Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

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

74 replies

PopsicleHustler · 26/07/2023 14:09

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?!??!?

OP posts:

AsterixAndPersimmon · 26/07/2023 16:56

It’s a while ago fir me now but I would have been out everyday. It’s just that those activities were often free (eg a museum not far from me). We took packed lunches instead of buying things there etc…
In the same line, we had a NT pass for the year and one garden/park with a similar yearly entrance. So this was used for hols but also weekends outings during the year. Overall quite cheap.

What we didn’t do much was stuff to pay for like soft play and the like.

re being too tiring.
My own experience was that staying at home was more tiring! Two children that really needed to let out steam by running around etc… and have always done so (incl as toddlers)

Andanotherone01 · 26/07/2023 16:57

The answer to your question is ‘you have 6 kids’

TheYearOfSmallThings · 26/07/2023 17:00

It comes down to different numbers of children and of course "part time" covers everything from 4 days a week in the office working non-stop to "I sell a small amount on eBay and I'd rather say I work part time than that I'm a SAHM". The latter type will have more time for daily outings.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families

MaxwellCat · 26/07/2023 17:08

Well of course the answer is you have 6 kids. My mum had 6 and rarely took us anywhere. The summer holidays was spent playing out on the estate.

eldorado02 · 26/07/2023 17:23

We have one child and a very comfortable six figure household income, so when we take time off work (2 out of six weeks), we can afford to spend money on days out or other paid for activities. The time we don’t take off, our child is in holiday club as neither of us can work from home with a child around (it’s literally in our contracts) and I prefer going into the office anyway. We are lucky that holiday club at school is only £30 a day, runs 08:30 to 17:30, and lots of their friends attend so it’s like a non-stop play date - winner! I feel like we have a nice balance for the holidays.

ElfDragon · 26/07/2023 17:26

We go out every day. I have 3 dc, all with ASD.

Eldest (now an adult!) has to get out everyday somewhere. The park, NT and English heritage places, the library, going to a nearby town for eg an Art trail. Then bigger days out scattered throughout the holidays - this year we’ve already been to Legoland (dc birthday outing), and will be going to Chessington next week (another birthday outing). 2 theatre trips planned, plus days out at 2 attractions that have ‘pay once visit all year tickets’ which we visited least summer and Easter this year - essentially free as already paid for. That’s the big days out done, plus lots of smaller visits as mentioned before. Plus a holiday in the middle of it all, and then still have to fit in the usual school uniform/shoes/supplies shopping trips.

staying in doesn’t suit us as a family. We’re not out all day every day, and I plan the holidays so that we don’t have back to back big days out. There’s still p,entry of time to chill, watch films, mooch about, etc as well.

Yourjustlikeapill · 26/07/2023 17:36

We're out every day for three whole weeks. Lots of places put on (cheap) activities. We're also doing play dates/Swimming/cinema & National Trust.
Then we're at home for a week doing house work etc and then going away for two weeks.

Yourjustlikeapill · 26/07/2023 17:37

FWIW,

I don't particularly enjoy it but my children do.

strongcupofTea · 26/07/2023 17:40

They probably don't have 6 kids OP or work from home.
I have 3 and we go out most days but only a paid for place once a week. The rest of time it's out exploring with the dogs, or visiting family, going shopping etc.

DiaNaranja · 26/07/2023 17:42

We try to have a few trips planned each week, but very weather dependant. Also take a couple of weeks off to go away. DH works most of the week, my parents help out with childcare once a week, as I'm also working, but reduce my hours for the summer holidays, so only need them to cover the one day, and they usually have something "big" planned to do with them. I only have two kids though, couldn't imagine being able to afford more than one day out a week if we had 6! Sounds like you're doing as much as you can, and kids enjoy the simple days at home as much as the exciting days out.

BertieBotts · 26/07/2023 17:52

And yes, I only have two little ones plus a teenager. Teenager doesn't need entertaining, though is welcome to join us, he goes out with his friends mostly and to the gym.

Caffeineislife · 26/07/2023 18:01

We go out most days of the holiday. Almost all of these outings are low cost/free. We are NT members so always plan a few NT days, local museum (free amd have free activities and cheap trail), library (usually has a free or low cost activity on most days in the holiday), free panto in the park, park ( visit different ones around us for noveltyas well as local one), splash park (there is one in town and another4 within 30 mis drive all free so we will rotate around those), Playdates with friends, local country park (free parking and entry), local theme park that we have annual pass for, aquarium (ticket valid all year once bought - I always save these), another museum with buy once - valid all year ticket. Ur local soft play have done a play all holiday for a set price and i managed to get an early bird deal by following their SM page. I've also made the most of the lottery ticket days out offer and encouraged a few friends to sign up to the free NT day out scheme with a large newspaper. We always take a picnic and drinks or visit after meal times to reduce costs.

We will probably have a couple of big days out to the farm/ zoo and maybe a theme park.

I spent a few hours before the children broke up researching everything that is on around us and searching for early bird/ cheap deals.

DaisyThistle · 26/07/2023 18:19

I've just remembered i used to volunteer at a local outdoor pool. dc still had to pay entrance but it guarantee them a place in an oversubscribed local amenity. We spent long summer days there right through their childhood. Happy times.

harana · 26/07/2023 18:26

I have 2 dc and I take them out every day (and on Saturdays and Sundays during term too). My eldest is doing some camps this summer (I work flexible hours so not needed for childcare, but she wants to do the activities). Sometimes our days out cost a lot (theme parks, theatre shows etc) and sometimes we spend nothing at all. We have a high income so having an expensive day out doesn't bother us, plus one of us is a carer and gets in free, and the youngest dc gets in free to most places due to age.

We're in London and have zoo membership and live 10 mins away, so that's an easy day out if we can't be bothered to plan anything bigger - we take a picnic and spend nothing, or maybe buy one ice cream. And we do a rotation of the big parks with their playgrounds around London during the summer - DCs are at an age where that's a fab day out and we bring a picnic and don't spend anything. On wet weather days there are loads of free museums and interesting activities in the galleries. We don't do much NT stuff as they are a pain to get to without a car. I get free TfL transport and my DCs travel for free so we just use public transport and take the train for days out of London (when there isn't a rail strike). But we also like to visit theme parks and other attractions, go to see theatre shows and have seaside days out so more expensive days like that are scattered into the schedule too.

Lemonademoney · 26/07/2023 18:30

I have 3 and we go out most days. Lots of free activities like libraries and museums and park trips. Mine love a bike ride and I take snacks or picnics almost everywhere with us. Once a week we plan a paid day out such as cinema or local theatre. I love the summer, it’s tiring but I feel very lucky to be able to spend this time with them

Gymmum82 · 26/07/2023 18:30

We go out every day. But to free things. NT as we have membership. The park. Bike rides and picnics with friends. I can’t stand staying in the house. We might do one or 2 paid things across the holidays but couldn’t afford to do that every day

BingandSulaandFlop · 26/07/2023 18:33

Same as most people, I do a mix (although my children aren't school age yet). We have an annual pass to the zoo so go there most weeks. Totally worth it if you have one locally.

Yesterday was a paid activity to the local maize maze. I imagine it would add up with 6 children though!

This morning we took his bike to the park, then went to the supermarket to buy one of those cupcake kits. Then hope for lunch, followed by baking said cupcakes and building a blanket fort. Feels like every toy we have is on the floor.

UnfunnyJester · 26/07/2023 18:36

Mine are older now but I took them out almost every day.
Most days it was to a park. Feeding the ducks, having a play, running in the rain, walking through woods, throwing stones into a stream, building a twig and leaf house for a fox, eating a picnic, playing with a ball, going to a beach were all activities that we did over and over.

When it rained, it was going to the library, going to the shopping mall and buying something from the works or a pound shop, going to a museum, going to a kids morning cinema, going to grandmas.

Mostly free or very low cost.

Dillydollydingdong · 26/07/2023 18:39

When my kids were young, many moons ago, we just used to open the door and say "off you go and find someone to play with". I remember my 3 year old toddling off..

Greenmoons · 26/07/2023 18:42

We tend to go out every day because our house isn’t massive and it’s good to break up the day. But that might be just the park, beach, library, woods, all of which are within a 10 minute walk from our house and are free! There’s also a cheap (subsidized!) cafe we go to a lot where I can get the kids a drink and some cake for £1. Big days out to farms etc no, maybe we’ll do one or two over the holidays. We do also have a national trust membership though so will do that, and we get free swimming and soft play with gym membership. We’re also going on holiday and I work part time so two days a week they’re with grandparents.

Dukeydo · 26/07/2023 18:47

We plan the week in advance when we have looked at the weather. Eg one is away on camp.
next week for example, we are looking after someone else’s Guinea pigs Saturday - Thursday. We will plan tennis, swimming, craft afternoon, board games, housework, reading, a pond dipping afternoon etc pond- all of these are free really. We swim in the sea, pond dipping is free (local), arts and crafts stuff - they can help themselves. They will make bread, pizza and garden, paint etc . Play dates and walks to the park and pamper after noon etc

Dukeydo · 26/07/2023 18:48

Also NT membership is fab - we visit both the NT near us twice a week in the holiday

Dukeydo · 26/07/2023 18:49

Local museums often have events as well, and I keep an eye on local parent groups to catch up anything that is looking good / cheap

1400spincycle · 26/07/2023 18:51

2 DCs here and whilst we do go out everyday its a real mix - yesterday was a trip to London (local for us) and museums. We had a travelcard and so spent a fair bit of the day exploring on the tube/train/bus/DLR - we then had a packed lunch total spend under £20 but today was a playdate and tomorrow it will be the library and a bike ride. We might go to Chessington or similar once in the holidays but its not a regular thing. It really helps that I work term time only - that and only have 2 DCs.. It really adds up quickly for more. The mind boggles about taking 6!

Flip

1 2 3