Motherhood is one of those things no one can ever really prepare you for. That's why a supportive mom community is so important. I love how social media has opened up my life to a whole new group of amazingly supportive women who genuinely care about one another. Although we might not all agree on everything in motherhood, we know that we all love our kids and want the best for them, and that's what's most important.

I was so excited to be asked to be part in this month's Let's Talk Motherhood Series with a group of awesome fellow moms. We have all answered a few questions about summertime with our littles, so check it out below. Links to each post can be found at the end.

1. What are your favorite summertime activities with your little ones?

Hands down my favourite thing to do with my kids in the summer is spend time around the pool at my family farm. As a long time swimmer and lifeguard I am so happy that all 3 of my littles love the water. Our farm is a place that the kids can run wild and have lots of unstructured time outdoors. When we're not in the pool we love to go on walks to pick wild flowers, check out the cows in the neighbouring fields, and of course enjoy bon fires with s'mores.  

2. How do you help keep your young ones cool when it's hot outside?

It can be really difficult to keep little ones cool and hydrated when our heat advisory days arrive. When we're at the splash pad or poolside it's easy to wade in the water to cool off, or sit in the shade of a big tree, but if we're headed out on a long summer day trip around the city I always plan ahead and freeze water bottles or juice boxes in the deep freeze the night before. The frozen drinks stay cold late into the day and keep the rest of the food/drinks cool. The cold water bottles can also be applied to the back of the neck/wrist, or poured over a piece of fabric as a compress to help cool someone off if need be.  

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on Summer Safety With Kids focusing on Preventing, Recognizing, and Treating Overheating and Dehydration. 

3. How do you handle having less time in the summer, since your kids are out of school?

With all 3 kids home full time for the summer I find having a mix of structured time, and vacation/go with the flow time, is important. I want my kids to enjoy the carefree days of summer. The slow days where you get so bored you create the best game or invention ever. That's what I remember loving about summer. This year we have our big kid in Camp a few weeks scattered throughout the summer, plus I have some occasional help from local babysitters for my 2 littlest. Ultimately, I have to slow down my community offerings during the summer months, so I can keep up with the kids. 

4. At what age were your kids when you started taking family summer vacations with them?

We took our first babe on a road trip to our farm when he was only 3 weeks old, and have never looked back. We try to spend about 3 weeks each summer at our farm, we also go on an annual back country camping trip (Learn about Camping With Kids Here & Here), and we always love getting away on local adventures. My husband and I love to travel, but we probably won't be going on any big fancy trips anytime soon with 3 littles in tow and a tight budget. Hopefully as the kids get older we'll be able to plan more elaborate family trips again. 

5. What tips would you suggest for new moms traveling with their little ones for the first time?

Read my Travelling with Tots Series. Hahaha...no seriously. Although it doesn't contain everything you need to know about travelling it has a lot of tips that I have learned over the years. Travelling with kids isn't like a pre-kid vacation, but it can still be wonderful if you go into it prepared and with realistic expectations. When all else fails, lower your expectations ;) 

Hope you enjoyed hearing my take on summertime with my littles. Don't forget to check out these 4 awesome moms to hear about their perspectives on Motherhood in Summertime. 

McKell lifeasmrswilson.com (@mckellwilson)  |  Aurora auroramccausland.com (@auroramccausland)   |  Jenn whatyoumakeitblog.com (@whatyou_make_it)  |   Hannah mundanemummy.com (@_hannahsilver_)

What's your favourite thing to do in summer with your kiddos? I would love to hear in the comments below. 

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