Summertime as a Kid: Then and Now

Then: My mom told me to go outside and find someone to play with.

Now: I text other moms to orchestrate weekly playdates which include detailed lunch plans and an activity or craft.

Then: I learned to swim with 20 other kids and one instructor at the local Y.

Now: I enroll my kids in one-on-one infant survival swim lessons when they’re nine months old.

Then: A cool treat was a five cent freeze pop that I opened with my teeth.

Now: A cool treat is a five dollar unicorn frappuccino from Starbucks.

Then: My day camp was a CAMP. We made necklaces out of sticks and collected rocks.

Now: Their day camp is an EXPERIENCE. They develop skill sets and complain if they spend too much time outdoors.

Then: My vacation was one week at the beach. The same beach. Every year.

Now: It takes six months of pre-planning to take my family on a summer adventure that is way too expensive and then I realize I should have just gone to the beach.

Then: Catching lightning bugs and placing them in a jelly jar was as “high tech” as I got.

Now: My kids spend hours mastering the next level of some new battle game on their iPad.

Then: I knew to come home from playing kick-the-can when the sun went down and the streets lights came on.

Now: Whose kids are wandering around outside at dusk??

Then: My bike was my freedom and my only mode of transportation during the day.

Now: I live in my car as I cart the kiddos to and from the aforementioned camps and playdates.

Then: The only summer television I watched was morning cartoons and Miami Vice on Friday nights.

Now: My kids have already “season passed” AGT, World of Dance, Big Brother, and everything on the Disney Channel.

Then: My mom wanted to protect our skin so she slathered us with the new Coppertone SPF 4. That lasted us all day.

Now: I cover my kids with SPF 50 every hour on the hour. Even on rainy days.