If the Olympics added a division for summer moms, I am convinced many of us would be standing on the podium with gold medals around our necks.
As the mom of two active boys, my summer days are filled with swimming, gymnastics, bike rides, pool adventures, snack requests, and enough sunscreen applications to protect an entire small town. While my kids are busy training, competing, and making memories, I’ve realized that moms are competing in our own Olympic events every single day.
The best part? There are no judges, no crowds, and definitely no trophies. Just coffee, determination, and a whole lot of love.
Event #1: Fastest Sunscreen Application
This event requires speed, precision, and the ability to chase a moving target. The challenge begins when your child hears the word sunscreen and suddenly develops Olympic-level sprinting abilities. Bonus points if you successfully cover both ears, the back of the neck, and the tops of the feet before they disappear toward the pool.
Advanced competitors can apply sunscreen to two children simultaneously while answering questions about lunch and locating a missing pair of goggles.
Event #2: Packing the Perfect Pool Bag
This is less of a sport and more of an extreme endurance challenge. A successful pool bag includes towels, swimsuits, goggles, extra goggles, the backup goggles for the backup goggles, snacks, water bottles, Band-Aids, sunscreen, and dry clothes.
Despite packing everything, someone will inevitably announce, “Mom, I forgot my towel.” This statement is usually made while standing next to the bag you packed yourself.
Event #3: Refilling Water Bottles 47 Times
Hydration is important, especially for growing athletes. What I didn’t realize before becoming a mom was that children seem incapable of drinking from a water bottle for more than seven minutes without needing a refill.
Somehow, every bottle is either empty, lost, or “doesn’t taste right.” My personal record is approximately forty-seven refills in a single day. I suspect I am a strong contender for a world championship.
Event #4: Transporting Sweaty Children Between Activities
This event combines driving, scheduling, and advanced problem-solving. One child has gymnastics. Another has swim practice. Both are hungry. One forgot a snack. The other forgot shoes. Everyone is somehow wet despite not currently being in water.
Meanwhile, the car begins to smell like a combination of chlorine, sunscreen, and athletic determination. Success is arriving on time with all children, equipment, and sanity intact.
Event #5: Preventing Sibling Arguments in the Car
Perhaps the most difficult event of all. Competitors must demonstrate expert conflict-resolution skills while maintaining focus on the road.
Common challenges include:
- “He’s touching my side!”
- “He’s looking at me!”
- “That’s my snack!”
- “Mommmmm!”
The objective is to reach your destination before someone declares the trip “the worst day ever.” Extra points are awarded if both children exit the vehicle smiling.
The Real Gold Medal
While the Summer Mom Olympics may not be an official sporting event, the rewards are very real. The long pool days, endless practices, packed schedules, forgotten water bottles, and backseat negotiations can feel exhausting in the moment. Yet these are the days our children will remember—the days filled with cannonballs, bike rides, popsicles, laughter, and adventures.
One day, the pool bags will stay packed. The water bottles won’t need refilling. The backseat will be quiet.
Until then, I’ll happily continue competing in the Summer Mom Olympics alongside countless other moms who are making summer magic happen behind the scenes. And if anyone is handing out medals, I think we’ve earned them.
