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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To already know that I cannot wait for the DC to go back to school

47 replies

chinam · 02/08/2011 16:33

I miss having a few hrs to myself. I love my kids dearly but I need some portion of the day to myself to just sit and be quiet. I will be skipping out of the school yard on Sept 1st, once they are safely deposited inside school. 4 more weeks and counting....

OP posts:

nothingoldcanstay · 03/08/2011 21:52

Took DS 7 up to Scotland last week with his friend. Amazing place and we had (for the first time ) one of those" proper "holidays other families always seem to have. We spent no money as there were no shops and the kids were very happy playing all day outside on the beaches, in the woods or climbing up some rocks. I was determined to recreate this at home when we got back.
Well we've been back a few day's (down in the South East) and the roads are chocka, you pay to park ,pay to go in, pay for tat you don't need and everyone else has gone to the same place as you. Or you do the same local park/wood/river walk you do every weekend. Bored!!

NickRobinsonsloveslave · 03/08/2011 21:56

Mine have been too busy over past 2 weeks to think about school. Unfortunately, now the treats are going to have to stop, they will be too bored to mention. And yes they will be looking forwards to school again.

EllieG · 03/08/2011 21:57

I have only done the whole holiday once, when I was on maternity leave. I was SINGING on the last day. I love my children, but one can have too much of a good thing.

Original poster

chinam · 03/08/2011 22:02

Oh Nick, that's such a crap thing to happen. It must have been a terrible fright. Hope ye are all okay.

OP posts:

NickRobinsonsloveslave · 03/08/2011 22:33

Thanks chinam, we are all okay. It's just the thought of someone in your house whilst you are asleep that freaks me out.

Dh is getting it in the neck for leaving the bloody window open....prat.

Still think it's harder to keep DCs entertained when they are not close in age.

Ds1 wants to play with his mates, but DD wants to play with him. And then DS2 wants to p=lay with DD....nightmare.

TheOriginalBanshee · 04/08/2011 00:33

I've had enough too!!!!!!! I miss being at work 3 very different children (all under 12) are driving me and each other bonkers. So far we have been to the zoo, lots of parks and woods, cinema, 1 meal out, 1 theme park and I am officially shattered and broke . Can't wait til term starts!

yonker · 04/08/2011 00:42

I wasn't going to post this as I know few will agree with me, but how can you be wanting them to go back to school? I love spending time with my DS - and school holidays where we live are 3 months in the summer. We go out for some days, sometimes very cheap - bike ride around the local lake, occasionally more expensive - the odd day at a theme park type of place, sometimes just stay at home and do something together but I enjoy being with him all the time. I have plenty of hours to myself during term time. They are young only for such a few short years you should (to me) make the most of it and enjoy the time you have with them - even if at times you feel as though they are driving you mad. That said, I do appreciate that is is more difficult with several DCs of different ages.

Nick, a horrible thing to happen to you - happened to us a few months ago - it is a shock but it became easier after a while, I'm sure it will for you..

OK, off to bed no before I am told I am at best a I am simpering fool with rose tinted specs.....

BrigadeOfLannisters · 04/08/2011 00:59

It's the combination of the DC. My DS is four and likes a quiet house. DD (11) is very erm, sociable and likes winding him up playing loud games.

I paid sixty pounds to have her at dancing class summer school last week and it was fine. The first part of this week was okay because she was out with friends and DS has been calming paddling in the pool and playing with his Octonaut toys.

Today with DD here, she was over-filling it and wasting water and money, splashing, shouting, making him shriek, run, nearly fall and crack his head and going in and out of all the downstairs rooms with wet and slightly muddy feet

Carol Vorderman's Mathematics Summer School awaits tomorrow.

TheOriginalBanshee · 04/08/2011 01:11

Brigade- Maths summer school?!?!? How did you manage that? Are your DCs on valium?

BrigadeOfLannisters · 04/08/2011 01:27

Oh it's only an online thing and DD has been promised the use of a laptop if she spends a bit of time over the summer practising basic skills. I seem to teach multiplication tables every holiday and she has always forgotten them by Christmas.

So I am outsourcing to Carol. I fully expect the programme to crash, server to explode and Carol herself to be in The Priory within a few weeks.

Tarenath · 04/08/2011 07:45

YABU but I can see where you're coming from.

I'm a nanny and while I love my job and charges to bits, school holidays can be a challenge. However this year seems to have been a turning point and so far I've really enjoyed our holidays. I'm really going to miss having my charges around all day when they go back to school. Whether I'll still be saying that in September I don't know! My charges are 6 and almost 4.

Groovee · 04/08/2011 08:49

My dd is 11 and is being horrible. I've had enough of her. Anything I plan she moans about and looks miserable as if she's about to walk the plank. Ds who is 8 is bearing the brunt of her horribleness and it results in fights. I'm term time only and I feel it's being ruined because I am dreading what she'll moan about next.

I try to make the holidays fun with cheap days out but it's just not working. My daughter is ungrateful and makes me wish schools were back so I can be back at work for a break with children who do behave for me and do as I ask them.

ragged · 04/08/2011 08:53

I can enjoy any one of DC on their own, too. If I had only one I'd have a job, too, some other life to fall back on. And I've had "young" DC in my household for 11 years. It's not "only a few" years, is it? I only starting getting "hours to myself" at Easter this year, and I won't get any more now until 8 Sept (when DC4 is in preschool).

I'm spending about 600 quid on activities for 3 DC this summer (that includes high transport costs but not our holiday expenses). So they cost a ruddy fortune, too.

Thankfully, only one the does a chronic "I'm bored" line.

springydaffs · 04/08/2011 09:04

Mine are grown now and I envy you lot! Easy to look back with rose-tinted specs.... but I used to dread the summer holidays. the first week or so were difficult as we struggled to adjust. Then we kind of morphed into having a great time - no structure, flopping about, doing what took our fancy - fantastic. I was always disappointed when they went back to school and we had to drag ourselves out of bed at stupid o'clock ie the readjustment to a different routine - or, let's be fair, a routine full stop. Plus I missed them ferociously. We ended up (all) going to bed fairly late, got up late, didn't get dressed until late unless they had some [free] activity - usually church summer schools or something the council put on for free. The key was to ditch the routine and go a bit feral.

Tarenath · 04/08/2011 09:04

This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion but i think school is partly to blame for some children's behaviour in the holidays.

If you think about it, school is quite routine based. Children spend 36 weeks in the same routine and when the summer holidays roll around they're not quite sure how to handle the lack of concrete routine so it can make their behaviour difficult. Then by the end of the summer holidays they've just about worked it out and then they're off to school again.

slartybartfast · 04/08/2011 09:08

i love the holidays.
towards the end it gets a bit hard though.

halcyondays · 04/08/2011 09:19

Tarenath, yes, my dd1 has Aspergers and she loves the routine of school, it takes her a while to settle into the summer holidays, after a couple of weeks it's not so bad. I enjoy spending time with my children but having 2 young children at home all day can be very wearing.

Dancergirl · 04/08/2011 14:07

Tarenath, I completely disagree!

Children (and adults) NEED a break from routine. What on earth do you propose schools do instead?

I think often parents try and organise too much and pack too much into the weeks, this can lead to bad behaviour because instead of having down-time and relaxation, children are pushed from pillar to post according to schedule. They need time to just BE instead of doing stuff all the time. I wonder if it's the children or the parents who are worried about getting bored...?

And perhaps children pick up on the fact that their parents are not really enjoying having them around so much = bad behaviour = vicious circle

joric · 04/08/2011 16:29

No, YABVVVU !! I teach so if the DC go back so do I !!! I love the holidays- not long enough IMO :o (!!)

ThePosieParker · 04/08/2011 16:39

I am really pleased in having them home....all four. BUT we're out by nine everyday for at least an hour running around.

We've spent days walking for miles, going to the beach, sorting through drawers (getting rid of clothes), hunting for Gorillas(Bristol if you're near it's brilliant), and generally having a great time. DH is off from tomorrow, we're going to a friends caravan for a week, then my father is back from China for a week, then DH is off again, then one week to get shoes and supplies and they're back.

Having had no money for ages and not being able to do anything I am really happy that we both have money and don't have to spend it to really enjoy ourselves!!

The trick is whatever the weather, whatever the house looks like GET OUT first thing and run them out!!

ThePosieParker · 04/08/2011 16:39

Oh and 'I'm bored' is met with a list of chores.

ouryve · 04/08/2011 19:31

Oh, apart from today when I had to wait in for nappies (which never flipping materialised) these kids have been out for walkies around the village at least once a day! Taking them anywhere else is nigh on impossible for me, alone, though, since, even if I could drive, I can't deal with the other one if one melts down. DS1 also has loads more energy and stamina than DS2, which makes things difficult.

DS1 is setting himself addition problems with 3 digit numbers at the moment! :o

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