Difficult weekends

[losenotloose]

And I don't know how to change it. Dc are 10 and 12 year old boys. I look forward to the weekend but more often than not it is filled with boredom, arguments and monotony.

Dh is spending a lot of his time on renovating our house which means he can't do much with the kids. I would take them out but they're just not interested in anything I suggest. If I ask them what they'd like to do they say stay at home! Which then leads to the boredom and arguments. I feel stuck.

Any suggestions of how to get us out of this cycle?

Take them out. Don’t ask them, tell them they are going out.
Take them to the cinema, a trampoline park or even just for lunch. Kids always play up when they are bored.

You're right hiding. When they were smaller it felt easier to say we're going to the park but as they are getting older they are more argumentative and stroppy. I've just lost the will to deal with the crap. It's not been a good day today.

10 and 12 is old enough to be helping with the renovation. Tag team them and DH takes one and you take the other, he takes both occasionally. And yy to the pp who pointed out that at that age they don’t need cajoling and asking as much as telling.

Do they do any sport at the weekend? If not is that something to think about? My 9 and 13 year olds both have a match on a Sunday morning so when they get back they’re happy to chill, they are too knackered to argue or be bored and I don’t feel bad because they’ve run around a muddy field for a couple of hours!

But yes, I also echo PP who suggested telling them rather than asking if they want to go out. Mine are always happier out even if they’ve moaned to death about going.

Tell them if they won't go out with you, you'll go on your own. And if you actually have something you want to do, do it. (There may be a film you want to see?) Can When the weather's warmer it might be easier to persuade them! Boot fairs, car shows, fetes, skate parks - there must be something they're interested in,?

I wish they did sport at the weekend but they're not interested! I'm feeling a bit of a failure at the moment tbh. Is it just my dc that can be so difficult about things it doesn't seem worth bothering?

How many sports have they tried! Could you have a look what there us around you - climbing, parkour, skatepark, martial arts?

Suggest a couple of things, and if they don't want to go, have a lovely day out on your own or with a friend. 10 and 12 is plenty old enough to entertain themselves at home and their DF can keep an eye on them. Make sure you buy yourself a nice meal when you're out, and they can make sandwiches for themselves. No point in ruining your weekend with whiny children.

I would sign them up for an activity at the weekends, sport, swimming, theatre anything that got them out for a few hours.

I am booking my dc into a day camp for two weeks over the summer even though I'm not working for the same reason. They get bored and squabble with too much time on their hands.

Ds2 is quite shy and timid so I wouldn't want to force a sport on him but he'll be starting drama club in April. Ds1 on the other hand has tried football, trampolining, karate, swimming, bmx, guitar lessons and coding. Never sticks to anything.