To be really dreading half term

And I totally understand that, I do, but she didn’t ask for help… she said she doesn’t enjoy parenting her children together, and wanted to know if she was alone in the way she thinks. I think if she wanted it to happen and suggestions on things to help past time, etc then she would’ve asked that.

It’s human nature to want to try and help people who are struggling, that’s all.

I've got 2 who are nigh on impossible to get to school so I'm really looking forward to it, but you most definitely won't be alone in dreading it! My brother in law used to hate half term

I really wish people would read threads properly and stop reading between the lines. OP is not looking for suggestions on what to do with her children. She is merely expressing the fact that she does not enjoy having the two of them together for a prolonged period of time as it causes her stress. She’s not looking for suggestions on how to tire them out on what to do with them, etc. I would think by now she knows all of this things. She’s just looking for someone understanding and solidarity. @icecreaminspain I hear you I never really enjoyed having my two together when they were younger but I do have to say as they’ve got an older it does get a little bit easier. Although they are 10 and 12 now and most of our arguments occur in the car when we’re trying to think of a song that we want to listen to…That we all enjoy.😅

Feb half term is a good reset. I was luck enough to have every single Feb half term off with my dc's until the youngest left secondary school. One of mine does have SEN which meant that holiday clubs were out. We used to do cheap local activities. Mooch around, tidy up etc.

I treated it as a chance to clear away the winter germs and get ready for spring. I hate winter and liked being able to have time off work and slow down. I'd have more winter school hols (shorter summer) if I was in charge.

It use to stress me out, but now I've learnt not to put any pressure on it and I enjoy it!
I look forward to spending time with my smaller ones and miss them when they go back.

I have 3 grown up children, so when they were younger I use to dread the holidays, I had expectations that was completely unachievable if I'm being honest... And the pressure I put on myself to make sure we had the most enjoyable half terms etc made me miserable.

Now, like I said after it took me some time to just go with the flow so to speak, we have the best time!

Morning swimming to tire them out and hopefully stop them arguing for a while in the afternoon. Cheap cinema mornings- think you can get kids movies for £2.50 each- take own snacks. Museums, again take a packed lunch. Bike rides- even if it’s raining etc. it is hard, I always used to try and holiday feb half term however my child is a teen and just loves the week doing barely nothing, I sympathise OP

Apologies, I will bow out.

I used to enjoy getting their toys out

channel your inner child - train track with level crossing buses and passengers kept me occupied for hours

You’ve posted quite a few times about not enjoying your children together haven’t you? I remember your posts.
Honestly if it’s causing you so much stress and misery every weekend/school holiday then you need to look at some longer term solutions. Swap your younger one’s pre school to private nursery so you can keep them in over holidays, alternated with holiday club for the older one? Pay a local childcare student to take one of them out?

Is there anything that would limit mess? I used to do toy rotation with mine where I'd get different things out and put things away that they seemed to have lost interest in.

I feel for you though. After observing all my peers I've concluded that whatever the age gap when the younger one is a two year old it's really tricky. This is also the hardest of the school holidays as the weather is usually crap.

So it sounds like you don't like noise or mess, which isn't really a match for young children.
How noisy are they? If they are being way too loud why aren't you telling them to be quieter, or is it normal level and you can't tolerate it? Can you use loop earplugs if this is the case.

Also the mess. Limit what they have. Don't let them have something else out til one thing has been put away.

Do you have a partner? I feel a bit concerned you are left dealing with this and struggling and that maybe they even pressured you into having a second child.

Maybe this could become a Feb half term support thread 😆

If OP has a preschooler like mine then it would be awful.

activities and local events are expensive and boring
And a waste of money when the kids just argue and whinge the entire time.

Mine are old enough for holiday club but I feel too guilty to use it. They already do wraparound and are shattered. They need lie ins and unstructured time but my God the toll on me….

Following mainly for tips on free activities that I won’t feel burning resentment if they ruin.

No holiday between beginning of January term and Easter is too long.

No judgement here. I hate every holiday with kids at the moment.

My kids club is £50 + a session and only on a couple of days. It also ends at 15:00, so some annual leave still needed. It also doesn’t help if your kids aren’t school age or SEN. Provision is pretty poor in my area. It’s a little sad though that you don’t want to spend time with your kids, but I do get it, I like the normal term time routine and this weather is miserable.

God some of the replies on here. So bloody smug. Op says she’s skint and one poster suggested she take the kids skiing ( in half term). What planet are you on!

I rarely booked the whole week off work for this reason. One day AL to do something, otherwise they went to holiday club.

Good food and snacks is my focus. Do a food shop at the beginning of the holidays, with a few small treats for yourself and plan a couple of nicer ‘adult’ lunches that you can make quickly That way even if I feel stuck in the house it’s a little more bareable. And I’m not eating the kids leftovers. Take some packed lunches, a hot drink or use the NT cafes, to break up the monotony of constant meals. I'm call them ‘car picnics’. Put on some tunes in the car to extend the time out of the house. Make use of the local country parks as well for the play areas and I know it’s often difficult but go out at 15:00 or 16:00 to a park so that the evening doesn’t feel so long.