to dread the summer holidays because we have no money, no holiday booked and the weather is going to be crap!

[Pahhhh]

3 school aged DCs and one pre-schooler who I love to death but would rather they did not have time off school! They are difficult to entertain at home because they would rather fight over the TV/Wii/computer. Board games, painting, etc normally end in chaos. Going out costs money and there is only so many times you can go to the park with a picnic right (especially if it's raining)?

We have not been able to afford a holiday for TWO years and I feel like I'm letting them down when their friends are off to Florida and Barbados! DH will be working like a Trojan as usual. He was made redundant a while back and has had to take a significantly lower paid job. We do not have any friends in the immediate area and do not see much of our families (they are all going on holiday anyway). We have looked into camping but short of parking up and pitching up in a layby, it is too expensive.

I would love to be excited about having them all home with lots of lovely things planned but it is just utter, utter shit! How did I end up with so many kids and no money?

YANBU. But - and you'll probably want to slap me for saying this - you need to use your imagination a bit....

For example how about a camping holiday in the garden? We did this last year - bought a cheapy tent in Asda (about £15 I think), set it up near the back door, and the DC had a fab time making it all homely all day and playing in it. Come night time the older two slept in it and the youngest slept there too (or so she thought, until she fell asleep & I carried her indoors).

Do I sound smug - if so sorry!

And there's nothing wrong with a bit of TV/Wii IMO. Holidays are also about relaxing and having a rest - which goes for them as well as you.

It's called being a parent. Hardest job going!

Can you collude with the DCs' friends' parents to take turns looking after each other's kids? I always find DD is happier if she has a variety of family and friends to see.

Look into church holiday clubs, library activities, anything at local children's farms, RSPB, etc. I even noticed Pets At Home do a holiday club!

The rubbish weather makes a big difference though!

What about 'wild' camping, I absolutely hate campsites and would pick wild camping over any other kind, there is a forrest about an hour from us with a large river, lots of familys go there to camp, perhaps if you ask around there's somewhere like that near you.

www.wildcampinguk.com/

Hang in there! Not much to suggest that you won't have thought of already bot you have my sympathy!

Thanks. We have had the tent up in the garden already but had to take it down due to the incessant rain!

We 'do' the library and swimming (free DC swimming with gym membership) most weekends anyway and will continue but it still feels like there is nothing 'special' to look forward to, to make the DCs feel like they are doing 'something'.

I know I should count my blessings and I will now STFU and look forward to not having to deal with the stress of the schoolrun for 6 and a half weeks!

pahhh, dont know what age your kids are - mine are 7 and 5, have decided to paint one of the rooms and am getting them seriously involved - turn your kids into mini slaves for the next 6 weeks, sit with your feet up and get them to do the hard work. just a shame they're too young to get sold wine ;) xxx

I was going to suggest wild camping as well, there's something lovely about pitching a tent up next to the beach and cooking sausages on a flat rock in the embers...

Ooh I'm going to give that wild camping a whirl.... If I dare with 5 dc's ranging from a hormonal 12 year old to a Clinton 12 month old.

I too am dreading 6 weeks of moaning, bickering, whining etc. I feel your pain!

**clingon

Im sorry I am in week four of the school hols and am very busy having a small nervous breakdown

I thought that wild camping was illegal in England because of trespass laws? Although obviously that may add to the thrill of it, and if you go wild enough, it'll probably be fine. Or of course, you could come to Scotland. Our pals have just had a week in the sand dunes on Harris wild camping. The other advantage is that after a week, you'll all be so filthy that you'll spend another week cleaning yourselves and all your stuff. So that's 2 weeks taken care of.

floosie - me too. I can't believe they still have another 4 weeks.

amp in someone elses garden here