First, you're not imagining it

If summer feels harder than the school year, that's because it is. In an earlier wave of the same Bright Horizons research, 68% of parents said summer feels like a break for everyone but them — and 87% of working parents reported real challenges with kids home during the summer months, from work interruptions to that low hum of "what are they doing right now?" running in the background of every meeting.

Zoom out and the picture gets even clearer. The U.S. Surgeon General's advisory on parental mental health found that 48% of parents say their stress is completely overwhelming on most days, compared to 26% of other adults. Parenting stress is real enough that it got its own federal advisory. So if you're feeling stretched thin right now, you're not failing. You're just a parent in July.

Lower the bar (on purpose)

Somewhere along the way, "summer" turned into a competitive sport, complete with themed activity calendars and enough enrichment programming to run a small university. You don't have to do any of that.

Child mental health experts actually recommend leaving room for unstructured time. Boredom isn't a parenting emergency — it's where creativity, problem-solving, and independent play come from. A kid staring at the ceiling for twenty minutes before inventing a game with a laundry basket is a kid doing exactly what summer is for. Let the bar be "fed, safe, and mostly happy." That's a good summer.

Keep a loose rhythm, not a rigid schedule

That said, kids do better with some structure — and honestly, so do you. The sweet spot is what therapists call flexible structure: a few consistent anchors, with plenty of open space in between. The American Psychiatric Association also suggests keeping some device-free time in the mix and making sure everyone gets outside and moves their body each day.

You don't need a color-coded chart. "Mornings are for camp or quiet play, afternoons are for the pool, dinner is at 6" is a rhythm.

Protect your work hours like they're nap time

If you're working from home with kids around, boundaries are survival gear. A few things that actually help:

1. Block your most focus-heavy work for whatever pocket of the day is quietest — even if that's 6 a.m. with coffee.
2. Be upfront with your manager about your summer reality. There's a decent chance they're living it too.
3. Swap coverage with another parent so each of you gets a few guaranteed uninterrupted hours a week.
4. If your employer offers backup care or camp benefits, use them without guilt. That's what they're for.

And when the toddler crashes your video call anyway? That's not unprofessional. That's just summer.

Put yourself somewhere on the list

The Surgeon General's advisory says it plainly: caring for yourself is part of how you care for your family. Not a reward you earn after everyone else is taken care of. Real-life self-care in July might be a walk alone after dinner, a standing coffee with a friend, or simply going to bed instead of folding that last basket of laundry. Small counts. Small is what's available right now, and it still works.

One more from the advisory worth taking to heart: stay connected to other parents. The "village" has gotten smaller for a lot of families — 81% of working parents say theirs has shrunk compared to prior generations — and rebuilding even a tiny one, like one trusted swap-a-playdate neighbor, makes a measurable difference.

You're doing better than you think

So if today ended with a sink full of dishes, a little too much screen time, and everyone a bit cranky, take heart.  Tomorrow is another summer day.  The net-net?  Your kids are having a great summer, and you're doing a great job - even if it doesn't always feel that way.