Red, White, and Mood Swings

The Reality of Motherhood in Summer

Let’s talk about the real fireworks going off this summer—and I’m not just talking about the ones on the 4th.

I’m talking about mood swings, meltdowns, and motherhood.

Because summer looks magical in filtered Instagram squares: pool floats, grilled corn, barefoot babies, and sparkler-lit smiles. But behind every picture-perfect moment is a mama who’s holding it together with SPF 50 and prayer.

One minute I’m floating through Target in my cutest straw hat feeling like the queen of “Mom Summer Mode,” and the next, I’m hiding in the pantry with a handful of Goldfish and one single nerve left. (Which my toddler will soon find and destroy.)

Let’s be honest—summer as a mom is a vibe, but also? It’s chaos.

There’s the pressure to “make memories” and be fun mom while secretly just trying to survive the endless laundry, the fourth snack request by 9am, and whatever heat-induced breakdown is brewing in your backseat. And no, I’m not always talking about the kids.

The Real Heat Wave? The Emotional One.

It’s 104° and you’ve heard “I’m bored” for the third time and it’s not even noon.

You’ve packed and unpacked bags for splash pads, playdates, and emergencies that somehow all involve snacks. And somewhere in between trying to create magical memories, you’re also trying not to lose your ever-loving mind.

Let me say it louder for the mamas in the back: it’s okay to feel over it.

Summer Motherhood = Survival + Sentiment

You're allowed to love the popsicles and dread the clean-up. To cherish the moments and long for bedtime. To be grateful and also completely touched out.

Motherhood in summer is sweaty, beautiful chaos. It’s the push-pull of wanting to be present and wanting to hide in your car for ten minutes of quiet with the AC on full blast.

And if your emotions are swinging as wildly as your kids on the monkey bars—welcome to the club, sis. You’re not crazy. You’re just a mom doing her best in the thick of it.

The Wife Part

Let’s not forget our partners, who—bless them—think a summer date night solves everything while we’re over here melting into the couch with sunburned thighs and a to-do list that somehow grew in June.

I love my husband, I really do. But summer brings out the “let’s just wing it” in him… which makes my “please, for the love of all that is holy, PLAN SOMETHING” energy spiral.

Marriage in the summer is just… a lot of tag-teaming and towel folding, isn’t it?

The Woman Behind It All

And then there’s the woman behind the title of “mom” and “wife.”

She’s still in there.

She’s craving some silence. Some sunshine. A margarita that isn’t in a sippy cup.

She’s moody, magical, exhausted, and trying her absolute best to be everything for everyone—while secretly dreaming of a solo beach weekend with a book, a breeze, and no one asking her where their other shoe is.

Here’s the truth:

• It’s okay to cancel plans.

• It’s okay to cry in the bathroom.

• It’s okay to make hot dogs again.

• And it’s more than okay to need space while still loving your family fiercely.

  
  

This summer, let’s normalize the both/and: Joy and exhaustion. Patience and panic. Laughing one minute and losing it the next.

Let's honor the mood swings.

Laugh through the meltdowns (our own included).

Pour the drink, hug the kids, roll our eyes at the husbands, and keep showing up.

Sunburnt, unshaved, and slightly unhinged—but showing up.

Because summer isn’t perfect.

But neither are we.

And somehow, that’s exactly what makes it beautiful.

You’re doing amazing—even if your house looks like a red, white, and blue disaster zone. 

Cheers to the mamas navigating July with a messy bun, a short fuse, and a full heart. Pour yourself something cold (wine, water, or sweet tea—I don’t judge), take a deep breath, and remember: you’re not alone in the mood swings.

xo, Blonde Tipsy Mama