Don’t let summer get you down!

Set yourself up for summer success.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is diagnosable and accepted emotional disorder suffered my many people around the world. The most common manifestation of SAD is so called “winter pattern SAD” referring to people who experience a depressive change in their mood the moment temperatures drop, and daylight hours become shorter. Many people even get the winter blues without realising it can become a debilitating mental disorder if ignored.

A less common version of SAD is so called “summer pattern SAD”. While this affects much less people, it is still a real thing.

Storytime:

I am not ashamed to say that for the longest time (since I was a pre-teen actually) I suffered from summer pattern SAD. Come September and I became moody, uncooperative and unmotivated. Great when this happens about 6 weeks before year end finals! I just thought it was because I’m a true Ginger with freckles and light eyes. Not made for the heat at all.

Be that as it may, I ended up having two summer babies. One born in September, one in December. Suddenly summer made sense, and I started craving the longer days and warmer nights with my babies. I have been converted (some would say “cured) and now I am a full-blown summer lover. Sunscreen, swim parties, sandy toes and ice lollies. It took some getting used to, but my sweet summer children ended my SAD!

Embrace the summer fun

Being a summer lover has meant that instead of simply enduring the warmer months, I now adore them. I have a list of must have home-items that have made my hot days better than ever and kept me sane with kids and pets around.

Sunscreen

The number one summer rule in South Africa: Wear sunscreen. It is as simple and as complicated as that. I buy a couple of bottles of SPF 50 when they are on sale in June and July, and then bring them out of storage for summer. To keep them at hand I have a “sun protection tray” by my patio door. It is stocked with various sunscreens (face, body, waterproof…) and wet wipes to get the stickiness off your hands.

Easy access hat racks

I’m proud of the fact that my kids understand the importance of multilevel sun protection and actually wear hats. Don’t ask me how many ice creams and chocolates it took to bribe the habit into them, but hats are worn in this house. To save time and keep me sane I have installed a basic peg rack on kiddo level in the hallway. I’ve taught them that the hats live on the rack or on your head and hats found discarded somewhere else will lead to minutes deducted from screen time. #momwin

Watercoolers (don’t judge me)

As an older millennial, I never really drank water as a kid. Luckily the world has changed, and the importance of proper hydration is now fully understood. To keep the kids away from the kitchen, where kid induced chaos can happen in the blink of an eye, I have a large, plastic 20litre water dispenser on a patio table. I fill it a couple times a week, top it up with ice and leave a stack of plastic cups next to it. All the kids who come and visit know the drill, and I have saved valuable minutes that would have otherwise been spent carting water up and down to troops of thirsty kids. Once the kids are older, I’ll upgrade to something pretty, but for now plastic works.

Sports equipment and pool toys (but done right)

Nothing gets kids going like a bat and a ball. Even young kids can spend hours outside, and it teaches them valuable gross motor skills. I personally loathe the look of plastic sports gear lying around the house, so I have designated one of my patio storage boxes as a sport box and clean up is mandatory, but easy. By keeping it outside, I’ve also cut out the option of throwing balls and swinging bats indoors.

TOP TIP: For advice on being pool safe, read our dedicated water safety Weekly fix!

Other things that I have found to be game changers for the summer are:

• Lots and lots of Solar powered outdoor lights
• Portable wound systems
• Baskets full of swimming towels or picknick blankets.
• Large trays. Extra side tables or platters and plastic bowels grown up and kid friendly outdoor snacking.
• A good sense of humour. Mud, sand, spilled juice and the crunch of a Simba Chip underfoot is all part of embracing summer, embracing the holidays and celebrating a sultry December the Mzansi way.