School Holidays - how have yours been?

[YouG0GlenCoco]

What have you been up to with your dc over the summer holidays? I had lots of ideas for days out but somehow the summer seems to have flown by and I feel like we've done very little. I think I'm being guilt tripped by that meme that sometimes goes around about only having 18 summers with your children 😭🙄

We had a week's holiday (UK) trip to an inflatables park, Ninja Warrior, local park, having friends over and sleepovers. But in between there's been lots of days at home and probably a bit too much time watching tv or playing roblox... 😬

First week lots of local stuff
A few days of not much
Friends and jobs
2 week holiday of a lifetime
Rest of holiday uniform, jobs, friends, reset routines

It was actually our best yet. Lots of staying home and playing out,interspersed with family visits. A couple of short, short haul weekends away too. I normally over schedule
so I'm happy that I've taken it at an easier pace this time.

I had loads of plans but it's all gone really quickly and we didn't do as much as I thought. We were on holiday the first week and apart from going to the national space centre we've just had days in the garden or at home and a few trips to parks, lunch out, shopping etc. I think a mix is best anyway and we all benefit from a bit of downtime or just going with the flow

What kids want to do is warch tv and play roblox

Try and not get too guilt tripped about what the internet tells you you should be doing

Your kids have had a holiday sounds like you have been around to accommodate days out, friends over and you have been away. That's more than a lot if it's comparison.

We went on for us a holiday of a lifetime, not one picture was posted on SM, so did it really happen?, not sure who really knows about it. We don't want to make people feel envious, which they might not, or guilty they might not be able to do the same.

This is what SM does. Makes you feel inadequate when you are not you really aren't.

Ours was pretty good, its the second Monday back at school for us so we’re getting back into our usual routine.

We had lots of visits to the park and the beach, a trip to the UK and one to Spain.

I hate to break it to you but you get less than 18 summers with them!

Our youngest is 16 and we’ve not seen a great deal of him since his exams finished at the end of June!

Between going away to friends caravans in West Wales a couple of times (they get the train down), going to a festival, away with Army cadets, working for grandparents and local friends and then days at the beach when the weather allows he’s certainly not needed very much input from us! I had to book him in to go and get his sixth form uniform sorted!

When they were younger I used to ask them at the start of the holidays for 3 or 4 things that they really wanted to do and make sure we managed those, but otherwise just having a relaxed few weeks is priceless

Well we HE.. so now we can start going out and about more.
Swimming ...to the parks etc.. so it won't be busy.. we sort of do the opposite.
But when mine were little.. we didn't get fined for taking them on holiday.. so we went in term time.
I loved having them at home and doing just about everything we could manage in the holidays.
So glad my Grandkids were/ are HE... get to see them more.
The eldest is at UNI now but lives at home.. 16 year old starting college in two weeks.
Off to our Villla in the Canaries now the holidays are over

We've had a few days out, play dates with friends and days at home.
I love the school holidays and always feel a bit sad when the summer holidays end. DD who's 9 is very much looking forward to going back to school and seeing her friends

I think we over scheduled a bit this year:

A week away at the start of the holidays, another this week. I took the kids to my family for a few days and DH did the same with his. 2 weeks in holiday club.

Only left maybe 4 days to be at home and we did a couple of days out.. the kids are complaining they didn't get a chance to have any playdates 😅

Next year will try and keep a few days for being around locally and set up more time with their friends

Far too short.
I'm not ready for summer to end.

Haha I feel like I’m getting waaay more than 18 summers with mine 😂
Ours have been really good, 2 weeks holiday at the beginning, I’ve been working but taken a few days here and there as has dh. The rest of the time the eldest has done nice things with the youngest and when then youngest hasn’t been out doing something else they’ve both planned and cooked nice lunches we can all share during my break.
I need to find out when he goes back to school actually!

We've had an abroad holiday and dc have also been away with other family for a week. A couple of days out but with work and other commitments there hasn't been much else. Eldest has spent a lot of time in his room reading or gaming.
I get all the guilt when it comes to summer and feeling like we haven't done enough.

Some of my best summer holiday memories as a child are those long meandering days at home and/or in the local park, hanging out, lazing around, watching movies, not doing much at all. Such a nice contrast to the busy school term . Go easy on yourself OP, sounds like your kids have had a lovely summer.

Holiday to Greece, London museums/galleries days out, 3 day trip to Whitstable, play dates with friends, time with grandparents, time with me, holiday camp for 3 weeks, lots of wasted time on screens. Looking forward to drop kicking the little darling through the school gates. Only another 8 days…

Pretty hit and miss.

Started with 3 out of 5 of us having Norovirus.

10 days away on SE coast (decent weather we were lucky)

I worked a week, kids went to a local adventure playground / playscheme which they all enjoyed.

2 weeks off work and DC3 had swimming lessons for 13 days out of 15 - an intensive course plus her usual lessons. No big ticket days out but we have loads locally so we did parks / canal walks / splash park / nature reserve / woods. Plus older DC went for a 3 day sleep over at cousins and we repaid the favour. Had a few play dates at local parks with friends.

Had a family picnic one day with my side, a lovely gathering at inlaws another day.

Lots of crafting, baking (and a fair bit of gaming for older 2 !) But also summer school work thrown in.

I'm back at work tomorrow and DC1 starts secondary on Thursday (Y7 go in a week early) but we've ended the holidays with another sickness bug. Its hit the child who missed Noro in July!!!

DC2 and DC3 due to go to grandparents for a few days this week so I can work and sort out DC1. Hoping the bug clears / hasn't spread.

I've really enjoyed the holidays, but ds is 15 now and very independent. We had first two weeks in Greece, a weekend in London, and a weekend in Devon. He's very into fitness so he's been going to the gym, doing long cycle rides, and playing lots of football. He arranges his own meet ups with friends and gets himself there.

It's been really chilled and relaxing. We are both sad it's ending.

Ours sounds simular to yours OP. You don't have to be doing loads and the costs mount up if you do too. We had a week away in the UK, which included a trip to the Zoo and Crazy golf place. We took dd to the theatre last week, while ds did cinema/sleepover with friends (teenage boys think the theatre's not cool lol). Tomorrow will go shopping for last minute bits and hair cuts before school starts.

dd's been out playing with her friends loads though and spent a couple of days at different friends houses too. That's what holidays were about when I was growing up. Not loads of big fancy days out. I enjoy the chilled out vibe when I'm off work. At 14 and 10 it feels more relaxed than when they were little and felt they needed loads of entertaining.

Dts are 13 now so our holiday routines have definitely changed. Couple of weeks abroad, a weekend on the south coast, lots of sleepovers. Kids have been pretty feral at the stables the rest of the time.

It’s been wonderful, I’m a teacher and so sad about having to go back to work tomorrow! My DD is 18 so I haven’t spent much time with her, she’s been working full time and her days off have been spent at concerts and festivals with friends. I have had 2 weekends away with friends by the seaside, lots of barbecues, pub gardens, meals out and evenings with my new partner. I wish it didn’t have to end!

It's been nice but we could've done more too. One weeks holiday abroad, visit to grandparents then it's mostly been just plodding along with a few walks here and there, a cinema trip, some movie and takeaway nights.
But I have teens so they've been hanging out with friends too.
Now I want cleaning and homework done so there'll be whip cracking.

A mixture of going away, days at home doing not very much and a few days out.

i’ve been off work for 3 weeks which has been absolute bliss. I’m going back on Wednesday and not looking forward to it!

DD has picked up a sore throat bug and so today and tomorrow will most probably be spent at home mainly on screens to be honest with some getting organised for me going back to work. DD has another week before going back so she will have a mixture of being looked after by friends/family and am hoping to WFH a couple of days next week.

I think overall it has been a good break for both of us (I am a lone parent). I always get to the end of the Summer break and wish that we’d done more of something or the other but then I remember how crazy the school/work juggle is and remember that rest and just pottering about doing what we like is really good for us too!!

OP I feel like I could have written your post! This summer really seems to have flown and I've felt guilty that I have all these plans at the start that don't quite come to fruition. I've also been working for a lot of it so DD has been in holiday club if I'm on site or watching too much YouTube when I've wfh. Otherwise:

• She had a weeks holiday to see her Dad (lives abroad)
• Cinema twice
• Bowling
• Shopping/mooch in town, including overpriced bungee jump/zorbing rides
• Playdates/sleepover with friends
• Visit to indoor inflatable place
• Visits to uncles/grandparents
• Dog sitting for a family member
• Trips to local parks
• A birthday party
• Regular weekly swimming lesson

This final week we're having some chill out days (well, for DD. I will be cleaning, ironing uniform etc!) We've a day out with some of DD's friends planned and one of my old friends is visiting at the weekend so we'll probably do a lunch out with them. Still got haircut and school shoe shopping to do as well.

Ours was a mix of days doing absolutely nothing to really expensive days out, 4 trips to the seaside, trip to Thorpe park & chessington, thinking I might get a Merlin pass for next year as my kids really into rollercoasters.
Cinema, lots of eating out, few trips to London (only a 20 minute journey from us), a sleepover, and loads of screen time 🙄

2 weeks in Greece 🏖️ , 1 week in Germany 🇩🇪 with my parents, a weekend in Paris to watch the Olympics 🇫🇷, 1 week camping in Stoneleigh as my daughter was competing at the showjumping National Championships (that week was awful 😣), the rest of the holidays she was riding horses 🐎 and playing tennis 🎾 not doing anything special.

The one thing l have realised is that my dd prefers the less structured stuff like sleepovers and friends over for an impromptu lunch or dinner so don't feel bad op