*Image above via the fabulously talented Alexandra Kaehler.
My Latest Snag: A Pretty Pink Dress for Spring, A Birthday Dress for Mini, + Activities for the Children.
I wrote about this a lot this week, but I am so excited for my new spring dress to arrive! Hoping it has arrived by the time this post goes live so I can wear to a mother-daughter Valentine’s tea tomorrow. (Mini will be wearing this — gorgeous even well beyond Valentine’s Day.)
I also picked up this dress for mini’s fifth birthday party. The theme is “superhero” so I might pair with these loud sparkly sneaks, but will probably go traditional with glitter mary janes like these, these, or these!
I also bought a couple of activities for the children for upcoming weekends…
P.S. Loads of indoor activities for children here.
You’re Soooo Popular: Spring Greens.
The most popular items on le blog this week:
DONNI DRAWSTRING PANTS (ON SALE)
Not seen above, but v popular as well:
SAU LEE COCKTAIL DRESS – ON SALE IN SELECT COLORS
Weekend Musings: On Summer Plans for Children.
The other day, I was fretting about what my children would be doing all summer long. I have enrolled mini in a couple week-long day camps; we have some summer travel and out-of-town guests on calendar; and we will have our full-time nanny for the entirety to supervise them in the sprinkler and at the playground and while making popsicle stick creations, but someone benignly asked “what are your kids doing this summer?” and I froze, caught in that all-too-familiar mom panic. Should I be arranging more for them? Is everyone else sending their children to summer-long enrichment programs? I’m sure I’ve already missed all the deadlines! (Yikes!). At the same time, I was aware of how unusual my particular circumstances are: I do work full-time, but the hours can be flexible, and so I can accommodate various permutations of childcare coverage, especially since we have a nanny at home. I realize that for many parents, camp, daycare, or some enrichment program must happen. And so perhaps, I thought, I have a unique opportunity to pave a custom path for my children that incorporates a mix of long days in the backyard and structured activities with peers.
I thought for a minute about my own youth. My first recollection: my four siblings and I did not “do” much over the summer as children. We participated in a couple of day camps here and there, but mainly I remember long days at the pool, running around the backyard in bare feet, and month-long trips to Colorado, during which we would go hiking, horseback-riding, and play a lot of Barbies and board games. My mother — who stayed at home with us and is present in all of these memories — would occasionally take us on “adventures” to pools and theme parks (can you even imagine one woman taking five young children to King’s Dominion? I shudder at the thought) and arrange day dates with family friends, during which we’d play sardines and kickball for hours on end. Now that I think on it, she would also designate each night of the week with a different theme: Monday – board games; Tuesday – family walk; Wednesday – movie night; etc. So, perhaps it is unfair to say “we didn’t do much.” In fact, on further examination, though we did not participate in many organized camps or enrichment programs, we did more than enough to keep busy and there were still lots of long stretches for reading Nancy Drew and eating popsicles on the asphalt of our front drive and sneaking cold watermelon right out of the fridge.
A girlfriend forwarded me a lovely newsletter from the blog “Montessori in Real Life” and it helped me re-conceptualize —
“As is true for many of you with young children, this winter has been full of starts and stops. For a while there, it felt a bit like a real life game of red light, green light. Just when we would get in the flow of things, an email came in from the kids’ school and we were called to a halt again. Although these interruptions became somewhat expected, they never got easier or more “normal” for me. Yet I look at the kids and how seamlessly they have adjusted and accepted these changes over the past two years.
On days we’ve had school, they are happy to go and eager to spend time with their friends. They are excited for our weekly outings to the pool or play gym. On days when we have been stuck at home, they are…also happy. They play for hours with dirt and water outside and seem to find the most joy filling grocery bags with all their belongings! They snuggle up and ask me to read story after story until I lose my voice (or these days, fall asleep). Their life doesn’t feel like it’s full of starts and stops – it’s just a continuation of play and adventure, sometimes in one place and other times in another.”
The post reminded me to let go a little bit. My children will be busy, dirty, barefoot, occasionally bored, and always loved this summer. There may be long weeks of water play and popsicles in the backyard, and that’s just fine. They do not need much to feel as though life is a grand adventure.
Onward!
Shopping Break.
+This affordable pillow sham is SO chic. It reminds me of a pattern by Sister Parrish! Imagine them with Jenny Lind beds, these side tables, and these sconces!
+Obsessed with this dress. Lowkey sophisticated chic.
+This dress is also super fun, but a lot louder on the details.
+Carrie Forbes vibes! These remind me of these $40 Etsy sandals so many of you loved last spring! Dead ringer for Carrie Forbes.
+AND — in a similar vein — THESE RAFFIA MULES! Wow!!! Such a great price. I feel like these were made to go with Julia Amory shirtdresses as we head towards spring (this one is on sale).
+Another great pair of shorts for a little man this spring. (More boy finds here!)
+This striped blouse is on sale for 70% off. Love the length, the sleeves, everything!
+Fun headband for a little one — Missoni vibes!
+Love this embellished top — sort of SEA meets Horror Vacui.
+This under-$100 dress reminds me of something by LoveShackFancy! Love the scalloped hem.
+I need these fun fish earrings. More statement earrings here!
+A great summer belt. I would layer over a crisp white shirtdress like this.
+Lovely long linen top for spring/summer.
+Adore the bows on these strappy sandals.
+This wrap comes in the dreamiest colors.
I so agree with the other commenters, yet find myself living in the tension between the idyllic summer you describe above and the realities of two full time working parents in traditional office settings. This means our weekdays in the summer still must be occupied with daycamps and pieced-together childcare. But we are militant in defending our weekends – no classes, no obligations. We have the odd family party or bbq, but we otherwise keep our time with the kids really free form. I like to wake up on a Saturday in the summer and let them figure out how to amuse themselves in the backyard while we make coffee. And then let the day unfold from there. It’s the one way we try to really distinguish summer from the school year. The kids think their weekdays are exciting but they really do love the long lazy days in the backyard too.
I love the image you’ve created here — “I like to wake up on a Saturday in the summer and let them figure out how to amuse themselves in the backyard while we make coffee. And then let the day unfold from there.” Beautiful! Yes! I love the way you reminded me that this idyllic summer vibe can be achieved no matter what the constraints are by using the free time you do have.
xx
I have so many thoughts on this! Similar to what you and Kellie have written, they are only little for such a short time and they have will have the rest of their lives for structure/organized sports/planned extra-curricular activities.
I am also only planning for swim lessons for my 4 year old, because it truly is a life skill. I had wanted to start when she was younger but the pandemic derailed those plans… but it’s my priority for this summer for sure. I haven’t planned for any other sports/”enrichment” activities.
Having been trained in early childhood development and education, I know there are numerous developmental benefits to free play for younger kids — creativity, problem solving, language, independence, to name a few (not to preach to the choir here — ha!). David Elkind wrote about the trend of the “the hurried child” — overscheduled, pushed/pressured excessively and too early for academics, etc — and at what cost?
But even knowing this — sometimes one can’t help but feel a sense of pressure to do xyz, although I’ve really been trusting my instincts on not to do it that way. We live in Silicon Valley where it feels SO competitive, even for preschool-age kids. Sometimes I feel like a rebel mom 🙂
My daughter’s preschool is organizing a viewing of this documentary, “Chasing Childhood” — have any of you seen it? It was described online as “”This powerful film shines a light on the connection between a lack of free, unsupervised play and a rise in depression and anxiety among children, and asks how we got here and how we can turn things around to empower our kids.”
https://www.chasingchildhooddoc.com/
Hi Mia! I have not seen or heard of the documentary, or of David Elkind either! Thanks for sharing both of those. I definitely feel like I connect with this ethos, or aspire to!
xx
I just had this conversation with my husband as we were looking at the summer. Both my kids will be on the swim team but other than that we’ve opted to not do any camps or extras, embracing a slower summer. I am a teacher/school librarian so am home with them, so am fortunate that childcare does not play a role in this decision.
We had a crazy summer last year where I did try to sign them up for some things, on top of me finishing up a grad program that included an in-person internship. So very happy to have a more leisurely summer this year!
I love this note because it made me realize that last summer was SO topsy turvy with the move, we have earned ourselves a quiet, slow summer! Another friend wrote to me to say that our children are only young for so long, and future summers may be consumed with sports and other activities, so why not embrace the opportunity to take it slow and keep the little ones close to home? Thanks for the note.
xx