As a child, summer was a season of freedom and fun, and I never really paused to think about how everything came together so smoothly. I didn’t have to. I was just on a “What’s next!” roll.
Dance camp. Swimming lessons. Art class. Basketball. Skating. Visits to my grandparents. There was always something to do, and it all just… happened. Seamlessly almost.
Now, as a young adult, I see it all a little differently.
Lately, I’ve found myself noticing more, asking more. While researching and writing about working mothers, I’ve slowly become more sensitive to the quiet logistics, decisions, and pressures that sit behind every “easy” summer day from childhood. I see the carefully built scaffolding that holds up that freedom. And more often than not, it’s mothers who are doing the heavy lifting.
A Shift in Perspective
Growing up, I saw both sides of this story play out in my own home. My father works as a government officer. My mother was a high school teacher until I was around 11 or 12, and then she decided to step away from full-time work.
I remember asking her once why she made that choice. She smiled and said that while teaching was fulfilling, what she really missed was simply being there, being a bigger part of my younger sister’s and my daily lives.
Now, I want to be clear, she’s never framed that decision as some kind of noble sacrifice. In fact, when we joked that she did it “all for us,” she rolled her eyes and laughed. She said she’d always wanted time to do things her previous schedule didn’t allow, like experimenting with elaborate meals from scratch (a very lucky thing for us). And even after stepping away from school teaching, she continued to stay engaged, tutoring, answering questions over video calls, and guiding neighborhood kids through challenging exams.
There was no one right path. Just the one that made sense to her.
But now that I return home for short summer breaks, I see the rhythm from a different lens. My sister, now a teen, is in that same cycle I once was: packed classes, early morning drop-offs, midweek rehearsals, activity-driven days. Oh, and the mad dash of finishing school projects and summer homework in the last few days? That tradition is alive and well. And I see how much effort it takes, just finding the right classes, managing travel, navigating timings, getting that last piece to complete a solar system diorama, just making it all fit.
I help where I can, whether it’s printing out worksheets, doing pick-up duty, or running around to find that last missing piece. Even that small window of involvement is enough to make me realize: it’s a lot.
And for mothers doing this while working full-time jobs? I will not pretend to know how it feels, but just maybe I’ve gained a bit of understanding into why it’s so hard.
Summer Isn’t Always a Break
For working moms, summer often comes with this odd expectation: that it’s supposed to be light and joyful and more free. But in reality, it’s often the opposite.
The school structure disappears, and in its place? A jigsaw puzzle of childcare, camps, family coordination, and the quiet (sometimes loud) pressure to make this season magical.
The words I hear most often from mothers are:
“I feel like I’m always split between places. It’s constantly, “What’s the next thing on the to-do list for today?””
“There’s just no pause.”
“I’m there, but not really there.”
Even when work-from-home flexibility exists, it’s not always real freedom. It just means squeezing in calls during nap time or answering emails between drop-offs. And all the while, that inner voice whispers: Should I be doing more?
Gentle Suggestions I’ve Gathered Along the Way
I’m in no place to offer advice. But here are a few things I’ve noticed, tiny shifts that working moms sometimes talk about. Not fixes, not perfect solutions, but maybe helpful reframings:
Not every day needs to be a highlight reel. One mom told me she picked “one thing a week” to look forward to, maybe a breakfast outing, a craft afternoon, a slow Saturday walk, a visit to some nearby place. That felt more sustainable than a daily schedule packed with expectations.
2. Flexible Routines Over Fixed Schedules
Some families adopt loose rhythms, like “quiet hour” after lunch or dedicated work blocks with clear signals (“when the candle’s lit, mom’s working”). It’s not foolproof, but it sets expectations gently.
If there’s a co-parent or support system, even small tag-ins can help, like alternating pick-ups, or blocking a shared “focus time” hour. One parent told me their solution was simple: “Every Wednesday morning, I get 2 hours off the grid. No questions asked.”
4. Let Go of the ‘Perfect Summer’ Myth
This one comes up a lot: the idea that summer has to feel like sunshine and lemonade 24/7. But maybe a good summer is just one where you don’t burn out trying to make it perfect. Maybe it’s sweaty kids, leftover pasta, and ten good minutes before bedtime. And maybe… that’s enough.
A Quiet Recognition
I can’t claim to understand what working moms and dads go through each summer. But I can say this: I see it more clearly now. The invisible work. The scheduling maze. The emotional labor.
And it deserves more recognition, not just gratitude, but actual support. From workplaces. From policies. From the people who share their lives.
So to the moms juggling calls and snack boxes, doing office work while planning weekend activities, helping with last-minute science models while sending emails from the dining table: I don’t know how you do it. But I see that you do. And I’m learning to appreciate it more than ever.
You may not always feel it, but your work, your presence, your effort?
It matters. And it is seen. Thank you for everything that you do.
Shriya Mishra, Liftery intern and Management student at IIFT Kakinada. With a love for words and strategy, she enjoys exploring everyday systems and the unseen labor behind daily life, especially for working mothers. She uses writing to make sense of the world and can be reached via LinkedIn.
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