The Summer Sanity Guide

Why the Mental Load of Summer Hits Different

The mental load doesn't take a vacation even when families do. 

Unlike the school year, summer has no built-in structure for families…which means someone has to custom-build an entirely new structure for the months between school years (hello, TONS of work!). For working parents, the end of the school year also means a big gap in childcare, including weeks where no camps are offered and cobbling together caregiving schedules on the fly. 

At the same time, because summer is “supposed” to be joyful and low-pressure, the stress and overwhelm that come from the season can feel even more like a personal failure. But the reality is, behind every Instagram photo of the “perfect” vacation moment, camp spirit day, or weekend BBQ, there are hours of work and planning.  

And most of this work is invisible – the camp forms that magically get filled out, the new swimsuits that appeared in the drawer because last season’s no longer fit, the coordination with grandparents, friends or babysitters to make sure your kid has a pick-up on the day you have a late meeting. 

Is it any wonder that getting ready for summer can feel like taking on a whole extra job? We’ve filled this guide with frameworks, lists and tips to make it all a little easier – from ways to share the load more collaboratively (yes, with your kids too!) to pre-curated lists that cut down on time to set-and-repeat systems that will work for you all summer.