This Mom Shared Her Strict Summer Parenting Rules & The Internet Had A Lot To Say

That time of year has rolled around again — school’s out, the sun’s shining, days are long, and parents are trying to figure out how to keep their kids entertained from breakfast to bedtime. Some of us manage this by enrolling them in summer camp or going on family vacations. Others let their kids have this time to relax and maybe indulge in just a little too much screen time. And then there are the moms like influencer Vidya Gopalan, who see summer break as *the* prime time to build new routines and habits.

Gopalan, also known as @queencitytrends on TikTok, is a parenting and lifestyle influencer with over 4.8 million followers. She recently posted a video to her page, sharing her “strict” summer parenting rules for her 14-year-old daughter, Sahana, and her 11-year-old son, Shaan. The video has earned 12 million views, 1.4 million likes, and over 6,000 comments, with viewers seriously divided on whether or not this approach to parenting creates structure and discipline, or leaves no room for kids to enjoy their summer break.

Gopalan began her video with a disclaimer, stating that these are the rules that work for her own family; she’s not suggesting that everybody has to follow them. She explained that her goal was to not just teach her kids about structure, but also keep them from getting bored because, the way she sees it, “boredom creates trouble.”

Gopalan’s first summer rule is that her kids have to read a book of their choice everyday — but she isn’t setting a mandatory daily reading quota. Instead, she created a rewards system to incentivize her children.

“Every minute of reading is a minute of screen time,” Gopalan said. With this new incentive, she said her kids have read over three full books in just a week and a half.

The next “strict” summer rule requires her kids to practice their math skills for 20 minutes a day, either using math workbooks from school, Amazon, or at programs like Kumon. Gopalan explains that math is a subject that many kids struggle with, and that keeping up with daily practice will reduce the chance her kids struggle too.

Her kids are also required to spend time outdoors, as well as learn to excel at their extracurriculars. “They have to spend a minimum of two hours a day outside, playing sports, exercising,” Gopalan said. “Both of my kids are in sports camps so that helps. Being outside is so good for your brain ... [And] become an expert in your passion. Shaan loves Tennis, Sahana loves golf. Summer is a great time to hone in on those skills.”

Her kids probably like the last rule just fine: lights out is at 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on the weekends, and they can sleep in as late as they want as long as the family has nowhere to be.

Gopalan explained that while this list of rules may feel excessive to some, her kids are never complaining about how bored they are. Instead, their summers stay booked and busy. And while some parents online agree with Gopalan’s structured approach, many others feel it takes away from a kids’ childhood.

“This is strict? I thought this was normal parenting,” one user commented. Others chimed in in support too:

• “I’m 15 and wish my mama was like this. I hate being lazy AF.”
• “You’re setting up your children to be successful and educated. People are mad because they never had structure.”
• “I’m going to set these rules for my 30-year-old self.”
• “As an elementary school teacher, THANK YOU.”

Then, there were those who opposed this rigorous summer schedule:

• “I don’t know why you guys are so strict. Let kids be kids.”
• “I just feel like summer should be a break from their already packed lives.”
• “So no time to have fun and live their childhood?”
• “Let them have fun it’s summer, that other stuff can wait three months.”
• “You’re just strict. Deal with it.”

Gopalan’s video touched on a hot topic for parents right now, as the trend of curating a 90s summer is dominating all of our Instagram feeds. How much structure do kids really need? Is boredom the enemy, or a developmental gift in disguise? At the end of the day, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to how to structure summer with your kids. Every mom is just trying to figure out what works for them — even if the internet has a lot to say about it.