Having kids changes EVERYTHING! And while they bring us so much joy (#blessed), there are certain things that we used to love that suddenly fill us with dread.
Waking up on a sunny, summer day would put a smile on anyone’s face. However, there are also lots of things about a parent's summer that are frankly frown-inducing. Here are a few of them.
Irritating Ice Cream Vans
Does anyone know why Mr Whippy hates parents so much? Why does he think that 7:30 pm is a good time to offer kids ice cream? I’ve heard people try various techniques to stop their kids from getting so excited, like telling them he only plays the song when all the ice creams are gone. However, in my experience, the queue of kids all waiting their turn for a ’99 is a dead giveaway. Don’t get me wrong, our freezer has a drawer dedicated to ice lollies, so my kids aren’t deprived of the good stuff, it's just that they have them in the afternoon. Please can we put ice cream vans in Room 101?
Sticky Suncream
You’d think applying suncream to children would be straightforward; after all, when we put it on ourselves, it couldn’t be simpler. Unfortunately, you’d be sadly mistaken. Just the sight of a suncream bottle makes my kids run in the opposite direction. Maybe it’s the fact that they have to stand still, maybe it’s because of the sticky texture and maybe it’s because they think it’s good fun watching us struggle. Whatever the reason, while I’m sorry to say goodbye to summer once autumn arrives, I’m not sorry to stop slathering on the sun lotion every day.
Sand, Sand Everywhere!
I would love to live opposite the beach. A sea view, Sunday morning strolls on the promenade and falling asleep to crashing waves: this parent's blissful summer dream. The weird thing is that although I don’t, my house is still permanently covered in sand. Regardless of whether they leave their shoes outside after playing in the sandpit, or if we shake our belongings so vigorously that the buttons almost fly off after a trip to the coast, the sand still somehow gets inside. In winter, it’s glitter that somehow gets in every crevice in the house; in summer, sand will appear where you least expect it.
The Dreaded Back-To-School Checklist
If you ask me, the fact that the back-to-school checklist is everywhere you look by the end of June is like telling us we have to do all our Christmas shopping in August. The summer holidays haven’t even started yet and we’re already panicking about September. The thing is you’ve got no choice, unless you want your child to be the only one that doesn’t have all their books bought and covered, their stationary labelled and new shiny shoes bought, you have to play along. There really should be prizes for parents for successfully completing the back-to-school challenge though!