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Original poster

Does this sound like a decent Easter hols? What have you been up to?

29 replies

Thingsarebecomingstrange · 05/04/2024 08:50

Feeling a bit guilty because I never know what to do these days with my 8yo. Lots of friends and family seem to have gone away but it's so expensive. We tend to try to save for a really nice Summer holiday and do the same old stuff the rest of the time. Even a day out you can spend a fortune to spend the day queuing. Seeing lots of photos of peoples adventures and feeling like a boring mum.

This holiday we've done swimming, a long family bike ride, play date at the trampoline park, went out for pizza and mini golf, baked Easter cakes, an afternoon at grannies playing board games. Ds has spent loads of time outside with dh helping with jobs which seems to be where he's happiest and playing football.

OP posts:
TipsyKoala · 05/04/2024 08:57

Sounds like you’ve had a great Easter! Spending lots of money doesn’t always equal a better time. In fact I’d say the opposite. If you’ve spent a lot on a day out there’s a lot of pressure for everyone to have a great time, which often leads to it not living up to expectations.

elQuintoConyo · 05/04/2024 09:02

You've had a better break than us. We only get a week, but we've gone fuck all. Walked the dog, caught up with family, been for a pizza. DS met up with friends a couple of times, but it's mostly been Roblox! DH was working, I'm off sick. It was actually nice to just switch off and chill, mooch about.
Also we have 12 week summer holidays to fill! So all our holiday and day trip money goes towards fighting potential summer boredom.

Tatlockisthere · 05/04/2024 09:02

Sounds lovely to me.

My ds is 10.

We went on a uk glamping break for 5 days- visited 2 castles, one stately home, one art gallery and had cake in cafes. Then just hung around where we were staying on screens/board games/reading- that was last week. It rained all week except for 1 day.

This week,

an elderly relative over for dinner- played a board game,

a day at a museum in the morning and soft play in the afternoon (with his cousins too)

an afternoon swimming (local place, not a water park) with cousins and them sleeping over here

supermarket one day

walk to visit a great aunty one day

Next week…

two sets of great aunts/uncles coming over on two different days- one set will play games, one set will ignore him mostly.

Probably go to a park with the same cousins again

Other than that he is on his screens or drawing or whatever he wants.

(his cousins feature a lot because he is disabled and they are his ‘safe’ playmates)

Skethylita · 05/04/2024 09:03

Are the kids happy? That's all that counts.

No one needs a string of big days out.

For what it's worth, my youngest had sport mornings for 4 days, we went to a roller skating place, to a local museum and now their dad has them.

Don't work yourself up over what other people may or may not be getting up to. Your kids will just appreciate some time spent with you, and what you did sounds just like normal but pleasant family time.

LBOCS2 · 05/04/2024 09:04

We've been having the garden done so we've done nothing and now the DC are unwell with colds.

Yours sounds much better!

Riverlee · 05/04/2024 09:05

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Your holiday sounds great, and must people I know stay at home at Easter (apart from visitation g grandparents etc).

When he looks back at his childhood, the things he’ll remember and value most will be those days helping dad, long bike rides, etc

NCFTS · 05/04/2024 09:06

You’ve had a far better Easter break than us! What other people do doesn’t matter. I used to think we needed to do lots of things until I realised my DC actually like staying at home.
You make better strong memories doing a few things than you do if you try and cram 100s of things in. 100s of things becomes blurred memories, a few nice things are remembered.

Tatlockisthere · 05/04/2024 09:06

TipsyKoala · 05/04/2024 08:57

Sounds like you’ve had a great Easter! Spending lots of money doesn’t always equal a better time. In fact I’d say the opposite. If you’ve spent a lot on a day out there’s a lot of pressure for everyone to have a great time, which often leads to it not living up to expectations.

Definitely!

We had one expensive/long day out but it turned into that from being a little trip to a free museum- all the kids were so happy and chill that we went on for lunch then soft play at a nice place- whenever I plan a big day at a ‘thing’ someone always throws a wobbler or vomits or batters their sibling and I end up thinking I should have stayed in bed!

Chunkycookie · 05/04/2024 09:07

We went to a a couple of national trust places for the Easter games (we have passes), they’ve been to the park with friends twice, had a friend over a couple of times and that’s it (just turned 10 and 4). 10 year old has been working on a science fair project and we’ve just brought home a puppy so that’s been fun.

We don’t tend to do much in the holidays, never have done. We don’t have the money to drop £100 for a day out.

You don’t have to be out and about ever day. My children have always just liked hanging out at home.

Chunkycookie · 05/04/2024 09:08

I know people who plan things everyday, spend a fortune going to places. My ten year old especially just likes to chill at home. She needs the downtime from school.

FragileWookiee · 05/04/2024 09:09

We haven't done much either (much to my fils annoyance who thinks they should be out everyday and makes a point of how sad it is the kids have done "nothing")
We went to the caravan for 4 days out of the two weeks. Then other days have been, gardening, supermarket visit, round to Nans and a visit to friends. The rest they've just been chilling doing their own things. Lazy mornings not rushing about.
I think less is more sometimes and if we were busy everyday they wouldn't of had a "break"
They are now refreshed and recharged ready to go back to school on Monday.

MuggleMe · 05/04/2024 09:17

Apart from visiting grandparents over Easter weekend, we've gone to the garden centre and bought a couple of fish, gone shoe shopping, gone to the park, made crafts, having a playdate today and swimming on Saturday. All very low key.

Librarybooker · 05/04/2024 09:26

When our DC was this sort of age we would be at work for a few days whilst he went to a holiday club. Then 2 days of seeing my parents and a brief hols in the Lake District with us and the MIL

Sagittarius · 05/04/2024 09:26

It sound like you have had a good mix of down time, and some activities and days out in between, sounds good to me, please don't feel guilty.

Social media can be terrible for this, and sometimes it makes us think our own lives and what we do are inadequate, but always remember that what someone posts is just a snapshot of time. It may look like a the best day out from a couple of photos, but behind the scenes it could have been a whole lot of stress.

Chunkycookie · 05/04/2024 09:54

FragileWookiee · 05/04/2024 09:09

We haven't done much either (much to my fils annoyance who thinks they should be out everyday and makes a point of how sad it is the kids have done "nothing")
We went to the caravan for 4 days out of the two weeks. Then other days have been, gardening, supermarket visit, round to Nans and a visit to friends. The rest they've just been chilling doing their own things. Lazy mornings not rushing about.
I think less is more sometimes and if we were busy everyday they wouldn't of had a "break"
They are now refreshed and recharged ready to go back to school on Monday.

My PIL are the same. I used to have a shared apple photo album with them where I would share photos of the kids, but I had to stop as under every single photos them at home they would comment underneath things like, “they look so pale with no fresh air” or, “everyone looks so bored and sad at home all the time” (under a photo of a beaming toddler playing with duplo).

When I did post photos of them out it would be, “how did they take being out, they must have been so nervous leaving the house, bless them SAD FACE.”

Every single photo.

It drove me insane, dh wouldn’t tell them to stop, so now, album deleted and they don’t get to share in the lovely photos.

Tatlockisthere · 05/04/2024 10:12

Chunkycookie · 05/04/2024 09:54

My PIL are the same. I used to have a shared apple photo album with them where I would share photos of the kids, but I had to stop as under every single photos them at home they would comment underneath things like, “they look so pale with no fresh air” or, “everyone looks so bored and sad at home all the time” (under a photo of a beaming toddler playing with duplo).

When I did post photos of them out it would be, “how did they take being out, they must have been so nervous leaving the house, bless them SAD FACE.”

Every single photo.

It drove me insane, dh wouldn’t tell them to stop, so now, album deleted and they don’t get to share in the lovely photos.

Show quote history

That’s utterly absurd! What weirdos.

NineToFiveish · 05/04/2024 10:30

I was made redundant in Feb and thankfully have a new job starting later this month, but payday won't be til May, so we are keeping a tight hold on the purse strings this Easter. It's not been an issue, tbh. I'd like to take them to a few attractions that I can't afford at the moment, but they aren't bothered. They are happy with walks and picnics when the weather permits, and also happy to not be so busy all the time. My 7yo has started reading more independently too, which has been lovely to see happening. I don't think it's necessarily a good thing to over-schedule a child during school holidays anyway, so I'm not fretting over not having extra cash to go and do things during this break. It is what it is.

Baneofmyexistence · 05/04/2024 11:23

We haven’t done much. Everyone does seem to be away but we have a holiday booked in June and can only do one a year! We did a run of nice things over the Easter weekend but now the kids are bored, the weather is crap and we’ve run out of money and ideas! 😂 They are back at school till 15th either so another full week.

Jokl · 05/04/2024 14:54

Sounds lovely, don’t doubt yourself. We had a good few days then I busted my ankle, so… yeah.

Natsku · 05/04/2024 15:04

Sounds like plenty! You don't need to be doing things all the time during the holidays, children need down time and they need to make their own entertainment and its sounds like your DS has got that down, so that's brilliant.

We only get a long weekend for Easter, and I was ill and slept through pretty much all of it. OH and the children visited MIL on one day for a couple of hours and did easter egg hunts at home. That was enough for them.

Colinfromaccounts24 · 05/04/2024 15:08

Sounds like a great holiday! We are only on the first week but not going away either. We have done a day out at an open air museum - Easter crafts, trail etc., 3 day intense ice skating course and DD has been in a dance festival. Today she’s exhausted so chilling at home. Tomorrow we have a friend of hers for a sleepover, next week she is going to stay with my parents as we are both at work (I’ve had this week off). Normally she’d be in a club but seemed keen to go this year. They live just the coast so should be fun for her I hope.

Original poster
Thingsarebecomingstrange · 05/04/2024 15:26

Thanks for the normality check.

It has been a lovely mix of chilling out but still going out doing a few things. It's easy to imagine that everyone else is off having amazing exciting adventures every day.

OP posts:
Original poster
Thingsarebecomingstrange · 05/04/2024 15:30

@Chunkycookie that's batshit. Some of my family are like this, not happy if they're not either away or out all day long. Makes me feel like I should be doing more .

Going to remember that it's fine to have a rest and potter at home/locally.

We usually go away twice in the Sumner holidays

OP posts:
Mmarfa · 07/04/2024 20:10

I just came to say I love this. Look at what your kids love - they just want your time and attention.

Whenever I ask my 5yo what she's liked most about a holiday away it'll be "on the bus to the zoo when we played I-Spy and drew pictures" it's never the actual day out! It's always the filler activity during the travel where we have to interact and keep the kids entertained so play a game or something. You're doing the best things, keep it up mum and dad x

Fundays12 · 07/04/2024 20:20

I have 3 dcs ages 12,7 and 4. We have been to a couple of historic houses full day out Easter egg hunts, swimming a couple of times, park trip, soft play and a theater show. This week DH is of we are taking the kids swimming, one of them has a Nerf club 2 mornings, a day trip to the wildlife park, an open outdoor museum which they love, soft play for the younger ones and maybe the trampoline park. There was a couple of really wet days last week so they played Lego, did crafts and coloured plus had family film.