Summertime: it’s my favorite time of year! This is the time of year that evokes the best memories of going to the pool, the lake, and on rainy days, the library.
My mom would take my sister and me to swimming lessons in the morning, and then to the pool in the afternoon. The weekends were spent at the lake with my dad driving the boat as we tubed behind it, holding on for dear life while we shrieked and laughed. I remember being excited about my swimsuits. I had one for swim lessons, one for afternoons at the pool, and specific swimsuits for the lake. I never thought twice about what I looked like; swimsuits meant sunshine, and sunshine meant the pool or the lake!
Now that I am a mom, I want to be able to create wonderful summer memories with my son. I want him to love and appreciate the summers as much as I did and still do. I even found myself buying him multiple swimsuits too, for he cannot have just one! What this means is that since I will be taking him, I will be putting on my swimsuit, too.
As a mom, I feel different in my swimsuits. This year, I actually put my bikinis away and purchased a few one-piece suits because I want to feel comfortable while I’m out playing with him. (And can I say a huge “Thank You!” to whomever started making CUTE one-piece suits!) My stomach looks different now (I wasn’t one of those lucky moms whose her skin just “bounced back”) but I want to be able to enjoy myself at the pool and I hope you can do the same.
I have to be honest with you, I have absolutely no recollection of what type of swimsuit my mom was wearing when we went to the pool or the lake. I simply don’t remember. What I do remember is my mom taking us and being with us. I know for sure that I don’t want my son to miss out on making memories just because I may feel uncomfortable or self-conscious or be comparing myself to the moms whose bodies I see as my ideal. I can almost guarantee that the mom with the “Mom Bod” that I would like probably has some of the same insecurities that I do.
So put on your swimsuit, pack up your beach bag, snacks, and the cooler, slather on that sunscreen and go make memories with your kids! Trust me, they will neither care nor remember how your body looks.
