There are so many great things about summer holidays — experiencing bona fide sunny days in the park, watching endless reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer — but one of the little things I really enjoy as a summertime activity is no activity at all. It’s just breakfast with my daughter.
We can get up leisurely, goof around with tickle fights and spend time straightening her hair or picking out her summer outfit for the day. In the kitchen, there’s time for me to fix French toast or cut up fruit to go with her cereal. We chat while I pack her lunch for whichever summer camp activity she’s doing that day.
Sometimes it’s pesto pasta with fresh grated Parmesan packed into her Thermos. Sometimes it’s tuna fish salad with apple pieces mixed in (just like my mother makes) served on miniature rolls that I only seem to buy this time of year. She decides.
And we get the chance to just talk. The regular rules are relaxed. Sometimes while she’s eating, we’ll watch YouTube videos of her favourite songs or clips from her favourite shows (really, a short clip is all you can take from some of these tween-viewing shows). Then we walk to her summer club, remarking on the flowers in bloom, the dead mouse in the road (gross but fascinating), the bow she made for her hair using several different ribbons.
I can’t wait for our big summer holiday but summertime holiday breakfasts are one of those times where I feel like I can be the mum I’m too stressed and too busy to be the rest of the year.
What’s your favourite everyday summer activity with your children?
Peanut butter sandwich image via Shutterstock.
About Jennifer Howze
Jennifer Howze is the Creative Director and co-founder of BritMums. She blogs about family travel at Jenography.net, tweets at @JHowze and Instagrams at @JHowze. Previously, she wrote the Alpha Mummy blog at The Times and as a journalist has contributed to The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, Budget Travel, CNN.com, Allure, SELF and Premiere, among others. She won The Maggie Award from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America for a health article in Seventeen magazine.
Sarah Ebner
Tuesday 5th of August 2014
I also love just having time together and not rushing - it makes for such a much better start to the day. Amazing how much stress we experience on normal mornings!
My Lovely Big Feet
Saturday 2nd of August 2014
I totally seconded the idea of a relax morning. It's so funny how you forget to just relax without the need to dash out in the morning to catch the bus on time and get the kids to school. I really love the smiley face peanut butter bread. I am going to do just that with the kids. I'm scared that once I have introduce the idea to them, they would expect that it becomes a regular in our household.
Jennifer Howze
Tuesday 5th of August 2014
Ha -- that might happen! I step up my game with breakfast and lunches for my daughter during holidays, with the hope that she'll just slide back into cereal when school starts.