Just a rant: I absolutely fucking HATE weekends!

[canihavecanihave]

First thing on Saturday is my low point: all weekend yawning before me.

I feel like the whole two days are just an exhausting merry go round of trying to do stuff to fill time and entertain the kids (both under 5 so hopeful this may get better) to stop them arguing and destroying the house.

I know some people will say just to chill at home but if we ever try to do this it is so so stressful, they argue and make a mess everywhere.

Ugh.

I can't stand when people say to just chill at home. How the hell do you chill at home with 2 kids under 5.
I do love the weekends still, but I have to get them out the house. Morning and afternoon.

This is great advice. I always forget about the play bath but it's brilliant!

And the home bargains trip is such a good one.

One I'd add is when I'm reallllly struggling. Get them in the car, let them choose the music and just drive up and down the motorway for 45 minutes 😂😂😂 that feels like such a break for me.

I agree. We have just got a new car with the apple car play. pressing Siri and then taking turns to choose mum and dad included.

We’ve just done the euro tunnel from the Norh West. This entertained us for ages and also lets you see how you’ve influenced thier musical tastes which was lovely. Although Laid by James chosen by the 8 yrs old needed a bit of explaining 😳

My children and basically id go so far as to say the majority.

Your kids sound bored and restless.

What are they doing alone in the bathroom to flood it? Why are they allowed off with pens to “trash” the house?

And the first time they “throw popcorn”…. It’s removed from them and they don’t get anymore.

I did a wee search @Gymthenbrek and I’m not surprised your children are older.

Mine are young but not teeny weeny toddlers. If they were in the bath together there would be barely any room and any playing would flood everywhere. I don’t bath them together - never have. I genuinely don’t know many children over the age of two who would be entertained and play for hours with bubbles and a duck but perhaps mine are ‘bored and restless.’

Except, on Saturday each sat with sticker books and colouring during the others’ swimming lessons, then came home for lunch and had a long bike ride and play on the park. On Sunday the younger one sat quietly through the eldests rugby and then they played outside while I made lunch then had a long dog walk at a country park, ending in a play area. Both times home by gone 4pm, dinner and then bath started at 6 for the little one.

So I wonder what I should do to prevent them being bored and restless?

Advice is well meant but some MN tropes are tired and not always very effective. Just put a film on is one. If your children are six and eight amazing; if they are both under five, well, some will and some won’t. Put them in the bath is not advice that has ever worked here. The other one I used to see a lot was to get all the cushions off the sofa and leap around on them. I don’t know, maybe some people think that’s a really fun thing to do but I am not seeing it myself.

A few years more and they’ll be able to entertain themselves more. Hang on in there. It is gruelling at times. What kept me sane was really focusing on the good bits and trying not to moan too much! It’s amazing what a difference it made. My husband made me tell him one good thing first if I ever called him for a moan. 🤪

Mine did spend hours making sofa dens when they were older.

@Fibonaccithesequel

Would definitely agree sofa dens have always been popular from toddler tea parties to now building thier own.

I have a store box of old tents and gazebo in the garden that also make great outdoor dens summer and winter.

Yes I think it’s the bigness of it - 2 whole days of time. Break it down into smaller chunks (you could type your op into chat gpt and ask It to help you plan a weekend if, like me, you like structure.

mine are grown up now and I think a lot of the “mine were never allowed to be like that” people have simply forgotten what it’s like. Or simply had very compliant kids which were nothing to do with their parenting!

my two were really good. I don’t really remember them playing up BUT that is NOTHING to do with me being super mom (I wasn’t!) and probably 90% due to my selective memory.

Keep going op. It’ll get easier.

the first time they throw popcorn around - you take the popcorn from them.

When you give it back, you say that if one more piece is thrown - they don’t get any more.

They draw on your walls??? wtf. In front of you? Surely this happens just the once by mistake when you weren’t looking.

The flood the bathroom? You get them out the bath immediately, no second chances. Dry off and straight to bed.

They almost certainly have @BitOutOfPractice . I know even a few years ago with my eldest the ones merge into the twos and threes, so people think ‘oh my two year old sat quietly and ate popcorn while watching a Disney movie’ and they are remembering a four year old.

@Gymthenbrek i do think you’re trying to be provocative. They don’t throw popcorn because we don’t watch films eating popcorn because they aren’t at that developmental stage yet. OK?

Op I’m not trying to be provocative

you said that your kids “flood the bathroom” “trash” the house drawing on walls and “throw popcorn”

All I am saying is that these events… if they happened, should not be regular occurrences. Are they?

Has the older one started school this year?

It's a bit of a shocker when the teens stay out all night and rock in around 6! A different kind of sleep deprivation.

I think ages around 5-13 are best for sleep so get it then while you can.

I also used to hate Saturdays when I had 2 under four. DH used to work Saturdays and naturally want to chill a bit on Sunday. I used to love when 5 pm came and I could begin to think about them maybe going to bed.

@Gymthenbrek i don’t want to sound pedantic but I said that is what would happen if I did the suggested ways of managing weekends. They are too big to be in the bath together playing and not flood the bathroom, so we don’t do that. They are also not really old enough to sensibly sit all the way through a film together eating popcorn and not make a mess. If I stayed in and chilled the house would be trashed as in, toys everywhere and a mess, I don’t mean swinging off curtains or slashing sofas with knives or anything.

I do think you skimmed my post, read that line and jumped in and it does happen a lot on here where like I say posters who hung their toddler mum hats up circa 2015 still feel the need to explain those of us doing it now are doing a crap job and they did much better. Good for you; maybe you did, I’ve no idea.

The older one is at school, thank you.

Sorry if missed but just started school this term?

Before you jump on me… I am only asking how the older one is getting on at school where definitely expected to be able to sit nicely, concentrate, not trash the place etc

@Gymthenbrek have I not by now established that that was slightly tongue in cheek? 🙄

Your younger child is 3 and your older child is 4 or 5, is that right? I think it won't be long before you reach the sweet spot. Their attention spans will lengthen, they will become more independent and capable of playing on their own for longer periods, they will develop interests of their own (other than "charging around and causing mayhem" which seems to be the main interest of many toddlers!), they will begin to form friendships, etc. Of course, every child is different, but IME by the time they are both at school, the relentlessness of looking after small children eases and life becomes much more manageable. Not easy when you're in the trenches, of course.

I hope that doesn't sound patronising. It honestly isn't meant to. Just trying to offer solidarity.

Not at all I appreciate it @VioletSeagull ! To be fair it is already notably easier, and I know by four and six/seven it’ll mostly be fine … Thank you

Can I just say @canihavecanihave that you have a brilliant way with words - “hanging up my toddler mum hat” made me laugh. What does one look like I wonder? 🤔😁

Probably several years old, covered in snacks and had a tantrum because it’s red not blue!