1 in 3 Parents Expect a Summer Filled With Anxiety — & as a Mom of 3, I Can Relate

SheKnows

Sunscreen, swimsuits, and sertraline — what else do you need for a perfect summer? Around February, my mental health takes a huge dip as I stressfully anticipate the weeks between the end of May and middle of August. Yes, my anxiety spikes 3 months early because February is the month when kids’ summer camps begin to fill up. And despite how expensive they are, those days I can drop my three kids off for a few hours provide much-needed childcare for me.

My husband works in-office the majority of the time, so I signed up my kids for a few weeks of summer camp to help me get my work done. That doesn’t totally ease my anxiety, though. After all, it just makes me busier as I have to chauffeur my kids around. In the study, 86 percent of parents believe the 2025 summer will be busier than last year, due to plans to attend more events for their kids (49 percent), managing their kids’ schedules even more (44 percent), and planning more summer camps and activities (44 percent).

Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, a mom herself and CEO of Parents Anonymous, tells SheKnows, “Summer breaks down the carefully established routines which many families need for stability. Because schools are closed, parents face significant stress from having to juggle being entertainers, teachers and caregivers all at once to fill their children’s time.”