Does anyone else's mental health nose dive in school hols?

[GauntJudy]

I'm a lone parent to a 10yo. He has about 3 friends that we would arrange meet ups with but they are all away/have plans.

DC doesn't want to do anything. Even popping to tesco results in a moan and asking to stay in the car. I tried just making him come out with me, we walked along beach and I just felt fucking depressed seeing happy families everywhere while my moaning child was 10 steps behind me asking when we could go home.

I've tried leaning into it and taking a book to the garden but feel restless and unhappy, honestly I may as well be at work.

I feel tearful and frustrated. My patience is thin, he's just told me he is bored and I had to leave the room - I've suggested loads of fun activities that have been snubbed and he's bored??

I've got 5 more weeks to fill ffs. I often feel like this over school hols, especially when the weather is lovely and I feel like we're not making the most of it.

Do you have the whole school holiday off work? I would sit down with your DS and a calendar and discuss what you might want to do together?
I get the whole holiday off, and we are not going away on holiday this year, so it felt like a long time to fill.
We have put things in the calendar that don't really need to go in the calendar IYSWIM but give the holidays some structure. We have days for swimming, day trips to London and coastal towns, cinema, a small theme park, skateboarding ramps, bowling, trampoline park etc. I know that the money adds up quickly, and I am taking picnics and snacks so I don't overspend. Then I enjoy the home days too, because they are like rest days between the activities.

I think it starts getting trickier around this age, especially if your mates aren't around. Could you do something together like Pokemon Go or Geocaching? Gives you a reason to go for a walk. A lot of card games and board games work better with 3 or more people but there was one called Garbage someone mentioned on here that works with 2, it's a quickish game but you could have a tournament perhaps if he's up for it. Rules can be googled. Will his friends be around later in the hols? Might get easier then if so.

Same as above, I have to work also. I mark out days and each day has an activity ( out of house) a job ( eg tidy room etc) and also who is responsible for making the evening meal ( divided up between us). My kids like the structure and the choice.

it meant less moaning, chivvying and that not all boring domestic jobs were down to me.

The only way I can get my similar aged kids out of the house is bargaining - if they do a 1 hour trip to the playground they can have 1 hour of screens when they get back. But they have to enjoy the park, no whinging/bickering/saying they are bored etc. its the only thing that has kept me sane.

It’s difficult when no-one’s available. It’s so hard to keep lone boys of 10+ entertained. They don’t want to hang out with their mums anymore. I can only advise booking him into activities in future holidays. If you get him into scouts he’ll get a camping trip to break up the holiday a bit.