Shit start to the holiday

[looseddaughter]

I feel so bloody irritated could pop...

Just me and two dc here - like most other people they've been learning online and I've been wfh. I've been looking forward to a break from it all (I'm a teacher so off too) but now it's here the reality of there being nothing to look forward to has hit and I feel shit.

Minor but enraging irritation is that for the whole term I've had to wake the dc for school at 8.15, which was unheard of before as they've always been early risers. This stupidly gave me hope that they would sleep in later in the holiday too making the empty fucking days a little shorter, but no - ds1 (13) has been up since 7.15. I know it doesn't matter in a way but it just means more and more screen. That was followed by the bloody cat squawking outside my window and then there being no orange juice left aside from the half a mouthful the dc leave to avoid having to put the carton in the bin.

I can just see the days stretching ahead with me endlessly trying to get the dc off screens and it fills me with dread tbh. Yes, I get them to do chores, yes, we'll go for some fucking walks, and, yes, I am very lucky compared to many and sound like a twat here, but fucking hell, this feels like it'll be a grim holiday.

Op don't worry about the screens.

If that's what they want to do for downtime let them get on with it that's what I'm doing.

And like you we will go for muddy shitty walks cause there's nothing else to do so make the most of the quiet time for yourself.

Read a good book or look through some of the classics on here
They've kept me going the last few long days.

I've got no motivation to do any cupboard clearing or spring cleaning but it's not the end of the world.

Yep. I’ve always considered Feb half-term to be the most boring break and that’s without a lockdown to contend with. Hours and hours to fill, and the constant battle over screen time.

I can’t say ‘don’t worry about screens’ as they’d spend 11 hours a day on them if I didn’t stop them. No ones going to suggest that’s acceptable I imagine.

Thanks for the solidarity

Yeah, meant to say I am a lot more relaxed about screens than in normal times but there have to be some limits... Another thing that's pissed me off is that they never want to watch the same thing on telly/film-wise, but last week we discovered the harmless shit that is Ackley Bridge and they both liked it. Yay! Three seasons to watch - cool. Then they come back from their dad's where they stay on a Thursday and ds2 has revealed ds1 has watched ahead on his phone. Again, stupid thing to be annoyed about but it was one of the few things we were enjoying doing together... And, yes, know watching telly is screens, but at least we talked and laughed together while that was on.

Board games.
My 8 year old dgs loves when his dp's play board games.
Get some snacks and drinks and make a games afternoon.

I'm right with you. Ds11 was up at 7.30 despite having to be prised out of bed at 8.15 on a school day. He's already done a solid couple of hours of PlayStation and has been sent upstairs to at least clean his teeth.
Ds15 has only just surfaced but this is a relatively recent thing. He's turned into the absolute typical leaves-room-only-for-food teenager.
At least they are old enough for Dh and I to go for a walk on our own, but I'm getting seriously worried about their lack of movement, and veer between fighting it and making them come out, and leaving them to fester.