How can I make weekends less stressful...?

[mommathatwearspink]

We have two DC (nearly 5 and 2) and weekends are just awful at the moment. The bad weather doesn’t help! There is always someone screaming, crying or fighting. We can’t even have a cup of tea in peace.
If anyone has any advice on making weekends less stressful with two young children, we would really appreciate it

Ugh I am hating weekends at the moment.

Mine are 8 and 5 and are either rampaging about screeching, or fighting and telling tales on each other/trashing the flat.

My advice is to divide and conquer. OH took DS to his swimming lesson today and then to the shops, and I took DD to the library/read books/chose new ones to take home. Then took them both to the rubbish playground on the way home for a run about until it started raining a and I could bear it no longer.

My problem is my DD is hyper and will not sit and do anything for longer than about 2 minutes, including watching a film or crafting. It's knackering, and I am PMT'ing and just want everyone to leave me alone

Have had a glass of wine already, with an eye on the second. Just got to start the long-winded 'trying to get DD to bed' routine that we have EVERY night without fail shortly...sigh.

Thankfully a wonderful friend of mine is taking the pair of them to a farm tomorrow for the day with her son so we can get on with clearing our loft in readiness for moving house soon. I could have kissed her feet when she suggested it..I love my kids but bloody hell sometimes I just want them to go away!

You have to go out. Outdoor play is best. Full waterproof trousers and coat or all-in-one plus wellies and you’re good to go. Whatever the weather although I admit we don’t go out on heavy rain and high winds.

Swimming is a good one for appalling weather. Trampoline places are good but only during the earlier sessions for little ones as they get too busy past 11-12pm.

Can you visit friends or relatives? Museums are generally free.

Try to ensure they don’t nap if that makes them go to bed later. Nice early bedtime and you’re done.

I feel you OP this weather is diabolical. No way I'm heading out in storm Hannah. Everything is easy when it's dry as you can get out and about! I agree lots of activities though, also errands if you need to eg Homebase or a supermarket. I've got DS3 and a newborn and today DS has rugby tots, wee had friends with children over, and DH took him to Homebase, but he still had cabin fever and was stropping by bedtime. We've exhausted our indoor activities eg baking (the £1 cupcake kits are great), kinetic sand, play doh etc in the week as it hasn't stopped pissing it down. Fed up!

We’re a ‘get them out’ family too.

We did a local gardening volunteering thing today with 4DC aged 5-11, from 10-3pm and I haven’t heard a peep out of them since we got home!

We have NT membership and if we’ve got a day with no activities/clubs/parties, we’ll head to one further afield with a picnic lunch (no matter what the weather!). And go to local ones if we only have a couple of hours.

We get home work done, and often divide and conquer in order to give some of them some one-to-one time.

They are like puppies, they need masses of fresh air and exercise!

Have you tried geo-caching? We were running out of ideas of things to do at weekends and was recomended this. It's like treasure hunting, orienteering and getting out for walks in the fresh air all in one.You can download the free app onto your smartphone. Their hidden all over the place. We've had several lovely afternoons out in the countryside and towns looking for them.

Mine are 8 and 5 now. Tips from experience:

We didn't allow late bedtimes at weekends and still don't. They are already asleep at 7.3 5pm. Nursery is tiring and they never lay in!

Rule of 7am = morning but not before. Gro clock is fab for this.

Lazy breakfast with one parent while the other lies in. Out by 10am though as they start bickering.

One of the following: farms, country parks, swimming, bit of food shopping (never a full shop though), cafe, meet friends for lunch, library, cousins' house, zoo, out on scooters etc.

Home for TV, splash in the bath and early to bed.

If weather is awful - icing and decorating biscuits, indoor picnic with teddies, make jelly and have a pretend party, print colouring pages, play doh, build a den and read to them in it, lots of cbeebies.

Now they are primary age they each do a club one day at the weekend and also get invited to parties which entertain them well. I don't have to stay either!! They can and will play together for half an hour or so. I found 8 year old in her room reading a book today- brilliant. They will also watch a whole film peacefully, can play board games with us, help with cooking reliably and eldest can get breakfast for them both if I CBA to get up. It's got much easier recently.

I take them to my parents on a Saturday afternoon! DH works Saturdays so I'm usually stuck with them on my own as well!!

Library. There's normally an activity on. Or have a read with them. From there straight to the park. Then cafe for a snack if there's one in park or nearby.

&/or there are loads of free activities on here and there if you check online.

I am bone idle at weekends but found once I'd forced myself to get up & out and got thru say 3 hours of out & about it just made life with DCs easier.

I have a mini trampoline at home, when we got in I'd put music on, DCs would jump around on it whilst I watched from my position of totally flat out/knackered on sofa. Then they could sit and watch a bit of kids tv.

Evenings were peaceful they were nice n tired. Hello weekend...

At the moment I'm unwell (M.E) so I rely on DH to take them out mostly. But today he went to watch football so I took them to town to spend some book tokens and had a doughnut in a cafe. We were only out for an hour which was my limit despite having rested all day yesterday. But it was enough to keep them happy. Obviously we don't buy books for them every weekend!

I used to do loads of big days out but now I can't because I'm too weak and sore to go very far or stand for long. I genuinely think they enjoy the little trips I do manage just as much though. They love popping to the pet shop to get food or hay, collecting leaves for a collage, putting skittles on a papr plate to make patterns, making biscuits for elderly neighbour etc. The low key stuff is underrated. I also never disturb them playing happily unless it's absolutely necessary and try your praise them to encourage this (on a bad day I'll be muttering FFS under my breath a thousand times!) Ds5 is quite a lazy boy who needs a lot of down time so everything is interspersed with TV, films, lots of snacks, not rushing to get dressed.