Hey, Mama! This Is Your Summer Too!
Running a business while your kids are home—and why I stopped taking on client work in the summer.
The Truth Behind “Working From Home in Summer”
Yes, we talk about it.
There are reels, memes, and blog posts everywhere about how hard it is to work while your kids are home. We joke about the chaos and share productivity hacks, but even with all that noise, I don’t think we always say what it really feels like.
It’s not just a scheduling challenge. It’s a full-body, full-house shift. It’s trying to stay focused on a project while also parenting in real time, without breaks, in a house that never fully quiets down. It’s attempting deep work while wondering if someone is about to knock on the door—or walk in mid-thought with a question about lunch.
And if you run a business from home without consistent help, summer can become a slow unraveling. The kind that sneaks up on you. The kind that wears you down one small interruption at a time.
I learned that the hard way.
The Summer That Changed Everything
One year, I took on a last-minute Shopify project. I was excited. I wanted to add ecommerce to my services, and I signed up for a course to help me through it. On paper, it made sense.
But almost immediately, the project became more complex than expected. The client was unclear. The timeline shifted. The scope changed repeatedly. And I didn’t hold my boundaries as firmly as I should have, because I was trying so hard to make it work.
At the same time, my home life was unraveling. It was one of the hardest parenting seasons I’ve been through, and I was trying to build a website while also holding together the emotional needs of a family that needed me constantly.
It was too much.
By the end of that summer, I was drained and overwhelmed. And I knew something had to change.
What I Do Differently Now
That summer taught me what I needed to protect, not just in my schedule, but in my mental and emotional capacity. Since then, I’ve made one firm rule: I don’t take on client work in the summer.
From September to May, I’m fully available for custom projects, but from June through August, I step back from client commitments. That time is dedicated to internal work—planning, writing, learning, and creating space for what comes next.
This shift hasn’t hurt my business. It’s made it better. I get to regroup, look ahead, and make thoughtful decisions about what I want to build. And I can do it without the pressure of juggling urgent deadlines or client deliverables during a season when my attention is already divided.
A New Kind of Summer Rhythm
This year, I also started something new: I invited my kids into the rhythm instead of trying to build two separate ones. I stopped treating summer like a job I needed to manage and started treating it like something we were in together.
I let them know what I’d be working on. I shared my schedule. I asked them to take more responsibility for themselves, for the house, and for how they spent their time. I gave them more autonomy and made it clear that boredom was their job to solve, not mine.
We created a contribution chart. They started coordinating their own plans. And I stopped centering everything around how to keep them entertained.
I also stopped centering everything around them, period. If I wanted to go on a hike or take a walk down by the river, I would invite them. If they didn’t want to come, that was fine, but I’m not going to cancel my plans.
That small shift helped me stop treating my summer like it belonged to everyone else.
Letting Go of “Magical”
I used to feel a lot of pressure to make summer magical. And when the days didn’t match the dreamy images in my head, I felt like I was letting everyone down.
But I’ve come to realize summer already has its own magic.
It doesn’t need me to manufacture it.
Now, I focus on connection instead. That might mean a shared meal, a long conversation, a game of basketball, or picking up takeout and sitting on the patio with s’mores. Some days it’s nothing more than laughing at a shared joke or giving them space to just be.
It doesn’t have to be big. It just needs to be a moment of connection.
What Keeps Me Steady
Summer still has work in it. I don’t completely unplug. But I’ve learned what helps me hold it together, and I’ve gotten clearer about what’s enough.
Here’s what actually works for me:
Dedicated work time in the morning, even if it’s just an hour or two
A dinner plan and Costco delivery (because I love Costco but not the in-person trip)
Marketing and visibility tasks that keep my business moving without heavy lifting
Clear expectations for the kids and more shared responsibility
Inviting them into my summer instead of building everything around theirs
Having a few go-to resets—like water play (they may be teens, but now it’s water-jet roulette, not sprinklers!), frozen treats, or a change of scenery.
I also keep working on the business in quieter ways. I revisit courses. I map out new offerings. I plan my fall calendar. It’s the kind of work that doesn’t demand urgency, but still moves things forward.
For the Mom Hiding in Her Room with Her Laptop
If you’re trying to run a business with kids at home this summer, I see you.
If you feel like you’re barely holding it together, or like you’re failing at both business and motherhood on any given day, I promise you’re not alone.
This season is intense. But you don’t have to hustle your way through it.
You’re allowed to scale back.
You’re allowed to make new rules.
You’re allowed to protect your peace.
Your kids don’t need a summer cruise director.
They need a mom who knows her limits and honors them.
A mom who models how to be human and whole, even when life feels loud and messy.
You’re not falling behind. You’re living in a different rhythm right now.
And that rhythm still counts.
Hi, I'm Beth, the creative behind Bravely Inspired. This space is a quiet rebellion against burnout, business as usual, and the myth of going it alone.
Here I share stories, tools, and gentle reminders for women building lives and businesses that feel like home.
You’re not too late. You’re not too much. You’re right on time.
RESOURCE LIBRARY
A growing library or tools, tips, and free trainings to help you get going and growing.