Does anyone have weekends like this anymore?

No. It doesn't mean I didn't sometimes wonder if I was doing enough though. My childen are both adults now and I'm early 50s and so 'the alternative' is a lot more prevalent on SM now than it was and, even then, it was there. Just less 'performative'.

And so what if the OP does think her version of weekend family life is superior? We all do what we think is right/better otherwise we'd be doing something else too.

Stayed in all day Saturday and DC helped decorate Christmas tree...cleaning and tidying too. Tiny bit of DIY. Cooking.

Then Sunday out at a sports match for my two youngest. Took all day being out. Was glad of the fresh air!

Don’t compare your life to those who fund their’s with credit cards.

But surely that’s the point some of us are making!

If you really are insecure that you’re not doing enough with your family at weekends you don’t post something replete with Enid Blyton-like details of your wonderfully idyllic life and then round it off with with a wide-eyed: “what am I doing wrong?”

This is a perfect weekend just like I was brought up on, now 87 years old, still healthy and happy and I have great memories of the past be it wartime.

Exactly. Many families don’t have the time or the resources for all these ersatz cosy activities at home. I’m working around the clock to keep my job and keep the lights on and I found this post to be pretty smug and tactless.

I agree, as per my post just before you, all the things @Ranoutofideasfortheelves has listed are Instagramable material - pancakes, dog walk (where I presume there is something scenic to photo), dancing to music, cosy evening watching a film, with feet up sewing, DH able to do his own thing as DD is happily playing with elves or whatever.

I don't know whether it was intended as a 'my weekend is better than yours' or if it is a genuine am I missing out - and as I pointed out the things she lists on seeing people do are all adult related such as cocktails and Xmas dos, therefore I wonder if she felt lonely despite being able to describe this homely environment and that it is she who worries she hasn't got friends to go out and do all these other things.

My weekends looked much like yours when I was in my 30s/early 40s and my childen were younger and lived at home. I had no desire for the alternative.

Yes mine are very much like this now - did you feel the need to pretend you thought they were rubbish though? That's what's annoyed people, not the description of the weekend.

I'm slightly amused that some people seem to be offended by the OP's description of her weekend.

OP, some people will aspire to have the SM weekend but will be unable to achieve it for many reasons.

Some people will aspire to have a weekend like yours and be equally unable to achieve that.

Personally, I don't care if you're feeling a bit smug and humblebraggy. My weekends looked much like yours when I was in my 30s/early 40s and my childen were younger and lived at home. I had no desire for the alternative.

I don't think that follows at all. Do you read the first post genuinely as a description of a weekend the OP is worried about? It reads like a careful description of a delightful weekend made to post on social media (which Mumsnet is of course).

If you think OP sounds like she actually thinks her weekend is sub-optimal then your reading comprehension is way off tbh.

@Ranoutofideasfortheelves Who are you 'concerned' about missing out? In your initial post you worry your DD is missing out, but all these activities you say you see others do are for adults. I wouldn't take my children to a Christmas market as they are heaving and no one would enjoy it. Your girls Xmas do I presume is adults, not kids, and likewise the cocktails you mention.

Are you lonely? Is it other parents you see doing all these things or influencers on Instagram? Remember if it's influencers they need to post frequently, whatever it is they are doing for likes and attention, plus they are more likely to be given things for free.

I think you need to unpick what it is that is making you wonder about missing out and whether it is actually you that is sad on not doing all these things.

Your weekend actually sounds busy and if you were to photo it and post online everyone would think you have done loads e.g. a photo of pancakes for breakfast (we never do that), walking the dog, photo of child playing with their friend, video clip of dancing to music, photo of feet up sewing/watching the film. All of these things I can imagine being photographed and spun in a positive way rather than you seeing them as negative, plus makes you look really busy and hands on.

Your weekend sounds full of peace and bliss. Our weekends are manic and I work every weekend in the evening too. 3 young kids means I'm constantly up to something at the weekend!

Anyone who thinks this is smug or a stealth boast is jealous of your lovely weekend! Your weekend sounds a lot like ours and not that uncommon (these are my favourite sorts of weekends, I love having time to potter about, do crafts with DD, and cook really nice meals).

As I've got older - I'm now early 50s - I am much more preferring weekends at home. I don't want to go to crowded, busy places. I want peace, calm and the comfort and tranquillity of my own home. If I do want a day shopping then I would take a day off work and go in the week. I don't do things like concerts/galleries/garden centres/events/theatre/art/music/museums/cities/sight seeing .. so there is no where I want to go to at the weekend.

Plus all the stuff about being the perfect homemaker, sewing her own clothes while her DH “messes about” on his computer. And how she has endless time to play with her child, crafting, cooking, lots of fires and blankets but now she’s apparently questioning whether she’s doing enough (despite describing a Hallmark movie). Oh and she does sneak in that “we are planning some Christmas trips”. Oh right? Like the people on instagram then basically but on a different weekend?

I live near quite a lot of eateries and attractions popular with instagrammers. They queue up for ages in the drizzle. They then sit under space heaters waiting for their food. When it comes they take loads of photos and then they eat some of it. There is one place that has two branches very close to each other. One has queues up the pavement and the other branch, which is 4mins walk away, you can walk straight in. There is also a cookie shop popular with instagrammers which also sells its cookies in the cafe next door so that regular customers don't have to queue. Living for the likes looks a bit shit in reality.

This post is very much part of the describing your aspirational parenting on social media. It sounds nice of course, that's the point of the post. We've got fires, sewing, baking, two descriptions of meals. It's obviously written to sound lovely.

If you were actually worried about not doing enough you'd have said we didn't really go out this weekend and I'm worried DD is missing out. There would be no need to describe your wholesome domestic activities and detail the food you ate.

I dream of weekends like that!! So often we're either out and about or trying to get through the never ending list of house/garden jobs. I think it sounds perfect and I bet if you asked your DD if she had a nice weekend, the answer would be a resounding yes.

I thought you were describing a lovely weekend with lots of nice activities. I was really surprised when I got to the end and saw you were wondering if your DD was missing out!

For many what you’ve described would be the ideal weekend. For example - I’ve never wanted to go to Lapland and I don’t like venues when they get really busy over Christmas.

Agreed

I agree: its the painstaking list of “cosy” activities combined with the “why don’t others do this?” Its a humblebrag.

I find this tendency to lionise “family downtime” (alongside “being bored”, which is the parenting flavour of the month, very often goes with a kind of stealth boasting: look at my lovely family: we are so bonded we don’t need activities and expeditions.

Of course its fine to have a quiet weekend at home but you know this anyway don’t you? You just wanted validation from others.

I agree. Virtue signalling. OP - you parent your way, let others parent their way.

Your weekend sounds amazing and now my DC are older, I can only dream of that.

My weekend consisted of 12 hours volunteering. 4 hours on Friday night and all day yesterday. Saturday was spent as a taxi driver to sports fixtures interespersed with decorating and then I went out with friends in the evening.

Cherish these weekends now. As your DC get older, going for a walk will be very low down on their list of fun. They won't all agree on the same film and someone will always want taking or picking up from somewhere.

We did all sit down for a meal yesterday evening which was nice though.

This .
your weekend sounds lovely OP very wholesome .

We had a mix of weekends when the children were little. I always preferred your kind of one though. Now they are older, my weekends are all about cosy, reading, fires, dog walks. I get lots of comments about wasting my life and letting myself go 🙄