After weeks of planning summer activities for kids, moms everywhere feel the toll summer vacation takes on them. According to research by OnePoll and Groupon, 75% of parents are ready for their kids to return to school at the end of summer, and more than half of parents are stressed about keeping their children occupied over the summer.
Summer is not just about unwinding from the stresses of schoolwork. This time is also a unique opportunity to learn and develop new skills. Children take in recent educational and social experiences during summertime activities that they otherwise may not know in the classroom. This puts pressure on parents to meet their children's mental and physical needs while on summer vacation. That added pressure while planning and executing a stimulating summer for their children can affect their well-being.
“The summer vacation for the children becomes a full-time job (on top of our existing full-time jobs) for the parents. And it really can take its toll on one's mental health. For me, it's simultaneously the best and worst time of the year – which is a very odd feeling to have,” said Sarah Roberts, working mom and founder of A Beauty Edit.
Roberts continues that parents need to look after themselves just as much as they do for their children so they can continue to be their best parents.
It's Mom's Turn for a Vacation
Despite the changing landscape of parental care, most family caregivers are still women. Moms everywhere are spread thin between their daily obligations and meeting their children's needs during summer vacation.
Moms often find themselves needing a vacation from their kid's holiday.
“After the long summer break, it's important for parents to take time to recharge. Though spending time with your kids during their summer break is rewarding, it also becomes draining as the weeks drag on. The beginning of the school year is an excellent time for a quick weekend away since tourism declines during shoulder season. Even a kid-free day trip can make all the difference in helping parents unwind and reconnect, either with themselves or with each other,” Larry Snider, VP of Operations of Casago Vacation Rentals.
Travel destination groups took notice of the end-of-summer trend and offered burnt-out moms a chance to take care of their mental health with a vacation package.
Moms, you do not need to feel guilty about back-to-school excitement, the kids had their vacation, and now it is your turn. Once school supplies are bought and bags are packed, it is time to take off on a much-needed mommy getaway.
The Perfect Destination
The Naia Resort & Spa team in Belize wants to help moms and their friends celebrate surviving another summer vacation.
The resort is nestled on 19 acres of secluded beachfront on the tranquil Placencia Peninsula.
With, what the resort calls the Girlfriend Getaway Package, you and your best friends will enjoy six days and five nights in a two-bedroom beachfront house with a private plunge pool. The package includes luxury, two-bedroom beachfront villa accommodations, a complete meal plan, daily morning mimosas with other local drinks, spa treatments, roundtrip airfare, resort transfer, excursions, and more.
Wash away the pressure of summer vacation lounging by the pool, relaxing at one of the top spas in the country right on the resort, or sweat the stress away with water sports and fitness classes.
Daily obligations and taking care of the kids is the last thing on their mind as moms get to recharge and reconnect with their friends while the staff takes care of the rest.
The Connection Between Parents' and their Children's Mental Health
Summer activities are great for family quality time; however, parents must take time for themselves. Research shows that parents who take care of their mental health, in turn, help their children's mental health flourish.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “a child's healthy development depends on their parents—and other caregivers who act in the role of parents—who serve as their first sources of support in becoming independent and leading healthy and successful lives.”
The CDC also reports that “one in 14 children aged 0–17 years had a parent who reported poor mental health, and those children were more likely to have poor general health, to have a mental, emotional, or developmental disability, to have adverse childhood experiences such as exposure to violence or family disruptions including divorce, and to be living in poverty.”
By taking a break for themselves, parents can alleviate summer burnout and return to the new school year refreshed with the energy to support their children's mental and physical needs for growth. A vacation from parental obligations should extend throughout the school year for parents and children to grow and maintain psychological and physical health.