To think "Ah, bless!" at people trying to entertain a baby/todder over the LONG summer.

[LynetteScavo]

I will entertain your baby for you, if you will have my 13yo DS, 9yo DS and 6yo DD.

I will even pay you/offer you a weekly spa session.

Come and slate me, and tell me how difficult it is to entertain one toddler over the summer.

lol, playscheme is an option? no?

YAB a bit U. The difficulty for me is the havoc created by all the off school kids around here. They hurt my toddler... We tend to avoid "kid" places in the summer if poss as they are so busy. To clarify kids arent being deliberately hurtful just hectic

I take it you have had someone complain about the play groups/toddler groups being closed over the summer holidays? Nowhere for their pfb to do messy play?

Entertaining my toddler over summer is exactly the same as entertaining him throughout the rest of the year.

Surely they don't notice "summer holidays" until they're in school?

Lynette I know where you are coming from, but when you have a PFB and your routine revolves around going out to a playgroup, a singing thing and Gymtots, and every bloody thing stops for 8 weeks it is daunting

At least once they are bigger you can turf them out in the garden and let them fend for themselves. Although I do that with my two and they are only 3.11 and 16 months.

[Hmm]

even!!

Oh and I personally am not being PFB at all, i just find it irritating and stressful trying to prevent older children --who have been turned loose at a play area because THEY can look after themselves- from seriously hurting my DS. I dont moan about it, but being pregnant I just go to non obvious activities / venues.. Dont really get the need for the condescending posts by some posters

I find it easier with older kids. They've been at school all term and want a rest and to do something different, they're capable of getting on with things themselves, there's often activities aimed at their age.

With a toddler you're up atbthe usual time, they're chomping to go out, all their usual activities are cancelled for the school hols. After wrestling them into their shoes, you drag them out to find everything busy and heaving with older kids.

I have a 3yo and a baby, sweet fuck all money and can't drive. Where I live that leaves me with the park (not so great when it is constantly raining) and the library, which is tiny and jam packed.

Older children might argue with each other, but you can leave them to play unattended for more than 5 minutes at a time...

YABU - my eldest 2 play out all day or play upstairs or at their mates houses - my 3.5 year old wants to play we ME! - older kids are easy!

Eh? Its no different from the rest of the year? Or am I missing something?

@magneto yes toddlers do notice that it is holidays.

My DN gets bored and misses his nursery. My sis is finding it a struggle with her DS. He likes to keep active but she is pregnant and ill with it so cant really do much.

My sis helps me thru the school year so i will do what i can thru the holidays to help her. By either having DN over to play or taking him out.

It is definately easier as they get older. My dd spends a lot of her spare time playing out with her friends. You can not do that with a toddler.

All the playgroups close for the summer, and older toddlers won't be at pre-school for the holidays same as all the older children.

do all your childrens centres close for the holidays?

I'll swap with you OP.

try 2 children, 11 weeks of holiday, 40 degree heat and no facilities for kids except metal swings and slides in aforementioned 40 degree heat.

Yabu. Exactly what Alibaba said. I've got 2 toddlers and our routines go straight out the window. It's a nightmare.

Out of trying to entertain the 3, 5, 7 and 9 years olds I would pick the 3 year old

For the others I would like padded (soundproofed) rooms please

I don't get your point OP? I have 2 Pre schoolers and yes most of our usual activities are not available to us cos they're too busy with much older bigger children.

Your kids can amuse themselves.

Is it because I never had just one toddler - well for short time in late pg - but always baby and toddler that I find now easier?

Mine are 6,5,3 - and as they get older everything seems to get easier. We can get further on public transport, more stuff is on, they can be told to go off for a bit and give me some piece, they play together, and extended family is interested in having them to stop with them etc.

I remember long days with no family nearby and a DH away or working long hours, getting about a nightmare, friends being away, groups stopped, parks vandalized, other places very busy with older DC.

I've got a needy 4 year old, a 2 & a half year old toddler and a 3 week old baby. Can't say I'm looking forward to the holiday. I've got holiday club booked for 2 mornings a week but thats it. It would help if I thought we might get some sun for park/picnics but I have long since abandoned that hope.

My 11yr old is easy to entertain.
My almost 2yr old and 4yr old are a bit of a mare, well mostly the littlest tbh.

I find that my lot have got easier as they've got older.....

I have a nagging fear that it won't be the case when teen angst hits, but am happy to live in blissful ignorance till then [ fingers firmly in ears]

Hahahahaha at the idea of kids amusing themselves. Unless plotting each others murders and attempting methods is that

People situations vary so wildly it's impossible to say someone has it harder because...

I have both kinds. That makes me a fucking marvellous martyr of course

How do you get a 13 year old out of bed or off a laptop?

I like the MN mantra of if the child is over 5 and dares to say that they are bored, put them to cleaning the house.