How do people afford/do/manage something for their children everyday of holidays! How do you do yours?

[PopsicleHustler]

I was speaking to a few mums from the school run!
Some say they dread the summer holidays.....
Some say they love it!

I love it myself! A break from the big hill to the school and pushing a double buggy up it!

I work from home so can balance it and not have to worry about childcare, as I am lucky to be able to work from home, i make it work around the kids.
And my husband bless him works 3 jobs for us all- 2 of which he can work from home!

Speaking with some mums, who some work and some don't, have plans for something everyday for their kids.
One mum of 2 girls, told me they go out everyday, yet she works part time! How do they afford it, how can you go out so many places everyday for 6 weeks and not be tired or broke. Unless its literally the park or the library everyday? She works in accountancy and her husband works too but no idea what he does.

Another mother who is obsessed with cleaning and looking like an Instagram house/Instagram mum, says she takes her kids out everyday because they will fight and mess up the house. Her husband works in finance. She sells diet pills over Facebook and things like weight loss shakes.

I have 6 kids and although I would love to be able to afford an outing everyday, I would find it very tiresome. Rather I prefer to plan something and be excited about it with the kids.
And use the money from my job and my husbands income on providing for the kids needs/uniforms/the house/food and bills.

I'd rather plan at least maximum 3 days out a week and a fun activity indoors for everyday instead like baking, making pizzas, fun building things on minecraft, puzzle day, board games day and arts and crafts things like that.

How do you spend your holidays? How do you think these people manage to spend everyday out! How would you do it? Park everyday ? Or are they actually going to adventure parks and soft play every time!!!!! Goodness me! Each to their own and all that. But I dont know how you could do it/afford and manage it. Wow, good on them though if you can.

How do you do yours?!??!?

I think it's a lot easier if you have 1 or 2 kids than 6. Taking six kids out three times a week is surely more expensive than taking 2 kids out every day.

They do camps and have some days off with us. We normally try to get out somewhere yes even if it’s just a swim, or they have play dates etc.

More interestingly what do you do that you can work from home and look after 6 kids?!!!!

Stating the obvious here but it is infinitely easier to plan and budget going out daily when you have 1 or 2 children compared to 6!

I have no idea how you even manage to work with 6 children at home whilst also doing fun activities

rather plan at least maximum 3 days out a week and a fun activity indoors for everyday instead like baking, making pizzas, fun building things on minecraft, puzzle day, board games day and arts and crafts things like that.

I pretty much did this I never took my kids out everyday to something that costs money . I used to plan something that was a day trip like the zoo or theme park as a treat over summer and on other days I used to take them to the park or just out on a walk but it was never every day . I think it's fine to stay in and just play and have fun at home and out maybe twice a week

I take my kids out (free places too) every day and work part time, but I have 2 children, things would be very different if I had 6!
They also do camps the odd day etc to break up the week.

No point comparing to others, as everyone's circumstances are very different.

Haha yep, it sure is more expensive 6 kids and two adults! Can you imagine the cost of bundling all of us off to Chessington! Probably cheaper to get a caravan for 4 nights!

@jusdepamplemousse I work for an online shopping website and upload products, price check and share online! Very easy to do around the kids as I can do it from my phone also whilst breastfeeding the baby !

Would you want to go out every day OP? Sounds like my idea of hell, I wonder if these people just prioritise their money there. We do tend to leave the house most days but often it’s dog walking, or like you said the library. Some days it’s going to the supermarket to buy the stuff to make something like a fruit salad (with exciting fruit, you know?). But it’s not “out out”.

@Tittyfilarious81 your ideas sound lovely!

I'd be amazed if you have something super fun planned everyday! I amnstill trying to think of where we can go tomorrow before the babies jabs.

I have membership of our local museum service (10 museums) and English Heritage and National Trust membership. All do activities and events through the holidays. Then there's the library, free talks, parks, hiking, geocaching, beach isn't too far away, arts and crafts, baking, DIY projects, visiting family and friends or meeting up with people for a picnic. I find it fairly easy to fill the time for not much money at all. Important to note there are only 4 of us - 2 adults and 2 dc - and we are all easily pleased.

Is your mortgage very high? Bills? 4 jobs I think should give you some extra money to spend on some days out?

Seconding the pp that say the number of kids is a big consideration here.

I have 2. This week we did a paid-for activity, including an overnight stay in a hotel, to then travel on to a NT place that was free apart from parking charges. Today our one "outing" was the weekly food shop followed by LO cooking lunch, while the teen is off to meet friends. Tomorrow, another paid-for, but cheap, activity, then we have a visitor the next day, then library to finish the reading challenge and a party invite, then another paid-for activity. So I pay for something every other day, and we do something every day, but it's within reason. Big ticket items no more than once a week.

It keeps everything manageable. I couldn't do it with 6 kids, though, that would be at least 4 out of our activities this week taken off the list due to cost/ logistics.

We go out virtually every day, as Ds has too much energy otherwise. I also have work to do some days whilst he’s home.
Its often just local so free, or we have a season pass to places so cost covered.

Often if I need a few hours work at home I will take him out early say 8-10.30am, he will play at home or garden whilst I get stuff done, and then we go back out an hour or two late afternoon when it’s cooler ( ie 5-7pm)

We have annual pass to local farms, lido pools, beach areas, cable cars ( not uk), museums etc.. it’s only €50 for April-November with unlimited trips.

We only do extra paid for trips on holiday or occasionally to a new place.

People have different amounts of time, money and different interests. People do what they can and like to do. That’s all. You concentrate on your kids and let others do what they want.

I don’t think there was any need for the detailed overview of other mums’ jobs either. I’m more sure that info about shakes and weight loss pills adds to the post unless it’s to sneer in some way.

Oh and I only have 1 child. It’s easy to find something that appeals to just him rather than 6 various ages. And it’s fairly cheap if he wants an ice cream or go on trampoline locally

I take my children out everyday but I have 2 not 6. I also work term time in a school and my children have after school clubs so I do like the time together in the summer. We do have some days out that cost money but I also sign up for any free event in my area, we have great parks, libraries and annual passes for the local adventure place. We have the beach so for us it's pretty easy to do lots of free/cheaps days out. Churches in my area also do little holidays clubs that are very cheap for a couple of hours a day. I spent £20 for two children for a week every morning 9-12. That includes a snack. My eldest is classed as a young carer so he gets priority at his youth club's summer programmes which helps too. We also do playdates with friends and visits with family.

We do a mix, we both work three days a week, so we only actually need two days of childcare. As we work from home we can’t work and look after our children, if we did either our work or children would suffer.

We do quite a lot of days out, we also usually go on holiday which covers quite a bit of time. We haven’t done much this wee as I’m recovering from minor surgery, but as a plus it means I’ve been signed off work so I can save a bit more annual leave.

Next week my son has two days of rugby camp, one day we’re going to the seaside, another will be spent at lego land and the fifth will be a day at a ninja warrior type place with a friend. Not all weeks are busy and planned like that, we have lots of days where its just the park, lego at home, puzzles at home etc. But we do make sure we organise at least one thing each day, from something as simple as a picnic at the park, all the way up to a full day out.

So far this holidays are trips have been

• climbing lesson (regular thing, £10)
• rugby practice (free)
• supermarket trip (more expensive when they chose their own lunches!)
• bike ride
• bike ride

So we go out but it doesn't cost money every day.

I work and I have 1 DC. I honestly think all these free places are a load of shit to be honest. It rains half the bloody time and that is a big hindrance when you need to walk outdoors.

When the kids get to around 7/8 and upwards I find it expensive even a trio to the cinema it all quickly adds up. I take my own snacks too sometimes it's still an expense. Going to the park... kids want food. I can't believe anybody is going out every day. When do they rest?

There is an awful lot of stuff on around here that is free or very low cost. National trust pass so lots of free summer activities, council puts on free workshops every Wednesday, country park has weekly free events etc… pretty easy to fill it up if you are organised!

Don't feel bad. I ' ve a feeling it's very much a British/ English speaking world possibly, thing, and although it is undoubtedly fun if you like things full on, plenty of children grow up fine without.
My kids on the continent have a 3+month summer. It's just normal life here, but hot. Nobody does constant day trips where paying is required.

From about 8/9 they spend 3 months at the beach/ lake/river/ outdoor pool. At most some organised person may suggest a day trip in that time, but usually kids just play. No one feels bad they aren't organising stuff, it's the norm.
Same with parties. Kids play, at home or in a room, and then they have cake. Festa finita!

OP - with 6 children I think you are amazing just to get them all up and dressed in the morning - let alone days out every day!

I only have one DC and I worked term time when he was in primary school.

Over the 6 weeks we would normally have one week away as a family and an extra few days visiting relatives, sign up to anything on offer at the library, a couple of sports activity clubs on odd days, maybe one visit to the zoo/safari park and a couple of days to much cheaper nature reserves we have locally. A free museum and a few days out at the park plus play dates with various friends. And a day or two out shopping for new uniform / shoes complete with trip to pizza express ! Most days, unless involving a friend were just me and DS whilst DH was working.

But six children is a whole other ball game - activities that would be fairly cheap for one child - £5 entry to nature centre, lunch in a cafe become a major expenditure when multiplying by six.

I think you have to acknowledge that you have made different life choices and your children's lives will be different to others in smaller families .

They play with their friends - sometimes in our house, sometimes in theirs. That's the key activity as well as some camps and days out. But mainly, they socialise.

5 kids and I am a sahm. We don't go out every day. I've planned one paid thing each week for the holiday and the rest is just walking the dog, bike riding, taking the football down the park. They have enough craft stuff and paper in the house also. Can bake all they like, but I've got uniforms and sports kits to buy, so can't afford paid days out all the time.
I also think it's good for kids to be bored. Today we've took the ball down the park and they've collected twigs and tomorrow they are going to make wands using the paints and wool. Probably sounds a bit lame to some but that suits my kids a treat. 🤣

I like the sound of your job OP, I need something where I work from home!

6 children is a lot!

I have two and we both work 4 days a week so our routine for the summer is something like:

2 weeks on holiday
2 weeks holiday clubs (3 days a week)
2 weeks one of us is on leave

On the days we are on leave, we do get out somewhere every day but it's a mix of:

Bigger day trips
Days out to free museums (we are in London so lots of these)
Local free things like events at the library, parks/playgrounds
Local low spend things like soft play or swimming