Is it ok to have lots of days in the house with kids?

[shoppinisttimeagain]

I know it's a daft question but I feel kinda bad that we haven't really done much over the summer. We haven't had an actual holiday as such but had a few days out. My kids seem happy being in the house and being off school in itself is great (they say)

I just feel so guilty

It’s rained all day every day where we live. We can’t do any outside activities.

I think it depends what they do all day at home. Mine could while away hours watching YouTube shorts. They are definitely not bored, or learning how to manage boredom. The advantage of doing a day trip is that it avoids this - if I tell them that they have to spend some time doing colouring or helping round the house then it’s met with constant moaning and me having to
micromanage them. I still do this, but I can see the appeal of getting out of the house to avoid the excessive screen time. As a child, I hated going on trips out, it was definitely a thing for me. I would have happily pottered in my bedroom for the day or played with friends.

We just head out for a walk in the rain! No one dissolves. I guess it helps to have a dog but we did even before we got a dog.

I read a study the other day that concluded that children who were allowed to get "bored" on occasion tended to be the most creative and imaginative. So I think a few days at home can be good for children, sometimes filling their day everyday just leads to a child that needs constant stimulation. It's important that children learn how to relax and also curb their own boredom (as long as it isn't in screen time).

That's the issue I think though, a lot of children just staying at home are just on screens

I work full time. It's been pissing with rain since the end of June. My pair are in their beds until lunchtime.

When they wake they move digs either to the couch (if it's raining) or maybe go out to mooch round shops with friends if it's dry.

They've been to the pictures, swimming a couple of times but not much else. There's very little for them to do as the bus service is almost non existent and there's nothing in the village to occupy them.

The youngest has clubs 4 nights of the week, so she's getting more than enough exercise, the older one blares techno full blast and dances in her nightie in the kitchen in my absence so I expect she's getting in some form of activity...

#shittestsummerever #makingmemories #workingparentguilt

Experience has taught me you can spend £hundreds on exciting days out in the holidays, but the days they remember and will talk and laugh about for years to come is the day everyone stayed in, ate snacks, watched TV and someone said something stupid / farted and it sounded like a cat / did a funny dance, etc...

The last few summers we've been out constantly at parks, kayaking, forest walks, farm days etc.

This year my mum died at the start of the summer holidays and it's been pissing down most days so unfortunately it's YouTube and crisp days most days here. DC seem to be perfectly happy with their YouTube and crisps. Maybe we'll bake a cake later so I can say we did something worthy.

Netflix & crisps here today - and tomorrow! We did the same Thurs-Sun last week too. Couldn't give fewer fucks what anybody's opinion of that is. We were on holiday for a week prior to last week, we've had a SEN craft outreach day (for DS)/ shopping & lunch reward for school report day (for DD) yesterday. Thursday we're going to London. Friday, crisps & netflix/gaming, then away again from the weekend.

We all need downtime and life is so bloody expensive right now. Kids actually love days doing nothing, where adults leave them alone, IME.

Ours are at nursery (youngest) and holiday camps (oldest), I think they could do with more of this.

I agree it's a balance. We call them 'chill days' in this house and if it's raining outside I think it's fine. I'm the one that gets cabin fever and can't stand being indoors all day.
Screen time isn't rationed in our house but they are encouraged to do other stuff as well which they do - but the playstation and oculus are great at providing entertainment on a miserable rainy day. On a none rainy day at home the eldest is always playing out on his bike and the youngest has friends round and they play out on the trampoline or whatever so I don't mind them being inside all day when the weather's crap. Indoor activities tend to cost a fortune.

You will get a mix of replies on here. Personally I think mine need an outing every day otherwise they get bored. I don't mean 'day out' but just a dog walk, nip to shop or something like that.

We're lucky as we're both teachers so can take them out & about. Equally it gets expensive when we're all on a break. So we do have days when there's not a huge amount going on.

I don't find that mine entertain themselves like I did back in the 80s. I used to play out a lot or read or do colouring. I don't think a whole day watching YouTube or playing Xbox is comparable. We also didn't have snacks on hand. I was really skinny. You don't see many skinny kids like you did in the 70s & 80s due to more time in bedrooms & snacks & take out food being available. I mean who ever had a pizza delivered back in the 80s?

I think a few slow days home is nice but I think they need something to do other than going online. Board games, baking, craft etc are better than YouTube or TikTok.

Absolutely fine to stay at home. I'm a single parent and teacher. My son is loving being at home. The last few weeks of term he was begging me for 'stay at home days' (his phrase). Since term needed we've had one day at the beach and then went out for lunch yesterday but have pretty much been at home otherwise although I did have a sickness bug last week so we couldn't go out. I have two big days out planned for the whole hols and we will do a few smaller more local trips to parks, beaches etc. If they are happy and getting exercise still then I would say carry on. Enjoy your summer

Kids in 70s had that. It's fine. We all grew up normal. No one had holidays or days out or activities or space camp. We were all poor.

Mine are quite happy to have days at home on a regular basis - they spend a lot of the summer holidays in clubs because DH and I both work full time so they do appreciate the down time. Although they can spend too long On screens occasionally they also read, play board games together, do puzzles, draw - it’s nice seeing what creative things they get up to when just given a free rein - last week they taped loads of paper together to draw a 10ft dragon.

Why would you fee guilty about the latter either, unless it's literally everyday? Some of the best days I had was playing video games with my friends, and older siblings for hours. Still did other stuff too!

Not to mention, shit weather. Nothing wrong with staying in when it's showering down.

I guess you aren't in the several areas of the North of England where it hasn't been just a little rain but torrential day in, day out?

@YouveGotAFastCar you don’t know anyone who has days where they just let the kids chill out and do whatever at home?

And you never had a day as a child when nobody entertained you/did an activity or took you out somewhere?!

@shoppinisttimeagain we haven’t been out yet this week- he had 3 friends over all day on Monday, my sister came yesterday and we played games and they made up a play for me (sister is 36 😁) and today we have done nothing- he has played on his switch and I’ve watched tv.

I think it's about balance. We had a 11 day activity based holiday at the start of the summer holidays and then chilled at home for 4 days when we got back. It was pouring and the kids were shattered.We have since been fruit picking, to parks, swimming, the cinema etc but i don't allow my kids to sit for hours on technology or watching TV. They have a time limit set daily then have to do other things so often colour, draw, play together, go out to play games in our street, build Lego, play with play dough etc.

We just have raincoats and wellies and go out anyway

Unfortunately it does matter if kids spend many days in front of a screen eating junk. It’s the number 1 cause of obesity and does not allow them to develop creativity, communication skills, empathy and also get bored.
not doing activities out everyday is ok, stay at home is ok although a few hours of movement, a walk, a bike ride, a run in the park would be preferable, but staying at home should not be spent in front of a screen all the time, they can do loads of activities at home, depending on those age (colouring, reading, playing cards, cooking..)

millenials ago and up till 40-50 year ago kids were very active. Majority lived in the countryside playing outside all day, the ones in the city would be playing in the streets all day. unfortunately few were going to school and started to work very young. Old days were worst gif kids, but they kids would always be out and about. The problem with the last 40-50 years is lot of kids spend too much time sat in front of screens, which is why obesity in children is on the rise with terrible health effects in adulthood, kids have less imagination and experience more difficulties in socialising. It does not need to be organised activities but kids time in front of a screen should be limited and they can do other things at home, even getting bored, and preferably outside where they can move, run, walk, ride a bike, skate, loads of not expensive activities

Just be thankful not camping.. With 60 mph winds on south coast and wash outs.

Nooooo don’t tell me this- I’m in denial and firmly believe I will not be stuck in a caravan with wife, children, children’s friends and children’s father, and my siblings and nephews and nieces.

It’s going to be brilliant sunshine every day and everyone will go to the beach. Please God.