Old School Summer
This summer I got to live a dream as a mother. I was able to watch my kids enjoy the outdoors for hours upon hours on a daily basis!
We all know getting our kids outside for more than 10 minutes in the summer (especially when you live in a very hot climate) can be difficult. Why would they give up the ac, video games, or tv right?
WHAT IS AN OLD SCHOOL SUMMER?
I've always dreamed of living in a place where my daughters can enjoy the outdoors with their neighborhood friends and explore and get messy and dirty.
You know like back in the days. I wanted them to experience an old school summer.
Think something like "The Sandlot" except a little less baseball. But exactly like those days where no phones were necessary and knocking on each others doors to come out and play was a thing.
Well that finally happened for us this year!
Summer in north carolina
Earlier this year we moved to North Carolina from Italy. We moved to a very beautiful and safe neighborhood. I was pregnant with a baby that was due in June. So summer trips and activities were put on pause.
Luckily I am blessed with an amazing neighbor with two boys who played with my two girls all summer. If it wasn't for my neighbors patience and kindness to volunteer to supervise our kids all day and support their exploration and games, then this old school summer dream wouldn't have been possible.
What does an old school summer look like?
These kids literally played so much from morning till night. They would sometimes gather around 11 am and stay out till 10 pm! Breaks for snacks and meals was all they needed just to get right back outside again!
I'm talking about slip n slides, kiddy pools, trampolines, tetherball, tag, soccer, bicycles, scooters, dirt, mud, water balloons, fort building, toad hunting, yes toad hunting in the dark with flashlights! It was seriously amazing. (They'd catch over 40/ night. Ew! )
The best part is that almost all the play was child led and they were mostly only supervised for safety.
Guys I'm talking about 90-100 (sometimes more) degree Fahrenheit temperature! 😭
This ones for the books!
As my postpartum days went on, I was able to join outside for a longer time and get a closer view at all the fun.
I seriously thought my neighbors kids and my kids were the only ones in the neighborhood, because I never saw any kids out!!! Like ever! It must of been the hot weather. But unless the weather is super severe then it is perfectly okay for kids to be out all day at anytime of the year. It is actually so beneficial for them!
I know other families looked at our kids in awe for playing outside from sunrise to sunset and on!
IRRESISTIBLE FUN
Eventually as the days cooled down to the high 80s and low 90s, we started noticing more kids outside and wanting to join our group of four (my two girls and my neighbors two boys).
So literally the week before everyone was suppose to go back to school our little group of four began to grow with more kids joining the fun. Kids I didn't even know existed and they lived only a couple houses down from us.
Although everyone had to start going to bed earlier and schedules were getting busier, the new group made plans to meet after school in front of our big tree.
However, our little group of 4 is still closer than the rest and they spend more time together than the rest because we're literally next door and our schedules and lifestyle align more!
Another perk is that I got to make a new mom friend as well!
Cooler Days
We just got back inside from playing a bit later than usual tonight, considering it's a school night. It is only the first week back at school.
Not only was this a dream come true old school summer, but I know our four kids will continue on until winter, and so, the rest is history ❤️
