Everything We Miss About Being a Kid in the Summer

June is more than halfway over and I barely even noticed. As a child, June was my favorite month because it welcomed the summer and meant I only had a few weeks left until my birthday. There’s something magical about the upcoming season, which becomes harder to appreciate overtime, but I’ll never forget the wonderful feeling I got at the beginning of every summer growing up. Here’s what I miss most about being a kid during summertime:

Sleepaway camp

Sure I cried almost every night the first few times I went to camp (hopefully I wasn’t the only homesick one in my cabin), but having some much-needed separation from my parents, meeting friends from other schools, roasting marshmallows and going on night hikes helped me grow up. Wouldn’t it be nice to go back as an adult?

Freeze Pops or Otter Pops

These got me through some scorching hot summer afternoons in northern California.

Sleeping in on weekdays

With a school start time of 7:45, I spent much of my education feeling like a zombie, but summer gave me the chance to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Dressing for the beach everyday

This is much harder to pull off in a professional setting. I wish it was more acceptable to wear shorts and tank tops at work, but you know, it’s not businesslike.

Non-stop sleepovers with friends

I had these during the school-year too, but summer definitely allows for more time for social activity.

Endless amounts of free time

It may seem a little boring to sit out by the pool and have no responsibilities for three months straight, but it was also THE BEST. This was the perfect time to catch up on the old summer reading list, sip iced tea, dish on boys and generally just stay in a state of open-eyed sleep.

Weird family vacations

They were awful at the time, but they made for hilarious stories you’ll never forget.

Hating on the “back to school” commercials that started playing in July

These ads made it hard to fully enjoy my late July birthday, but I did get a kick out of ranting about them to my parents, both of whom found my disapproval amusing.

Summer movies

Heavyweights, Parent Trap, Now and Then, My Girl, I loved them all. Summer movies were essential to the season itself, which wouldn’t have been the same without an oddball assortment of onscreen characters and their summer misadventures. Good times.

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