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Original poster

Do you plan weekends or keep them flexible

16 replies

Hyobywater · 19/12/2025 02:04

I go back and forth between planning weekends in advance and just seeing how we feel on the day sometimes planning helps things run smoothly and other times it feels like pressure so I was curious what others prefer and why

OP posts:
JustMe2026 · 19/12/2025 02:07

Usually decide on the day, we are a big family and will just judge once everyone is up and about what we might or might not do that day 😊

bleakmidwintering · 19/12/2025 02:18

Obviously weekends differ. If you want a trip to London I presume you don’t just get up on Saturday morning and decide. Usually weekends where I’m catching up with friends I will have made those plans the week before. If I’m planning to visit my daughter at uni I will plan those trips ahead. If we are spending the weekend decorating well that also takes planning and we will discuss it before the weekend arrives. Apart from random supermarket trips there’s not a great deal we don’t plan in some way tbh.

thetruthshallsetyoufreebutfirstitwillpissyouoff · 19/12/2025 08:12

Surely it just depends? As PP said - if we're seeing friends/family that tends to have been planned ahead - sometimes a few days, sometimes weeks. I'm going to a show with my mum in January that we booked in September as otherwise we wouldn't be able to get tickets, but this Saturday we don't have any plans so will just see what we feel like on the day. Isn't that just normal?

Purlant · 19/12/2025 08:14

We do both. There are somethings we want to do that can’t be booked on the day.

vanillalattes · 19/12/2025 08:15

A mixture of both but mostly we keep them flexible unless there’s something happening that needs to be firmly booked in.

ResusciAnnie · 19/12/2025 08:16

I like leaving it to see what happens but there’s so much to get done we usually end up with an afternoon unplanned and the rest scheduled. I work half a day on Saturdays and one child has a piano lesson Sunday morning but that’s it, zero clubs at the moment. But we end up scheduling at least one play date usually otherwise they wouldn’t see their out of school friends; there’s always someone who needs something bought for them; there’s always someone whose asking to make donuts or do some collage or something; there’s always a tip trip needed etc etc etc!

ThankYouNigel · 19/12/2025 08:16

Bit of both. My preference is one day with more structured plans, eg swimming lessons, social meet up, birthday party, date day, etc, then one day very free.

TartanMammy · 19/12/2025 09:45

Sometimes we have a plan liked a booked activity or a meal out, but that's not too often.

The dc usually have their own stuff on which requires planning around, the eldest plays sport and has a season ticket for local football team, the youngest plays a team sport and sometimes makes plans with friends or has a birthday party. So it doesn't leave much time for other plans. Dp also works some weekends so those ones I don't plan much if I can avoid it.

MumChp · 19/12/2025 10:04

Both.

Tomorrow we have tickets to A Christmas Carol booked 6 months ago.

blankcanvas3 · 19/12/2025 12:18

It depends? If I don’t have tickets for something, or plans to meet up with friends, or a child’s birthday party then I like to keep things free so I can do what I want. But sometimes on weekends I have lots of plans so things have to be structured

Closane · 19/12/2025 21:50

We plan almost every weekend. We're in London and enjoy things like going to theatre and doing activities like workshops, and it would get booked up if we didn't book at least a month ahead (for Christmas events we booked certain shows in July). We have Merlin passes but those need to be pre-booked too. The dcs have 2 weekend activities each so that is part of the weekend planned. They have birthday parties too, usually invited a couple of months before. If we want to go swimming (we go for a family swim a couple of times a month) that needs to be booked as soon as slots are released the week before.

ExquisiteDressing · 19/12/2025 22:05

There are certain fixed things in any given weekend such as DCs sports or part time jobs, then we book things in around those, maybe one weekend a month we won't have anything planned apart from the fixed things. But we do tend to fill the weekends up, we don't spend much time at home.

RecordBreakers · 19/12/2025 22:07

thetruthshallsetyoufreebutfirstitwillpissyouoff · 19/12/2025 08:12

Surely it just depends? As PP said - if we're seeing friends/family that tends to have been planned ahead - sometimes a few days, sometimes weeks. I'm going to a show with my mum in January that we booked in September as otherwise we wouldn't be able to get tickets, but this Saturday we don't have any plans so will just see what we feel like on the day. Isn't that just normal?

This.

Original poster
Hyobywater · 24/12/2025 02:21

bleakmidwintering · 19/12/2025 02:18

Obviously weekends differ. If you want a trip to London I presume you don’t just get up on Saturday morning and decide. Usually weekends where I’m catching up with friends I will have made those plans the week before. If I’m planning to visit my daughter at uni I will plan those trips ahead. If we are spending the weekend decorating well that also takes planning and we will discuss it before the weekend arrives. Apart from random supermarket trips there’s not a great deal we don’t plan in some way tbh.

That makes sense and I’m pretty similar in a lot of ways. Anything involving travel or other people definitely needs planning otherwise it just wouldn’t happen. I think where I go back and forth is more with quieter weekends when nothing big is booked. Sometimes I like having a loose plan so the time doesn’t disappear, but I also like leaving space to just slow down and decide on the day. I guess it depends how busy the week has been beforehand.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hyobywater · 24/12/2025 02:24

Closane · 19/12/2025 21:50

We plan almost every weekend. We're in London and enjoy things like going to theatre and doing activities like workshops, and it would get booked up if we didn't book at least a month ahead (for Christmas events we booked certain shows in July). We have Merlin passes but those need to be pre-booked too. The dcs have 2 weekend activities each so that is part of the weekend planned. They have birthday parties too, usually invited a couple of months before. If we want to go swimming (we go for a family swim a couple of times a month) that needs to be booked as soon as slots are released the week before.

That’s really interesting and it sounds like it has to be that way where you are. Being in London with theatre and workshops I can see how you’d have no choice but to plan ahead or miss out. With kids and activities as well it probably helps weekends feel calmer knowing what’s happening rather than juggling things last minute. I think that kind of planning makes sense when there’s so much to fit in and so many things that need booking in advance.

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Alexadidzammomarryjackie · 24/12/2025 05:31

I have been shredded on MN before for saying I'm very booked up (in the context of can't fit in catch ups with friends for ages). However, there are only 8/10 days off a month and by the time I've factored in parents/DD/house stuff/events plus I need half a day for work, it doesn't leave much time for me. If I don't make time for me, I lose the plot and cancel everything so my me time is planned and fiercely protected.

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