Last year, sometime during the cozy blur of December, my then-seven-year-old daughter heard the classic Christmas song It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. She was enjoying the twinkly melody until that one line came floating out of the speaker:

“And mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again…”

She turned to me with wide, wounded eyes and said, “That’s kind of sad. Why wouldn’t parents want their kids around during Christmas?”

And just like that, something in me softened too.

Because she was right. We’ve all heard that lyric a hundred times, and we often laugh along, because parenting is loud and sticky and filled with snack wrappers and glitter spills. But to a child? That lyric can feel like, you’re too much. Like their presence is something we’re enduring instead of enjoying.

That moment gently nudged me to look at how we talk about our children, not just in songs and memes, but in everyday life. How easy it is to fall into that cultural rhythm of “just surviving” parenthood. The countdowns to school. The coffee mugs that say “Mom Needs a Break.” The jokes about summer being too long.

Do I need breaks sometimes? Yes.
Is parenting hard sometimes? Of course.

But more than anything, I want my kids to know, really know, that I enjoy them. That I like having them around, even in the mess and the mayhem. That I don’t see summer or weekends or Christmas break as something to endure, but something to cherish.

Because these slow, sometimes chaotic days are the days that matter. These are the days they’ll remember.

So if you’re heading into summer and feeling a little overwhelmed, I get it. But maybe this is also your reminder, one I need too, that having our kids home isn’t a problem to solve. It’s a season to savor.

If you’re looking for simple, joyful ways to invite creativity and connection into your days, I’ve put together a realistic, budget-friendly summer craft station (with a one-page prompt cheat sheet!) to help spark imagination and make the most of the time you get to spend together.

👉 [Check out the Summer Craft Station here.]

👉 [Check out Summer Book Bingo Here.]

👉 [Check out a 7 Day Art Pack Here]