Growing up I was a big fan of school. I found going back to school exciting all except for the requisite: What I Did This Summer assignment. You know what I’m talking about, the assignment where the teacher asks you to stand in from of the class and talk about what you did that summer. It always went a little something like this…
Hello children, my name is Mrs. So and So and I will be your (fill in the blank) grade teacher. I am really looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you. Why don’t we introduce ourselves? I’d like you to come up one at a time, tell us your name, and then tell us what you did this summer.
I don’t remember how many times I heard a version of this speech at the beginning of the school year, but I do remember how it made me feel every single time I heard it: my stomach would drop, my pulse would race, and I’d feel myself getting jittery. It’s not that I was afraid of speaking in front of the class, it’s that I hadn’t done anything all summer.
You see, my family was different. We didn’t take exotic trips in our RV to places like the Grand Canyon. Nope, we stayed home and did pretty much the same things we did all year just without the interruption of school. How could I possibly make it sound interesting? How could I compete with the stories of going to Yosemite or Hawaii? I couldn’t. So I would wait for my turn, feeling a little bit smaller after every grand retelling of a family trip, then I would stand and say…
Hi, I’m Unknown Student and I uh…didn’t really do much or go anywhere this summer.
I would feel my face flush and my cheeks burn. Sometimes the teacher would ask prodding questions like, “Oh come on, you must have done something. Did you take a day trip anywhere or go somewhere special?” And I’d respond…
No not really. I just stayed home. Then I would slink back to my chair and try to blend into my desk.
The thing is, I was lying. It wasn’t intentional, I certainly didn’t know I was lying, but the truth is I did do things over the summer. Wonderful things, I just didn’t realize they counted as something special because no one ever told me that special could happen right at home. This was way before the term “staycation” was coined.
If I could go back in time, I would proudly stand in front of my class and say…
Hi, I am Unknown Student and this summer I stayed home and it was great. Every day, all day, I spoke and was spoken to in Spanish. I was surrounded by extended family and ate the same delicious food I get to eat all year. I was busy all the time with chores like laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and taking out the garbage, but the best part was that after all my chores were done I got to play with my cousins. We would wait for the ice cream truck every day and get a daily treat. I could stay up as late as I wanted, which usually wasn’t very late because I was so tired from playing that I would fall asleep before I even got a chance to notice I was tired. Anyway, that’s what I did this summer and it might not sound that exciting, but trust me I had a ton of fun and I can’t wait to do it again next summer.
Now that I’m a mother, when my daughters are old enough to give the “What I Did This Summer” speech I will make sure that they know that what they did was special and wonderful no matter where it happened. They’ll know that our trips to the beach or walks to the park as wonderful experiences worth of being shared.
What did you do this summer?
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I am a Britax Latina Advisory Board Member and Blogger. As always, all opinions, ideas, and stories are my own. You can connect with BRITAX on Twitter and Facebook.
What a sweet post! I have to admit I used to stress for my kds about that What I did this Summer assignment and then I realized, my kids were the lucky ones! They werenot being shipped off to day camps, farmed out to babysitters etc. They got to spend their summers exploring, riding bikes. swiming until their arms ached. It’s all how you look at life:)
We live where it’s summer and it rains all year round.. our long school break before new school year opens is from Nov – Dec. Nice post Mami.
– Mamatim –
Nice to hear from you. Hope you are well.
Lovely post.
My summer vacations were never epic as a child, but I always remember enjoying them. Unlimited play time and no homework was always enough for me!
I’m like you– I never thought we ever did anything fun when we were kids on summer vacation but now I long for the those days with my nieces and nephews back in Ohio.
Hope life is treating you Great, Mami and the family is all good. I’ve been MIA for a while so I’m off to catch up on your posts.
xo jj
Hey Claudya! We never had to endure this torment, but I’d have been similar. I love your wiser, adult spin on your summer, too! Indigo
I’m with you. Summer time meant the canneries were running full force and both of my parents were working. My dad worked nights so he was home asleep during the day and my mom worked days so she was home asleep at night. And I took care of my brothers, fed them, cleaned the house, and tried to not make too much noise so we wouldn’t wake my dad. I also watched soap operas, listened to the radio and talked on the phone with friends… But when my mom got home, she would take us out to the park or the library and we spent a lot of time with extended family too. Those were some happy memories! Thanks for the reminder…
I agree! We do that summer assignment, but none of my students are off on crazy summer adventures. We go to the park and to Universal Studios, and play with our family. Everyone’s fun break is honored! I love your take!
Mami,
you are the sweetest person in the world. :))))
Not always.
This is too sweet. I felt the same way – always thought that what I did wasn’t cool or special enough. Glad to read you are teaching your girls to treasure each moment with family. Que linda!
🙂 All my summers were at home, because I stayed with my Grandma, and all the cousins came over. I had nowhere to go. But I loved it when the house was full, the bickering, the love, the fun and the madness. And I always felt sad when it was over. Because it was different from normal. I’d write all sorts of stories in the “what I did this summer” essay. 😀 Loved the post, Claudya. You’re a fabulous Mom, you know?
I remember the pressure of those questions. Today it is more acceptable to staycations so maybe your girls won’t have to face what you did. I do love
what you would have said then had you known what you know now!
I must have had weird teachers, I never got asked to do that! Thankfully! (That daily trip to the ice cream sounds pretty good to me!) 🙂
This is great Claudya. 🙂 My family did the same and it was always awkward to share in front of the class when everyone else was bragging about their luxurious trips…lol. Your summer sounds fabulous and I doubt that much could really compete with a summer at the beach or time spent with family. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be valuable. 😉