Dreading summer holidays

[CockyPants]

Term ends July 6. Return 5 September.
8 weeks of joy.

8 whole weeks without having to go to work and my boys both at home. Sounds wonderful to me, I'd love it!

I am so lucky that I live by the seaside, because, if all else fails or we run out of money, we can just head down to the beach! Even if the weather is not great. We can be tourists in our own town!

Mine broke up on June 14th go back first week of september. My organized well in advance day care backed out 2 days after school broke up and 2 days too late for me to sign Dd2 up for town camp

Its going to be a long ,stressful and interesting summer

I love the 8 week Summer holidays, but living somewhere where there is every chance that there actually will be a Summer helps! We're just starting three weeks of Winter holidays here in Oz, we've been to the cinema this morning and everyone is chilling in front of the fire reading now. We're past the "need to run around like crazy things" stage though which is easier.

Where we are school finished on the 8th June and not back until mid September!

Yes we live somewhere hot and sunny and go to the beach most days however we spend a lot of time at home in the air conditioning too. In theory I can deal with it but in practise the squabling between the children drives me to despair.

I used to feel the same when mine were a bit younger - but now they are 8 and 10, they go out on their bikes in the park behind our house quite a bit. Also,I work part time, so only have half the week with them.

One thing I started doing a couple of years ago, is putting money away (if you can) each month into an account - just £20 a month - and this is then used for the trips out/soft play/cafes, etc. I find that things go better if you have money to do things and good weather - well you can't do anything about the weather, but can about the money.

Also, I love the no pack lunch/homework/Beavers/Brownie-run thing too!

Good luck, try and enjoy the time you have together, they grow up so quick!

Just arrange to meet up with lots of friends, swop children so you get time to yourself, allow her to get bored. You don't have to spend every waking moment with her.

I am quite loking forward to my 8 weeks off (dcs get 6) as dd is on 3 theatre workshops of a week each and ds will be on the golf course.
Quite nice when they are teenagers......we are not going away.

DS is off at 12pm on Thursday. I can't wait!! We do one big thing very week, cinema, wildlife park or whatever. And lots of small things during the week, local parks, picnics, library, usual clubs that don't stop for the summer etc. No more rushing out the door and worrying if I have forgotten something etc. it's bliss for the first few weeks, but will be glad to get him back

AdventuresWithVoles - why does it make it less hard for OP having one dc? I have two and when one is not around DS in particular is a nightmare for wanting to be entertained. Much easier with two dc who can play with each other.

This competitive hardship is bloody annoying - oh I am so much worse off than you because I have a gazillion children therefore your worries are invalid. Reminds my of that monty python sketch - cardboard box, you were lucky.

I am looking forward to the summer holidays - we don't break up til the end of July though :( But go back half way through Sept, so have a holiday booked for the 2nd week of Sept as it's cheaper but still our holiday time :) I am most looking forward to not having to nag and argue over homework - that is the main thing DD and I clash over, so no homework = nicer atmosphere.

As you only have one child OP my tip would be invite her friends over as much as possible - that way 1) she has somebody to play with who isn't you, and 2) she should get invited back, giving you free days :) I have 3 DC but if my DD had been an only I think she would have been high maintenance as she is excessively sociable and hates playing on her own. We are lucky where we live though because the kids all call for each other and play out, so they always have somebody to play with.

I plan one big "day out" a week in the long holidays and one long cycle ride with a picnic type thing, and the other days the kids just play with their friends, outdoors whenever possibly. I find school holidays fly by much faster than term time, but if I were stuck in the house 1:1 with one 6 year old, nothing planned I can see it would be a different story! So invite friends, and get out and about and hopefully you'll both enjoy it and have happy memories of the holidays :)

I agree that one child is hard.

I'm looking forward to the hols though. I have four, and the big two are already booked for three weeks away from home, one week with camp, and a couple of weeks off to Norfolk staying with GPs. The little two will no doubt go away at soem point too, which should give me at least a few days with NO CHILDREN!

Then we all go away for a couple of weeks, before back home for the last week all together, by which time I will want rid!

I will be fine if the weather lets us leave the house. I'm not demanding sunshine (heaven forbid) but dry enough to plan a walk/cycle etc

Oh cockypants - aren't u joyful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you like your dd?

I've only got one, a 7yo DD, and I don't think she is hard work at all (and no, she isn't a perfect little stepford child by any means). I love summer hols with her and we are never short of stuff to do. TBH you sound a bit of a misery Cockypants. Plus I'm assuming that as a SAHM with a child in private school, you're not short of funds to go out and do stuff with your DD.

I love the holidays.

I wish we could afford private so that we could "pay more for less"

I love the summer holidays. I work PT from home but scale it back so I have most daytimes free all summer.

I trawl websites for local museums, parks, councils, wildlife trust, plus National Trust and English Heritage as we are members, for free and cheap activities. There are loads. Last summer I spent about £60 all summer -and we didn't use the memberships much. I put all the activities onto a spreadsheet and then have a coffee with my friends and decide what we're going to do. I also have a list of free outdoor and indoor places to visit so we fill empty days with ideas from that list.

We found a family beach scavenger hunt for £3, a puppet show (£1 per child, adult free), free science activities at the museum, bug hunt for £1 per child). We did something every day.

I also keep a list of things we can do at home. They are on little slips if paper in a box and I get the children to close their eyes and pick one. Things like make a den, a board game, get a DVD from the library, bake a cake are in the box. Somehow not knowing what's coming out of the box makes it more fun.

If you invest an hour with google I'm sure you can occupy children all holiday.

Should have added that my children are 10.5 & 6.5.

In the states here, in my 3rdexperience weeks of 3the months. So think your self lucky!!

Thanks for all the constructive advice!
Nanny of 3 Callisto and I miss sleeping in, thanks so much for your concern.

In ME and we break up on Thursday and go back on 3 or 4 September.... long holiday and I have 3 to entertain.

Have the two boys booked into a summer camp for 3 days and a week, and will have to rely on play areas, friends who haven't left for the summer and good old water, paint and glue for the rest of the time!

I'm dreading the summer holidays - it costs me a fortune. How on earth are you supposed to square away 5 weeks holiday as a working adult, with 15 weeks holiday that school children get?
I actively dread all school holidays - I'm not even sure my DCs look forward to them that much. They just seem to get dispatched from one club, to activity camp to another. I'm stressed & hassled because inevitably the drop off time is 9.30am or pick up is at 4.30pm & I'm having to bunk off work. God, I can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it.

DD finished on friday she has her leg in plaster i dont drive oh the joys

Mrs jay, you have my sympathies. Wishing your dc a speedy recovery.

Dreading it here also.