Summer-geddon: No vacation ‘til September
You thought you had a handle on life? Think again. May and June come armed with back-to-back recitals, field trips, teacher gifts, end-of-year projects, graduation parties, and a sprinkle of summer camp panic for good measure.
There’s no relaxing poolside or sipping margaritas here. This is full-on parental triage mode, with caffeine-fueled chaos and meltdowns (theirs and yours).
So in honor of this meltdown marathon, I present to you my Garbage Pail alter-egos: Deadline Dad and Burnt-out Mom—zombie-fied warriors of the school year’s end, barely standing but somehow still on snack duty and clapping politely at assemblies like their lives depend on it.
And just when you think you’ve survived the tornado that is June… Boom. It’s July.
Now you’re in full-blown summer survival mode: planning vacations, fighting inflation, dodging wildfires—literal and emotional—and doing everything in your power to keep your kids from fusing permanently with their screens.
You're juggling summer fun with a side of dystopia.
The country feels like it’s teetering on the edge—a political powder keg, social media echoing like a scream chamber, and the streets one bad decision away from a sequel to the LA Riots. You’re just trying to figure out how to afford a weekend getaway without the world unraveling while you're gone.
And through all of that, you still gotta pack sandwiches, make sure the swim goggles aren’t lost (again), and explain for the fifth time why no, you cannot play Roblox for 8 hours straight.
This is the modern parent’s paradox: trying to create joy in a world that feels joyless, trying to be present when the present feels like it’s on the verge of collapse.
But here’s the thing—you keep going.
Not because it’s easy, but because it matters. Because your kids deserve a summer they’ll remember for the right reasons.
So slather on that sunscreen, toss a juice box in the minivan, and hold on tight. There’s no PTO in this version of summer. But there’s purpose. There’s grit. There’s love. And somewhere between the chaos and the headlines, there’s still hope.
Enjoy your Summer!
