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When Did Summer Start Ending in July?

Amity Whalen

When I was growing up, summer seemed endless.  We had ice cream dates (my favorite was when the Dairy Hill in Mason, MI had Cinnamon as the flavor of the week), baseball games, bike rides, playing pickle (not pickleball) in the back yard, eating freeze pops on the back porch until our fingers were numb, catching fireflies under the stars and putting them in a Mason Jar with holes in the lid- and best of all- going to the lake with our cousins.  The lake (which really meant my grandparents house) was something we really looked forward to, even if we had to wear orange life jackets AT ALL TIMES because there was never an adult watching.  🙈


Back then, school didn't start until after Labor Day, marking the end of our three-month escape from the classroom. 3 FULL months!  It felt like we had an entire lifetime to savor those warm, lazy days.


Fast forward to today, and it seems like summer barely gets a chance to start before it's slipping away from us. The school year now starts in early August, slicing into our cherished time for family vacations, outdoor play, and just unwinding. Students and parents alike have packed schedules, filled with camps, sports practices, and a myriad of other commitments. Those leisurely summer days we used to enjoy — the ones that felt like they could stretch on forever — now seem like a distant memory.

So, why did this change? Over the years, schools have shifted their calendars to accommodate standardized testing, aligning semesters with testing periods and maximizing instructional days before exams. Additionally, there has been a push towards a balanced school year with shorter breaks scattered throughout the year instead of one long summer vacation. While this approach has its educational benefits, it undeniably chips away at that traditional, carefree summer break many of us fondly remember.

The impact of this shift is clear. We now have less time to pause and enjoy those simple joys of summer — the laughter shared over melted ice cream and popsicles, the thrill of winning a baseball game, or the magic of a night lit by fireflies. Our days are more structured, our summers shorter, and the blink of an eye is all it takes for them to pass by.

But maybe, amidst our busy lives, there's still a way to capture that summer magic. Perhaps we can carve out moments, however small, to unplug and enjoy the simple pleasures. Whether it's a quick trip to the ice cream shop, an impromptu game of catch, or a night spent gazing at the stars, these moments can help us hold onto that timeless, seemingly endless summer.


Take a moment, close your eyes….. take yourself back a few decades, feel the hot summer sun beating down on you.  What are you wearing?  Who are you with?  What are you doing?  What are some of your favorite summer memories?  Have you made any of them a tradition?

Keep the magic of summer special by sharing your memories and traditions with your children and their children.  I’ll do the same…. ❤️


With love from my Core,

Amity ❤️




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