For Erica Smith and Danielle Paynter, summer looks very different. One family's season revolves around Thursday nights at John Smith's Bay. The other's stretches from Bermuda to Italy. Both are creating the memories they hope their children will carry for ever.

On Thursday evenings throughout the summer, Erica Smith doesn't have to wonder where she'll be.

The chairs are packed. The umbrellas are loaded into the car. Someone has already sent around the menu, assigning who is bringing the main course, who has drinks, who is responsible for watermelon and who is in charge of dessert.

And the destination is always the same: John Smith's Bay.

For more than 20 years, the Smith family have gathered there every Thursday after school lets out, welcoming summer in the only way they know how — together.

And in the west, Danielle Paynter's summer begins a little differently.

There are suitcases to pack, passports to find and a flight to Italy, where her daughter Bella spends time with the other half of her family before returning home to Bermuda for beach days, barbecues and afternoons spent paddleboarding with friends.

One family's traditions have been built on the same stretch of sand for more than two decades. The other's span two countries and two cultures.

They may look different, but both mothers are guided by the same hope: creating a childhood their children will one day look back on with joy.

Every Thursday, the beach becomes home

For Ms Smith, “Beach Nights” are more than a summer tradition. They're part of her family's identity.

“Our family tradition started over 20 years ago with the main goal of welcoming summer and catching up with family members.

The routine has remained remarkably consistent over the years. Every Thursday once school finishes for the holidays, generations of the Smith family make their way to John Smith's Bay.

“Each family bring their own beach comforts such as chairs and umbrellas. The menu is sent out to everyone, with everyone bringing either a main course dish, beverages, snacks, watermelon and desserts.”

It's simple. Nobody is trying to create an elaborate event. Instead, everyone contributes something small, making the evening feel effortless.

As the children head straight for the water, the adults settle into conversations that often continue until after sunset.

“Everyone looks forward to beach nights to catch up, celebrate special events, relax and, of course, swim.”

And over time, the tradition has grown beyond immediate family.

“It has evolved into friends of family members joining in the tradition.”

While the weekly gatherings are the highlight of summer, they aren't the family's only tradition.

“The perfect summer day for my family, for those who are not working, is swimming at the beach and for the guys going out on the boat fishing.”

Ms Smith says those rituals didn't happen by accident and credits her late parents with creating a culture where family always came first.

The youngest of eight children — six brothers and one sister — she says those values were established long before Beach Nights became a Thursday fixture.

“In our family, traditions began very early from my late parents.”

Her father's words remain something of a family motto: "'Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.' My family lives by this.”

It's a philosophy she hopes will continue for generations.

“I would hope when the elders are gone family traditions will carry on with the young ones.”

More than anything, she hopes the next generation understands why those Thursday evenings matter.

“I would hope the younger ones will never forget the importance of family.”

Asked what makes summer feel complete and the answer comes instantly.

“For our family, summer is not complete without our Thursday night Beach Nights.”

One childhood, two homes

For Ms Paynter, summer has always been about making sure her daughter belongs to both sides of her family.

Every year, she and her husband take Bella to Italy so she can spend time with her Italian relatives before returning to Bermuda, where she spends the rest of the year surrounded by family here at home.

“We spend the majority of the year here in Bermuda where Bella gets to spend time with her Bermuda family. Summer is an opportunity to spend some time with her Italian family.”

The tradition started almost immediately.

“I often joke that it took me 25 years to get to Italy and Bella was less than one before she got her opportunity.”

Those trips have become a constant in Bella's life, but so have the traditions waiting for her when she gets home.

“The perfect Bermuda summer day includes having pancakes and bacon in the morning. My daughter loves my homemade recipe.”

After breakfast, she squeezes in a workout before the family heads to the beach.

Hosting has become one of the defining features of their summers.

“We love hosting and inviting friends and family over to spend the day at our beach where we set up water toys and paddleboards and have an active day on the water.”

The food is familiar: homemade sandwiches packed into coolers, plenty of snacks and one drink everyone expects.

“We can't forget my famous Grey Goose berry lemonade that I love to make even more than I enjoy swizzle.”

As evening approaches, the gathering naturally shifts from the beach to the barbecue.

“It won't only include hamburgers and hot dogs, but often includes my aunt's famous oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.”

For Ms Paynter, those moments matter because they're creating something much bigger than a fun day out.

“These traditions are important to us because through them we make core memories that I hope will last long after I'm gone and be moments and stories that my daughter can reflect on and share with her family.”

She believes traditions evolve as children grow.

“What we do for fun has evolved to include more water sports and more entertaining. Now she's starting to enjoy some of the things I love like shopping, eating good food and hosting friends at the house, definitely carrying on the tradition of this family as hostesses with the mostest.”

The family's immediate relatives all live within five minutes of one another, making family time feel less like something that needs to be scheduled and more like part of everyday life.

“My immediate family all live within a five-minute radius of us, so we pretty much have an open-door policy that makes family time routine versus having to be so intentional.”

Looking ahead, Ms Paynter doesn't hope Bella remembers one spectacular holiday or one perfect day. She hopes she remembers a feeling.

“I hope she remembers that summers in Bermuda include maximising every drop of sunshine and every opportunity to be active, be around friends and family and to be out on the water. I hope she remembers late nights, lots of laughter and no restrictions on homemade cookies.”

There are two things that now define summer in the Paynter household.

“For our family, summer isn't complete without a trip to Italy and seeing the other half of the family. If Cup Match is in Somerset, then summer also isn't complete without having a beach party at our house on the first day.”