Feeling sad that teens mean the summer holidays aren’t the same.

[Sunshineismyfriend]

My 13 year old is lovely but wants to spend his summer gaming or meeting up with friends and playing football. Doesn’t want to do anything with me or my younger child. He’s ok for a few family days out but I keep thinking back to the days she is take them big to play in the park or for a play date with a friend and feel a bit sad.

I love that he’s growing up but I do miss him when it’s just me and my youngest as does my youngest. Anyone else?

I think this is it. They do seem like 2 only
children and despite being 2.5 years apart the age gap feels really big right now.

Will have a google. Sounds fun!

Aah give it a few years OP - I took my 2 adult DC and their partners on holiday and we had a fab time doing silly things like crazy golf, messing about on the beach etc. They were happy to do shopping and cooking, carrying heavy bags on our days out, and you can go to the pub with them!

My teens still quite like hanging out with me if I take them to places they suggest - usually something they have seen on Instagram. I miss days out at the zoo or the beach.

My kids are nearly 4 and nearly 7

I find the summer holidays horrendous and relentless and far too long and definately too expensive going places to keep them entertained

I hate these fake friends play dates with people who never in a million years would I socialise with

The juggling of work and childcare and the cost of childcare

All the fake people on the school run and the bitchy clicky mothers whose kids have a balance of music, sport and creative extra curricular activities are auditioning for plays and eating organic food

A 3 year gap isn't massive but my older one dd gets very annoyed with ds whosfpres her and always wants to tag along

I don't want to wish their childhoods away but it's just so so hard I just find it absolutely relentless really.

My DD is in her late 20s now, but I well remember the thrill of her having real Australian teen years when she began meeting friends down at the beach.

Even now a couple of times a year she'll come over with a car full of friends to borrow the snorkels and flippers, beach shelter, etc. all the gubbins they can't fit in their house shares.

This. I was soooo happy when mine was able to go hang out with friends and I didn’t have to entertain them constantly. It was draining.

Yes this 100%

It's so much better when they are teens

I've been struggling with school holidays since all the lockdown restrictions. I ploughed through the little window of opportunity in summer 2020 then by October half term when everything was shit and closed (tiers), I've burned out. Interest in parks remains dead after so much overkill. I'm so exhausted of being the motivational force to make my DCs do anything. They're only 11 & 9 and it feels like their holiday inertia has been accelerated by so many months of being prohibited from doing anything other than trudging round sodden, mud-ridden parks, and being allowed more screen time than I would have liked in an ideal (or at least functional) world

Added to this, DS1 is autistic and dyspraxic so is not socially motivated, finds it hard to get out and loathes a lot of wholesome activities such as cycling.

Another factor is that last summer was significantly impacted by DS1 having vertigo and nausea so that quenched his desire to do much for 3 months. That's then been followed by DS2 working his way through a medical encyclopaedia including plantar fascitis since last autumn, and now an asthma flare up which meant nearly every time we tried to leave the house for the first 10 days of the holidays it resulted in an asthma attack and culmanated in an overnighter in A&E recently. I'm just hoping that we can actually have a safe, healthy and enjoyable holiday... in fact going more than a month without some kind of medical issue would be bliss.

I just want it to be simple to go out and have some fun! I hate feeling like a curmudgeon but I'm so tired of everything being a relentless slog.

Mine are late primary age and I feel like I've hit a good stage with school hols this year. Like others, I used to find 6 weeks relentless and draining. Now we have a good mix of them wanting to do things with me/each other e.g cinema, coffee shops, trips to half day activities and then them happy to spend a few hours gaming/watching TV later in the day while I have a break. However I can see that this will shift again in a few years time. On one hand I am excited by that as I really do value some time by myself rather than being constant entertainer/snack provider. On the other hand I already miss the sheer cuteness of them when they were little and also worry about the times when they are out doing stuff beyond my sight and control.

I am, to my surprise, really enjoying having teens/nearly teens. Although I miss some of the cuteness of little children I definitely don't miss the endless need to fill summer holiday days with activities. When we do prod the children out of their inertia we are doing more fun things together, one DC loves indoor bouldering so I take him and sometimes I have a go myself while DC enjoys making "helpful" comments. We do still go to the park sometimes but it's to play disc golf or cricket now. And a game of cards is far easier now that we can play more complicated games. They have their own opinions now and, although it can be challenging, I'm enjoying spending time with them before they become young adults and move on to completely independent lives

Yup we’re here too, I absolutely cherish every family game movie and day out now because now they have to be nearly bartered for!! Saying that he watches comedy with us at night when the others have gone to bed and chats more (when inclined to!) pros and cons to this getting older business!!!!