The zoom graduation parties, the last assignments, and suddenly it’s summer. I don’t know who’s more shocked – us, the kids, or the au pairs. Today, the kids spent the day at the pond at Sassy’s house, gallivanting around in the sunshine.

Summer isn’t perfection. It doesn’t solve all the problems. BUT it puts parenting back on a timetable we manage. We’re not talking kids down from a fit in time for their class call. A time out is a time out, and we can make it happen when and where we need to. Same goes for snuggles, tickling, a story – life.

Today, Dave and I worked in an empty house. It felt so weird! But in this busy world, knowing the kids have a summer of freedom and play ahead of them is comforting. So as weird as the silence is, we embrace unplugging from the agenda – even if the cause of that freedom sucks.