My ‘lazy parent’ summer bucket list

1. Being a “yes” mama

I feel like so many of my days are spent saying “no”, and this is usually for good reason. I don’t always have time during the school year to indulge my kids in their fun, imaginative requests.

Can we go to the beach and watch the sunset? No. We have homework to do. Can we see if the moon looks different from the roof? No. It’s bedtime.

But summer mommy? Summer mommy is a yes woman .

Do you want to go see if our local pet stores carry hedgehogs? Sure, why not! A friend told you that a park down south has the best swing set in the county? Let’s go check it out!

I am a woman who is completely unburdened by the rules that dictate September through May. And though our days may be unplanned, they are filled with adventure and intrigue.

2. Sleeping in

Do you remember when you used to sleep in? When you would be woken up by the mid-morning sun beating down on your un-wrinkled forehead?

Summer is the lazy parent’s chance to obtain this greatness again. There is no schedule in summer; no early start-times for school, no lunches to be made. Mornings can begin slowly, naturally. There is finally time to make pancakes with blueberry eyes and banana noses. I can let my children eat as slowly as they want, pausing to build Lego castles besides their plates.

There is no morning rush. No wide-eyed panic as I toss leftovers in a Tupperware and call it a lunch.

I am a summertime parent. I am the queen of ease.

3. Picnics

There is something simply delightful about a picnic. Our large, straw-woven basket reminds me of the summers of my youth. It has a red and white-checked inside that makes anything you put within it seem like a delicacy.

This basket is magic. Bottomless.

It holds surprises like juice boxes and freshly baked breads. Our basket always contains a versatile blanket that can rest easily on sandy beaches, the dirt beside a hiking trail, or the grass of a local music festival.

The picnic basket gives us freedom to be creative in our timeline; not based on our hunger pangs but instead on whatever our hearts desire. We can linger by the lake, or build one more towering sand castle.

Our feast is only an arm’s length away.

4. Gardening

(I realize that including “gardening” has officially turned me into my mother but let’s be honest—I am finally okay with that.)

There is nothing that screams “SUMMER!” more than weeding in our garden as a family at 11 am on a Tuesday, sneaking bites of vegetables or herbs as we go.

I want my children’s chubby faces to be covered in dirt, their fingernails stained browned by picking up roly-polies and digging for worms. Three little bodies can huddle together in a tight circle, taking the time to comment on the growth of a squash and to count the sweet, crisp, strawberries that hang like ornaments on a Christmas tree.

I want their summer days to be filled to the brim with family time, and if I get a little weeding done in the process—praise be!

5. Trying new foods

I truly believe that summer should revolve around food. I want to stop at every taco stand and frequent every farmer’s market.

We don’t have anywhere specific to be, so we can give ourselves the benefit of exploration—of seeing where the day takes us. And if this leads us to eating ice cream plunked down on a filthy sidewalk, our flip flops catching the melted sugar that drips from our soggy cones, then I will consider that a win.