To ask you all how you are surviving the summer holidays??

[mrsnesbit]

Its the bickering,
Ive only got one kid and so we have had other people kids round quite allot so far and all they do is bicker and argue and then they come and whine around us reporting each other.

Its making me tired. How do you all keep your marbles when you ahve several of the buggers belonging to you & others????
I cheerfully wave to dh (teacher so off for the duration) as i skip down the drive to work thanking God for inventing employment!

[kittensliveupstairs]

I am totally fed up with it now. DD broke up on June 17th so she's already had loads of weeks holidays and doesn't go back until September 5th. She has made friends with some children in our road, I am not too keen though, a 12 YO has been showing her pictures of fanjo's on his mobile phone.
Luckily, she's already done one week activity and has one next week, after that we are knackred. Looks like it will be Louk (proper spelling) and his bare naked ladies.

[cjbartlett]

We've got three weeks left
Broke up on 24 July, back sept 1st
First week away
Last week had visitors
Next week one friend over, one trip to see Cars planned
Bickering btw 4&7 year old ( one of each) does get a bit much - I send them into garden a lot
Will be doing lots of park and biking to wear them out

[valiumredhead]

Don't ask me I LOVE the holidays! Ds has a mate over and they are making paper guns and running round the garden full pelt!

[cjbartlett]

Also doing library reading challenge
Getting books and DVDs from library to keep them busy

[luvviemum]

Roll on September! LOL! Nice to spend time with the kids but ours are off for eight weeks - five would be plenty imo!!

[monstermissy]

Im enjoying having them off (ive got three boys) we have all got on pretty well so far, although the little two (4 and 9) do bicker ALOT! The last week has been lovely weather and they have spent most of it in the garden in the pool. Not even half way through yet though so ask me again in a couple of weeks ;)

[valiumredhead]

Oooooooo I'd love 8 weeks off sorry!

We are doing lots of camping in the garden, mates over to play, picnics and walks, park, visiting family, have guests to stay next week, sports camp, visit to London,gardening - the day zip by.

[curlycat]

my 2 are 7 and 11 now and this is the first year i've not been ready to kill! Don't get me wrong we have our moments but they are off out playing as soon as they are up til as late as i let them and my 11 year old DD seems to find a different house most nights to have a sleepover. - 2 weeks and 2 days til they go back ( not that i'm counting)

[flyingspaghettimonster]

I'm frazzled... three kids and they haven't been to school since end of May... Since then I've been back in the UK with the kids at my mother's home, and I am frothing at the bit to get home and find my sanity! Every day I take them out for as long as I can so they won't make too much noise and piss off Mum's partner (who I don't like). I can't leave the kids with my mother to babysit as she is too strict and the kids are scared of her, so I could really use a few hours off! Just two more weeks to go before I can go home, hand them to their Dad and say 'my turn for some me-time!'

[stoppinchingthedummy]

Working most of it- i love when im off not having to rush around to get out by a specific time though

[BrigadeOfLannisters]

Not at all. DD (11) is lovely and DS (4) is lovely. I adore spending time with them.

HOWEVER. DS likes a quiet and calm house (he has autism) and DD is very sociable and loud and well - wibbly.

DD has also very helpfully taught her brother how to use a computer mouse so I can't even MN during the day as his obsessions have to run their course.

It's difficult trying to find activities which they both enjoy although DH is taking the day off next week and we will be visiting the Tower Of London where I will willingly lock myself in the dungeons

[EuphemiaMcGonagall]

Loving not having to be up at 6.30am, barking at DD to get ready.

Loving having time to see friends and family, go on day trips, finally clear out cupboards.

NOT looking forward to schools going back on 16th Aug, because then I am properly unemployed.

Six more weeks of this, please!

[survivingsummer]

Really struggling with it hence new nn!

Kids are ok for 5 mins and then fighting again. Have done all the art and games known to mankind

Not helped by the fact that we are totally skint this year due to both losing jobs so can't afford to do anything with them.

I think they would be much better off at school tbh...

[LittleSarah]

I think I'd be okay if I didn't have to work from home part-time. Normally I manage fine but with two kids at home rather than one it is a struggle (not the easiest with one)! I took holiday for a couple of weeks so that was fine but since then I have been feeling more than a little stressed!

I like not having to rush in the mornings though!

[LittleSarah]

I wonder how it will be when they are older survivingsummer (ds 2 and dd 7). If they play happily it will be great but if they argue as much as me and my sister did...? Hmmmmm.

[cwtch4967]

I'm finding it hard going! I've got a 6 year old DD and a very lively 3 year old DS with SN - it's difficult trying to keep them both amused and I'm very limited on activities that are ok for both of them. It's not easy trying to organise a day out as I can't cope with the two of them anywhere busy or with too many people. I just wish the weather was better so that we could play in the garden more............

[youarekidding]

I love it - but then school holidays are holiday for me too. Only have 1 DS and a LP so no bickering here to contend with. We have been camping for a few days, we are rearranging lounge today as DS has thought of a new and better layout (we'll see!). We will do lots of park, walking, beach etc depending on the weather. Next week though we have a wedding Sat, Sun is cousins party (b'day tues), Mon mums birthday, Weds my birthday, Fri DS birthday and party, Sun cousins party (b'day Mon) and then DS away with my mum for 3 days. Theres only a week and a half after that then back to the grindstone.

[Babieseverywhere]

I am loving not doing the school run, I hate getting all three kids under 4 years out of the house by 8.30am every morning. Enjoy podding around the house doing ironing and loading dishwasher in my PJ's.

We have had a week away with inlaws (rained every day, but kids loved it) Since then we have spent the last couple of weeks moaning, arguing, building dens, demanding food and playing with play dough.

We have a daily compulsory 'quiet time' for all children mid-afternoon. Where all children have to be in their bedrooms, happy from them to play or nap. But it must be quiet and in their room whilst baby sleeps. This is my sanity time.

Not wanting September to come too quickly. My DS will be off to nursery and he is really ready to go but I'll miss him.

[chickflit]

I'm finding it very difficult this year and working from home part time is very hard. We've done about five weeks already and don't go back till 5th September.

I do like not having to do the school run and getting up early, but DS1(9) has ASD and misses the routine of school so his behaviour has been getting progressively worse during the holidays, also I think he's had a hormone rush as well which just makes him so argumentative. The fighting and telling tales is also driving me nuts and the fact that the last week it's peed it down so they haven't been able to play out in the garden because apparently they will melt if they play out in the rain, and I banned the Wii and DS for bad behaviour so I've had lots of "I'm bored" whinging.

DH has taken them camping for a couple of days this morning so I'm thinking of what to do with all this free time to myself - but the reality is I'm just going to be working, cleaning and decorating DS1's bedroom, the beauty of it is I'll be able to do all this in peace and with no interruptions.

[janelikesjam]

My son is a joy, but I am struggling badly with my health issues (probably why I'm on Mumsnet instead of doing stuff), fed up with important aspects of my life, but finding them hard to change.

So it could be lovely, but I am not in a particularly good place.

[janelikesjam]

By the way, Babies everywhere, a compulsory quiet time is a very good idea I think.

[KatyMac]

DD is off to summer school tomorrow; for 2 weeks

She is lead in Snow White at the local theatre school, so my input is limited until Friday 19th when I have to see 3 shows in 2 days

Working from home F/t is hard with your own child round

[MorningCoffee]

I am enjoying it so far, we have had the odd day where all they have done is fight each other they are (5 & 9) but have tried to do lots of things and even just going out on bikes/scooters or the park helps, i am however looking forward to out holiday in a couple of weeks so will have some extra hands and a nice break. It's been alot easier this year.

[marl]

DP is also off for the school holidays so there is extra pressure to 'enjoy' which I'm finding a bit tricky. I'm circling round and round tidying up after everyone as I can't stand the tip which isn't great. Have survived by making sure all three kids have some physical activity during the day. Swimming is £1 here for kids during the holidays so there's a lot of that going on. Have taken advantage of local children's centre free stuff - even outdoor days with torrential rain where we just put all our wet weather gear on and did have a good time. Have made sure DS1 who is 9 and older than the others has at least 2 days 'out' per week, doing externally organised activities, which has helped a lot. Also trying to make sure both myself and DP have at least a couple of days/evenings each across the 6 weeks where we don't have childcare responsibilities.

[pointythings]

Just back from 2 weeks in Devon, which were lovely. DDs in holiday playscheme coming week (which they love, they are normally in it 3 weeks), then am dropping them off in Holland to spend 2 weeks with my parents - so although DH and I will be working for the next 3 weeks, 2 of them will be child-free and strange. We will eat all the things they really don't like, go to the cinema and see non-child-friendly films, watch whatever DVDs when we want to, and there wil be no squabbling in the house. Then I have the last 10 days of the summer holidays off, aunt coming to stay and expecting a lovely time.

I do think in a way it's easier if you both work - childcare costs are horrendous for most people (we are lucky to have the scheme we have) but you tend to appreciate the time you have because you get it only once a year.