rebranding summer break

This is the first summer my family is tied to the public school system. As the last day of school approached, I was nervous about changing our routine. And I’m not gonna lie: I hated the first day of summer break. 

With my kids’ new summer camp schedule, I quickly realized my usual workday routine was now three hours shorter. That first day I had to leave work before 4 pm to pick up my kids, I was so stressed. I was mentally calculating how I was going to finish up my work for the day, knowing I’d have to wait until after bedtime at 9 pm to get started on it. I was in a terrible mood and I knew it. 

I later felt bad about the energy I brought to that evening with my husband and kids. Days and moods like this happen from time to time — and that’s totally OK! My husband works in an office almost every single day with an hour commute, and sometimes he comes home to me as a total grump. I get it. But I saw my future of juggling kids and running a business over the next two months, working myself into the ground trying to balance it all. Right then and there, I decided I could either be overwhelmed and stressed or I could do something about it. 

summer mom, activated

After a dramatic day-one spiral, I decided to do something about it. I said to myself that there are some things in this situation that cannot be changed: less hours to work, kids need to be chauffeured around, etc. But there are some things that can be changed, so let’s focus on that. 

Day Two of summer break, I mentally prepared myself to sign off at 3:45, and packed snacks and swim supplies. Once I picked up my kids, I said, “We’re going to the splash pad and having a fun afternoon together!” And that’s just what we did. 

From that day forward, I shifted my approach to summer break and used the resources I have in front of me: my amazing roster of brilliant marketing minds. Trusting them to keep our momentum going has given me the freedom to step back, and I have been using that approach all summer. And honestly? I’ve never had a better summer with my kids in my six years of parenting. Yes, there are a lot of other differences now, such as my kids being older (aka more fun). But being in charge of my own schedule has truly been life changing. We’ve been able to make so many fun memories and I wouldn’t change a single thing. 

Last week my husband was traveling for work, so I decided to pack up and work from my parents’ lake house with my kids. My parents weren’t there, so I knew I was taking a bit of a risk going without childcare. Was it easy? Not always. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

the mindset shift that saved my summer

I went from dreading summer break to rebranding it into what it should be: time to slow down (work less), get outside, and spend time with your loved ones. It's a time for fun! 

I can't believe I wasn’t planning to take advantage of all this extra time with my kids to:

do cannonballs into the lake, 
look for rolly pollies in the backyard,
read a book while a thunder storm rolls through,
have a fashion show,
throw a dance party,
and so much more.

And that is the part I keep coming back to: I almost missed it.

Not because I physically couldn't be there, but because I was so focused on what summer break was taking away from my workday that I almost forgot what it was giving me.

This is why I built gvb: to give myself back time  with my loved ones. Not so work disappears, but so work has a healthier place in my life. So I can show up for clients, trust the team around me, and still be the mom doing toe touches into a pool on a random Wednesday afternoon.

Summer break does not need to be something we just survive.
I’ve decided, this summer, I will thrive.