A Mom Gets So Honest About How Isolating Summer Can Feel With A New Baby
"I just feel like I'm stuck."
A mom in the Midwest found solidarity with other moms after sharing her struggles with having a new baby during the summer.
Emily (@takeaminutemama) shared a video to her TikTok, asking if other parents were feeling the struggles of having babies during the heat of the summertime, wondering if they’re missing out on what summer is “supposed” to be like for families.
“Okay, I want to share my latest struggle because I feel like sometimes we only see all the good things, and while there's a lot of good right now in my life, I'm currently struggling with summertime with a baby in the Midwest. It's hot pretty much everywhere right now. And it's just hard,” Emily began.
“I have all the things to make her comfortable in the heat, but she can't use sunscreen unless we absolutely have to. It's not like when you go on a vacation and you have a bunch of help. Like, this is my day-to-day, and I just feel like I'm stuck.”
She goes on to say that she feels like she’s “missing out” because, with a small baby, they can’t be at the beach all day or the pool, lounging out and soaking up the sun. She alludes to the concept of “sunshine guilt” which basically means that people have a nagging feeling to “get outside and enjoy the day” when the weather is temperate.
“You feel bad because you missed out and it was such a beautiful day,” she explained.
Emily recognizes that this is a literal season in her life, but right now, things are just hard.
“I know that next summer is going to look different. I'm going to have a one-year-old running around that will be able to do a lot more, but I'm just here to say that if you also feel stuck this summer with a baby as much as you love it, as much as it's everything you wanted, it's still hard because it doesn't look like it did last year,” she concluded.
After Emily’s video gained traction, several TikTok users resonated with her honest take, agreeing that summer with babies can be challenging.
“Im so happy this came up on my fyp. I feel this. I feel bad for my toddlers because im not taking them out as much as I used to with my 2 month old now,” one user wrote.
Another wrote, “YES! I feel so bad for my 2 year old because we can’t go outside with the newborn until dad gets home…”
“Summer babies are NOT what I thought they would be 😭” another said.
One mom suggested that the OP use sunscreen and get outside. “Girl use the sunscreen! I use it on my 5 month old. Get a bucket hat, a fan. A baby float!! Get out and enjoy it. I promise,” they wrote.
In a video update, Emily thanked her followers for affirming her complicated feelings about summer with babies.
“I also have a six-year-old and a three-and-a-half-year-old. So, that's why my summer looks so different. Currently, I'm in the house and the older two are outside playing with a little splash pad. I'm able to see them and they're having a great time,” she said.
“And for those that commented, ‘Get out! Just go do it!’ ‘You know, I just do it!’ That's amazing and we do get out and do plenty. We do lots of things, but when you go from having two fully independent kids to then throwing in a baby, it changes a lot of things.”
It’s a hard truth of parenthood: some phases are harder than other. infant in the summertime isn’t super ideal. The logistics are just hard.
