Is it normal for all the nice things you plan with kids to end up a fiasco??

[SiobhanRoy]

Example: Halloween. They love Halloween so this year I’ve gone to lengths to make it fun and exciting for them.

Tonight’s activity - pumpkin carving with Dad. Started so well. Everybody happy.

Ended up with dad carving the damn thing himself while the 7 year old had a screaming tantrum because he wouldn’t let her use the sharp knife herself. Meanwhile the four year old flushed a whole toilet roll 🤦🏻‍♀️

Or a trip pumpkin pumpkin picking last weekend. Mud. Tears. Exhaustion. I want to go hoooooome mummy.

Play date for four year old today with her bestie. They barely played because 4 decided (after being excited all day) to sit and draw and completely refuse to engage with her pal. She’s an awkward wee sod sometimes.

So yeah. I mean why bother.

Stacey Solomon and her ilk can sod off 😳

(Not really. I quite like Stacey. She does make me feel wholly inadequate though)

@TemporaryNameGame

This is so true. On Pinterest everything looks so much neater and more fun than my family manage it to be.

One of my biggest trials is getting anyone in my family to just go to the toilet when it is actually convenient to.

"I'm going to the toilet. You two come with me now, before we get on the hour long cable ride up a mountain"

"I don't need the toilet. I already went"

"Squeeze some out"

"No"

"Just squeeze some out"

"No"

My DH: "if he says he doesn't want to go, he doesn't want to go"

.....

20 minutes later and I'm half way up a fucking mountain, in a sealed glass box, arguing with my DH and frantically downing a large bottle of water so that my 7 year old can replace it with piss, while 20 Spanish people look on in horror.

Meanwhile, the 10 year old is videoing it "to show Matilda"

Aaaaaahhhh holidays.

This made me howl!

My usual line in these situations is "you don't have to do a wee, but you do need to try, just in case". Then when we get in there and they are"trying" I say "ooh I'll just wash my hands" - the running tap does the trick 9/10 times!

I think some of the best days out we've had have been the spontaneous trips. Less expectation, more enjoyment!