You all know this vibe, but I’m going to give it a name…The Summertime Surrender! You know, the moment when your kids come out of the lake and you think, well I guess they don’t really need to take a shower tonight. Or when they go screaming after the ice cream truck at 6 pm pre-dinner and you say to yourself, well, there is dairy in ice cream. The parenting summertime surrender is a beautiful thing and I hope we can all embrace it wholeheartedly.
Letting go of the reins does not make us bad parents; it falls under the self-care category. We need to relinquish some control over the scheduling, the carpooling, the planning and arranging of everyone’s lives during the school year. I also think it’s incredibly important for our kids to see us “lighten up” and relax the rules. Our kids need to see we are human, we are fun and silly too. I love letting my kids see me enjoying the moment and not always acting like the commandant of the household.
My kids truly believed that if they were in a larger body of water than the bathtub, this automatically deemed them “clean.” Now, many times did I argue – is lake water really clean?? And shouldn’t ocean water be washed off?? And chlorine is just not considered skincare. But sometimes I relented and I can proudly say that at ages 19 and 17, Jack and Ava are both well adjusted, clean, deodorant wearing adults.
I do have a little secret that I will share. WIPES! Omg – those things are just amazing, aren’t they? And one can never go wrong with a natural deodorant as our kids begin the uphill walk into puberty.
As we enter into the Summertime Surrender, I offer you, my fellow tired parents the key to keeping it simple – Introducing the Summertime Surrender Kit from TBH Kids. Gentle Wipes as needed in the AM or throughout the day and the TBH Kids Spot Wipes for those who need a little pore-cleaning and refining at night. And, of course, our natural deodorant to help mask that chlorine, lake water wafting odor.
Let’s collectively promise each other right now that we will take the time and sink our toes in the sand, relax, breathe and sometimes just have the darn ice cream for dinner. Embrace the Summertime Surrender!
xx
Risa Barash,
Founder & Owner of the entire Fairy Tales Hair Care Family
