Hughes Family Profile
Single, work-at-home mom with 3 childrenMother: Melanie Lynn Hughes
Profession: Registered Dietitian, but working with “Moms
Making Six Figures”
Children: Ellie (6), Cameron (5), Austyn (2)
Pets: Australian Shepherd (Sydney), Tabby Cat (Ginger)
What are you, as a family, most looking forward to this summer?
We spend a good majority of the summer in the swimming pool and we love to have our friends and neighbors over for swimming and barbequing and night time movies outside. When the kids don’t have to be up early in the morning, it’s fun to let the night run late and enjoy our time with friends.
As summer approaches, how are you currently preparing to be sure your children will be engaged/not bored?
Summer always seems to go by so fast. I don’t want it to be over and feel like we didn’t experience enough of all the fun San Diego has to offer, so I am already planning a few day trips and small vacations. I’m sure we will hit several of the local fun spots – Wild Animal Park, Birch Aquarium, Soak City. My kids are also young enough that it’s important for them to learn to be creative and be active with each other here at home, because there are bound to be a number of days that we never leave the house! I like to stock up on things like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, squirt guns and paint. I am also hosting swim classes here at the house so my youngest can be water safe and join the other two in hours of swimming most days.
What is the biggest obstacle you tend to face when summer arrives?
I really can’t think of any obstacle other than having one child who isn’t quite old enough to do all the things that the others can. To this point, going somewhere like the beach or Disneyland has been the biggest challenge, and last year that meant leaving her behind so I can relax a bit more with the other kids. This summer should be a bit easier now that she is two and quite determined to do just as much as the other kids…if not more!
As a single mother of three small children, how does your personal schedule change when the kids are out of school?
I am fortunate enough to have a babysitter that takes care of the kids here at home so my schedule is able to remain consistent. I’ve also made changes in my work life within the past year and I now work for myself and make my own schedule….that gives me a lot of excitement to know that I can balance the necessity of work with the activities of summer.
Is there a particular summer program/camp you recommend to others in the community?
Actually I would love that recommendation from others! I am just now getting to the point where I am considering looking into something like that for the kids.
What summer programs are you planning on having your children participate in?
My two older children, Ellie and Cameron, will go to VBS for the first time this summer through Horizon North County.
How do you continue promoting education in your school aged children in the summer months?
Both Ellie and Cameron really enjoy workbooks so I like to have a variety for both of them. Ellie is an avid reader so I never have trouble getting her to read, and she often reads to Cameron and Austyn and they all enjoy it. Cameron is my math whiz and we can make math games out of most anything…from adding and subtracting rollie pollies to counting the number of times he shoots his sisters with the squirt gun.
How do you find time for yourself when all the children are home? Whom do you rely on for help?
I love the question and can only laugh because I’m not so sure “time for myself” and “all the children are home” belong in the same sentence! As a single mom who has the children almost full time, my non-working time is all focused on taking care of the kids and doing all the necessary things around the house to keep daily life running as smoothly as possible. On most days, that doesn’t leave much time for me except that small window from the time all the kids are in bed until I go to bed…I’m sure most parents can relate! As busy as life is, and as much as I like to think I can do it all on my own, I am not lacking for help or support. I have a wonderful, close-knit group of girlfriends and an amazing boyfriend. All of them contribute to my family and help give me a break from time to time. The best time to myself while I have my kids is always when my friends are over and I can faithfully count on someone else to do a diaper change or get the kids in jammies, clean up the kitchen or pick up toys. Having a night off from those things IS having time to myself as far as I’m concerned!
Is a Summer Vacation outside of 92127 in your plans this summer?
The one scheduled vacation we have planned right now is a camping trip with my boyfriend and his two boys to the Serrano campground in Big Bear. My kids have great memories of Yosemite where I have taken them the past two years, and although that’s not in the plans this summer, they will still have all the fun of the tents, the campfires and smores…and the dirt.
How do you attempt to stay on a routine schedule when the children are out of school?
Up to this point I really have never worried about sticking to a schedule in the summer. I want all of us to have fun and enjoy our time without restrictions. That may change as my kids get older and they are more likely to get out of a routine by staying up later and sleeping in longer, but right now at their young ages they tend to self regulate pretty well.
What is the best thing about summer in 92127?
Friends and neighbors and impromptu get-togethers. Also, living in a community where everything is walking distance so we can take advantage of the beautiful evening weather – we like to take walks to get dinner at Miguels or ice cream from Maggie Moos, and inevitably we will run into a number of friends who are doing the same thing. I have always enjoyed living in a social neighborhood and love everything that 4S living means to my kids and me.
