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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be sick of hearing parents moaning about the summer holidays, minding their kids, not enjoying their kids

141 replies

professorsnape · 25/08/2011 13:14

I've had to up to here with listening to parents moaning about minding their kids, wishing for them to be back to school and out of the house.

Sisters-in-law throwing her eyes up to heaven and sounding jaded when he DD needs a drink/help in toilet/help with a game.

Or friends who just want to keep children quiet by plonking them in front of DVDs, filling them with junk, etc in the hope they'll go off to bed at nighttime.

Look, we've all have off days, believe you me (have DD age 4, 1 year old twin DS) but do we not owe it to our children to have a better attitude, a more positive one? To pretend we have anyway!

FFS, I wish they would roll up their sleeves, switch off the telly, get out in the fresh air, and just enjoy their kids!!!

When they're teenagers and hate our guts we'll regret it!

Rant over

OP posts:
floosiemcwoosie · 25/08/2011 13:53

my ds has just returned to school after 8 weeks of hols

Of course i enjoyed spending time with him. We went lots of places, but it is exhausting entertaining a six year old 24/7 for 8 weeks....oh and very expensive

Witchofthenorth · 25/08/2011 13:53

YABU

I love my children and like to think we have a very healthy relationship. However, they go to school from 9 to 3 and I am at home/work. When they get home we spend approximately 5 hours together as a family, sometimes less if they go to friends, after school activities and suchlike.

Roll on to school holidays when we move from a maximum of 5 hours together to ALL DAY. Lovely for the first couple of weeks of lie ins, lazy days, beach times, but gets a bit wearing after a while, especially when none of us are used to spending soooooo much time in each others company! Kids get stressed with me and I get stressed with them. (my kids counted down the days from about week 4 of the holidays).
It's the same when DHis on holiday too, we can't go any more than a fortnight before nerves get a little frayed:)

If you do not have school age children then you don't know how you will be, if you do, then you are obviously a better and more patient woman than me :)

GrownUpNow · 25/08/2011 13:54

If you can't moan, what can you do?

It's a long time to have children at home without a break, and having a wee moan is fine if you ask me. I mean, I feed them, clothe them, entertain them, tend them while they are ill and get up with them when they wake at night, for the past four years I've been on my own, dealing with young children and chronic health problems. I am knackered and I am about ready for the summer holidays to be done.

cheesesarnie · 25/08/2011 13:55

fantastic shirley.im also a see you next tuesdayGrin

Astronaut79 · 25/08/2011 13:57

This is the first summer ever that I can't wait to go back to school. I feeel guilty cos all year I've told myself that I don't mind working full time (and missing teh odd weekedn), as i'll get the summer holidays off to spend all my time with DS, but now they're here, I'm finding days with an under 2 very, very long. I kind of feel that if I could have a couple of half hour breaks throughout teh day, then it'd be fantastic. But then, I am 30 weeks pregnant, so being on my feet all day with a small person is quite wearing. At least in teaching you can get to sit down while kids get on with stuff!

lisad123 · 25/08/2011 14:01

This is only the 3rd day we have been at home this school holidays. We have been out every day and I am shattered Sad I don't take them out because it's just fun I take them out because I can't stand to be at home and listen to them fight. They both have autism and any trip out has to be carefully planned and more than once have I had to deal with full scale meltdowns and physically being attacked by my dd2. I'm sorry but I think I deserve a moan, I'm shattered, they need the routine, most support services here are term time only and dd1 goes back on 7th. But dd2 doesn't start again till 12th!! Sad

DrKoothrappali · 25/08/2011 14:03

Money is a big issue, a friend is really struggling at the moment and she has two boys. They are both live wires and need lots of exercise to stop them climbing the walls. She isn't within walking distance of any parks, no public transport and the nearest park has started charging £2 to park for 3 hours.

She is desperate for them to go back to school, there is only so much they can do at home, not helped by the fact that they have no garden. But even going to the park everyday Mon-Fri would cost her £10 a week, which she hasn't got.

I'm sure that she wants to 'enjoy her kids' but right now thats pretty hard. They can't really play out either because of the road they live on being a death trap. Some people have their hands tied.

My DC aren't old enough for school yet, but even I can see how school holidays can be very tough.

TheBolter · 25/08/2011 14:06

OP YABU and sanctimonious. I have two relatively easy dds who I adore with all of my being, but they are in need of routine right now and quite frankly I'm in need of a break.

utah · 25/08/2011 14:07

Have to say mine are at an age where if it does not cost money it must be boring so gone are the trips to the park, the wood and riding bikes and seeing their happy faces now it is bored, grumpy whinging kids who believe I am the meanest parent ever as they have not been to Alton towers this summer.

floosiemcwoosie · 25/08/2011 14:08

its difficult to "enjoy your kids" when you are lying out in the back garden, having a small nervous breakdown, after 8 weeks

Mabelface · 25/08/2011 14:09

Well, OP, if you had bored, hormonal 12 year old triplets at home plus no money to take them where they want to go, you'd be looking forward to them going back to school too. I'm sick of the arguing.

DogsBestFriend · 25/08/2011 14:14

Nice to see you're alright jack.

You have 2 DS's and a DD, yeah?

Do you also have a DH/DP?

A car/access to a car?

Half decent public transport?

Support?

Friends/family locally?

NT DC?

At least SOME disposable income?

A chance, whether taken or not, to go out/do something WITHOUT the DC occasionally?

If the answer to even ONE of the above is yes, then fuck off and be sanctimonious somewhere else.

rhondajean · 25/08/2011 14:14

Oh I think UABU too Im afraid. By the time your kids are a bit older spending all day every day together becomes more of an opportunity to get irritated at each otehrs foibles than a joy. Same as spending all day every day with DH drives you up the wall (cant be just me?)

I think it would be much better to have a four day school week and only a week or two off at summer. When they are at school I look forward to the weekends when I get spend time with them. When they are at home, within the week Im up to back teeth with bickering/mess/constant demands/the struggle of trying to get them ready and out in time to do anything constructive with the day.

And by secondary, not only do they no longer nap, they dont go to bed early. They are THERE ALL THE TIME.

Vice versa too, poor souls, stuck with me.

lisad123 · 25/08/2011 14:17

We have spent many days at local park/stream with nets and catching fish, a few park/water parks, horse riding therapy, legoland, camping, harmony camp, farm, zoo, soft play, swimming, made salt dough, play dough, paintings, cakes, been to friends to play, and been on bike rides. I have had a small break from both but not at same time. Dd1 had gymnastics club every Tuesday and dd2 special school stayed open for first three weeks so I had one session a week there. BUT I'm very very lucky to have a wonderful support group who sorted some of these activities, and the fact I drive and live close to sone great outdoor spaces.
Yes we have had a great holiday so far but now I'm tired so jog on, I want them back to school NOW!!

floosiemcwoosie · 25/08/2011 14:17

rhonda i am with you girl

I dont think the lengthy school break is good for anyone

floosiemcwoosie · 25/08/2011 14:19

am away to pick up ds from school..Yyyyiiiipppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I am a happy mummy, looking forward to seeing him as I have had the day to myself....bring on the time together this evening...because i have had a bloody break!!!

pigletmania · 25/08/2011 14:20

Yabu you sound smug and must have angel children. I have a dd 4.5 with dev delay and autistic traits and I am pg too and yes I wish her back to school. I have done loads of things with her, but because of her sn her behaviour can be hard. Activities that you take for granted can be really difficult with a child with SN. Even dd is asking to go back to school. Dd hates queuing and can have meltdowns at attractions so it's home we go.

vividgingerchilli · 25/08/2011 14:25

rhondajean, by secondary they may be up half the night but they sleep until lunchtime too given the choice...

pigletmania · 25/08/2011 14:27

Btw I love my dd to bits and would not imagine a world without her, we are both happy when she is at school. I don't drive, failed test countless times, so all those lovely activities that people take for granted are closed to me.

CustardCake · 25/08/2011 14:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

paulapantsdown · 25/08/2011 14:35

I would love a time machine to fast forward to OP's house in 10 years time and see how shes getting on in week 5 of the holidays!

YABACC · 25/08/2011 14:44

Seven years between DD (11) and DS (4) but that isn't all.

We paid a relative fortune to go to a caravan site in a naice place in Sussex but still had to come home early with DD missing out because DS just couldn't cope (SN)

I can't bloody wait until my beloved son is in school full-time. Given that in over four years he has never yet slept through the night and is never likely to.

It isn't as always as easy as getting out in the fresh air. The outside is more problematic for him as it happens.

This OP reminds me of one about putting on an extra jumper in order to combat the severe energy / fuel price rises.

I'll switch off the "telly" and computer as long as the people judging me will come and take my autistic son out for some fresh air Hmm

oooggs · 25/08/2011 14:45

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS isn't this when school aged children have a break from school? So unless you have school aged children how can you comment Hmm

This has been the hardest week for me so far and I am shattered I am looking forward to them going back to school so I have time to think, the little one gets his toddler groups etc back and I am a better mummy at school pick up time because I have had a break from noise etc...

I wish you could 'like' someone comment as there have been some great ones on here Grin

superv1xen · 25/08/2011 14:47

god yeah but i am guilty of it too

they have been driving me mad over the last couple of weeks and i feel bad, i feel i should be enjoying them as they grow up so quick :(

youngwomanwholivesinashoe · 25/08/2011 14:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.