they truly need over the summer.

Balancing Career and Family: My Journey Through Uncertainty and Gratitude

Twelve days after my second son was born, I received a call from my boss’s boss. Not recognizing the number, I didn’t answer. When I called my boss to see why his boss called me, I heard the devastating news: the company I’d worked for over 12 years had laid off my entire team. We thought we were safe. Just two weeks before I delivered my son, we’d been in a meeting with everyone who was supposed to be part of the “go-forward team.” Despite the blow, I was fortunate to have seven months of severance, which allowed me to keep my son home for the full 16 weeks of my maternity leave. Afterward, he went to daycare, and I began job hunting.

For years, I’d envisioned leaving my corporate job only if I had enough money to retire or if my husband received a substantial raise. In my ideal scenario, I would work part-time at a small company, something in personal finance, giving me more time with my kids. When I reached out to a friend who worked as a financial advisor, he told me he was moving to a smaller financial firm and they were looking for a back-end financial planner. The firm was religiously affiliated and had two women employees who kept their kids at home full-time. It seemed like a perfect fit.

While it felt like a dream come true, my heart still ached. Losing my corporate job was a hard pill to swallow. I now earn about half of my previous salary, with no benefits, and work under an advisor whose arrogance is hard to bear. Life isn’t perfect anywhere, but the contrast between how great and not great everything is can be confusing.

I often wonder if leaving this job after completing my certification credentials to work full-time elsewhere for a higher salary would be the right move. However, that would likely mean less influence over client plans and reduced time with my 2- and 4-year-old sons. My husband makes good money, but he is underpaid for his qualifications and workload. If he earned 50% more, I believe I’d feel less conflicted. My dream is to work part-time but not out of necessity.

Ironically, we have enough money for me to stop working if we maintain our current expenses, but I’m not spending the way I’d like to. We prioritize high-quality food and supplements, but I’ve cut back on other areas that used to bring me joy, like getting my hair colored, nails done, and buying new clothes. Now, I shop for clothes at Costco and skip beauty treatments altogether. It feels trivial to complain about these things, but seeing friends with higher incomes living more luxuriously adds to my sense of loss. However, they too have conflicted souls. They send their kids to full-time daycare and often feel stressed by their limited time together because they need to focus on getting things done rather than spending time playing with their kids. I cherish every moment with my kids, knowing this time is fleeting, yet I’m aware of my worth and the skills I could leverage for a higher income.

Despite the unresolved feelings, one thing remains clear: I love my time with my children. I’m grateful for a job that allows me to pursue many of my passions. Every morning, as I walk in the rising sun while most people I know are stuck in Zoom meetings behind office desks, I know I’m where my heart belongs—at home, in the sunshine, with my babies.

Mastering the Work-From-Home Mom Life with Toddlers

As a work-from-home mom with a bustling household—including a lively 2-year-old and a curious 4-year-old in preschool—finding a balance between my professional responsibilities and family life is a finely tuned art. Here’s how I manage to get the best use of my time, ensuring everything gets done while nurturing a positive environment for my kids.

The Golden Hours of Deep Focus (8:30 AM – 10:45 AM)
The house is quiet when my kids are at preschool, and I’m in my element. These 2 hours and 15 minutes are precious—I dive deep into my most demanding tasks with zero distractions. It’s incredible how much you can accomplish when the workspace is peaceful!
Recharging with a Proper Lunch Break
After picking up my kids from school, we enjoy a relaxed lunch together around 11:30 AM. It’s our special time to chat about their morning and gear up for the afternoon. My regular lunch smoothie is always on the menu, giving me the perfect energy boost.
Balanced Screen Time
A bit of TV time post-lunch helps transition my kids into home mode. They engage with educational programs while I wrap up my workday. The flexibility of my schedule allows for productive bursts during this quite time.
Outdoor Adventures Every Day
Whether it’s sunny or chilly, outdoor play is a must. If I have leftover tasks, I set up my mobile office on the deck or by the window, keeping an eye on the kids as they explore and play in our yard. The fresh air does wonders for all of us!
Family Fitness Fun
Each afternoon includes a 30-minute workout session. I love that my kids see exercise as a regular part of life—they join in with their playful “workouts,” which might involve jumping on a trampoline or creating obstacle courses. It’s adorable and keeps us all active!
Cooking as a Team
Dinner preparation is a family affair. With a meal plan in hand, we tackle the kitchen together. My boys are eager helpers, from cracking eggs to mixing ingredients. It’s a great way to teach them about nutrition and teamwork.
Cherished Family Dinners
Every evening, we sit down as a family for dinner. This routine is the heart of our day, a chance for in-depth conversations and sharing.
Evening Unwind
Post-dinner, I clean up while my husband hits the workout room, and the kids invariably join him—loving their dad time. This gives me a quiet moment to myself, maybe catching up on a favorite show.
Bedtime Rituals
Our nighttime routine is soothing and structured, with bedtime stories and cuddles. By 7:45 PM, the kids are tucked in with the comforting sounds of white noise and the soft glow of a red light.
Time for Us
Once the kids are asleep, my husband and I wind down. Whether it’s catching up on a TV show or reading, this is our time to reconnect. We cherish these moments before our early lights-out, as my husband is up before 5:00 AM every day.

Balancing work and family life isn’t always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Each day is a new opportunity to blend productivity with parenting, building a loving and efficient home environment.

Choosing Privacy Over Publicity: Why I Keep My Kids Off Social Media

In today’s digital age, social media is a ubiquitous part of life, offering both connections and challenges. As a parent, navigating this landscape can be particularly complex. When it comes to sharing the lives of our children online, opinions vary widely. Before our first son was born, I explored many viewpoints on this issue but found that none resonated with me deeply. However, I was certain about one thing: I didn’t want to expose their identities on the internet. Now, with two children and nearly five years of parenting under my belt, I have solidified my stance. Here, I share the two core reasons behind my decision not to post pictures or names of my children on social media.

1. Respecting Their Future Autonomy:

The initial reason for my decision stems from a value deeply rooted in my own life: privacy. Just as I cherish my own privacy and share minimal personal information on social platforms, I anticipate that my children might appreciate the same discretion as they grow older. Social media, with its permanent memory, poses a unique challenge. By sharing their images and names, I would be crafting an online persona that they might not wish for themselves. I want to provide my children the freedom to decide how they appear online when they are mature enough to make those choices—free from the burden of a digital footprint they did not consent to.

2. Avoiding the Validation Trap:

Over time, I’ve realized a more profound reason for my privacy stance—my own journey with insecurity. This personal challenge has offered me insights into the underlying motivations that drive social media interactions. Often, people seek validation through their posts, whether it’s praise for a new hairstyle, a pet’s antics, or life milestones. Their quest for external validation can extend to children, celebrating every achievement as if the worth of those moments is amplified by likes and comments.

I firmly believe in celebrating my children within our close circle of friends and family, where the interactions are genuine and not subject to the superficial scrutiny of the broader social media community. I don’t need public affirmation to feel confident in my parenting or to validate my children’s accomplishments. Social media should not influence our family’s values or decisions, nor should it set a benchmark for my children’s achievements relative to others. Every child develops at their own pace, excelling in some areas and facing challenges in others. Acknowledging this diversity is crucial, and I choose not to subject my children’s growth to the competitive and often judgmental eyes of the online world.

Choosing not to share my children’s images or names online is a decision that protects their autonomy and shields our family from the pressures and pitfalls of social media validation. It is a commitment to respect their individuality and developmental journey, free from external influences. As we navigate the complexities of parenting in the digital era, we find strength in privacy and the close, personal connections that shape who we are, far beyond what any social media presence could offer.

This approach might not be for everyone, but for our family, it’s the path we’ve chosen, guided by a desire to foster an environment where our children can freely shape their identities when they’re ready—and not a moment before. I respect others who share their kids online and realize that this is right for them and their family. It is ok to make different choices as parents, one doesn’t have to be right while the other is wrong. Every family is different, just as every person is different.