To wonder why people need to "Survive" school holidays?

[SaggyOldClothCatpuss]

There are always threads about this. I've been there, done the small child phase. It's hardly life shattering! We have a garden, a playground nearby and a local beach, tv and nearby friends.
I love spending time with my Dcs, but don't feel the need to occupy them for 24 hours a day! Why would you need to survive your own kids?

Not everybody has a garden, a nearby playground and a local beach, do they?

No the "surviving" for me was the feindish juggling of small children and 2 adult work schedules which, initially meant tha, even if we didn't take any " family holiday" we wouldn't be able to cover it all- getting them to short day holiday care etc was awful. Childminder was bliss!

also, lack of transport

It's a lot better when they play together.

Some people aren't natural with being with children 24/7.

I work with preschoolers but can still find being at home hard work especially with ungrateful brats offspring who make you feel like the worst mother in the world!

Wouldn't the world be marvellous if we were all home makers who just breezed through life.

And I have a broken boiler and it's fucking cold.

I think some parents feel under enormous pressure to find things or their children. And some people find lots of things more difficult than others.

I love the holidays, love having them here and chilling out. But I can understand how other people find it a bit daunting.

I never hesitated to do the 'if you are bored go and find something to do - this isn't a holiday camp' thing and I am lucky because my kids can entertain themselves.

You've answered your own question OP - beach, playground, garden.

Not everyone has these things, or the means to access them easily.

Some people find the lack of structure hard - I know I did when I was depressed.

My two are playing together beautifully this morning, I wonder how long it will last?

Depends on the time of year. I can happily do the summer and easter holidays as we generally get more good weather days than bad. Problem is in winter it gets bad up here, very cold and damp which does not make happy children as we end up cooped inside. There's only so much they can do before it becomes an occasional warzone...
It's the second week of the Christmas holidays that's the killer for me, post Christmas let down, dark mornings, dark evenings and bugger all to look forward to beforee going back to school.

I admit, i do feel like i have to 'survive' school holidays.

Last week was half term for us (Scotland), and it dragged in.

Couldn't get childcare so had to take a few days from work. My parents were off on holiday (they have a garden) so couldn't escape down to their's for a visit either.

We live in a flat next to a main road, so i can't let her go out unsupervised.

She has ASD and despite having a billion toys, all she wants to do is play with a tiny toy cat from her Playmobil farm, whilst expecting me to play around her. If i say, "i just want five minutes to do my own thing/have a cup of tea please", she goes off on one.

Soft plays/cinema etc is too expensive, so we just do it as an occassional treat.

The local park is shabby and overcrowded during holidays.

So yep, i do struggle when she's off school. It's hard to entertain her all day every day on my own. And when left to her own devices, she'll just sit and stare into space. She requires me to instruct her to go and do something stimulating. It's quite draining actually.

Lack of money is a problem especially as they get older and want to go cinema, ice skating etc and they can't go because you cant pay for them. Then they are bored. You can easily entertain small children.

Mine are playing well right now too. When they're old enough to do this it's much better. Although at 3 and 7 they still have the odd squabble. Usually over sharing stuff.

Most who say that aren't in "the small child phaase", it's the slightly older child that can bring problems, especailly when you haven't got a park (that you can use) and a beach nearby.

OP not every poster lives where you live.

I am glad that i have DD's, tbh, where i live, lads are coerced into getting into trouble and being involved in drugs and crime (from around 10),or bullied, unless you keep them off the streets, or are supervising them.

Lackof money is propably the main problem.

Stealth boast much?

"you can easily entertain small children". Did I say that out loud? [Grin]

I'm with the OP. if you can't handle spending time with your children (whom I assume you love) then why on earth did you have children? I can't stand people who act like their children are a problem that has to be dealt with or suffered through. It should be a time of "yay! I get to spend a week with the people I love most in the world!" Not some sort of onerous chore.

FFS op have a [bisvuit] sorry, I'm all out of gold medals

Well I was dreading half-term, first one alone with 2 dcs - I even started a thread about it. Got some advice on activities from lovely kind mumsnetters and ended up having a lovely week - we didn't even do half the things I had planned. OP I'm sure you had a lovely break with your perfectly behaved children, in your lovely sunny micro-climtate with garden, beach and friends! Not great at walking in someone else's shoes, are you?

Sorry, but that is such a smug post

'Surviving' in my case means juggling freelance work with DS. Which is fine for a week but over the 6 weeks of the summer can be very difficult indeed, and leave me feeling I'm failing both him and my clients. And being bloody exhausted after working till the small hours after he goes to bed.

At least he's a singleton, one of my DF's has two DCs who are constantly warring - she knows it's a phase, but my goodness it's an exhausting one. She positively skipped away from the school gate this morning. But then she deserves that for not having the foresight to buy a house with a garden next to a beach, hey?

FGS.

And I can't stand smug mothers who can't stop for a moment, and empathise with those people who don't find life as easy as they do.

:)

Lack of money
Lack of confidence
Lack of family and friend's networks
parental disability/illness
SN.

I have had some horrible school holidays. Due to the above and more. Feeling constantly guilty that I have not done enough with the children, they are missing out etc.

It used to be very different. Now I struggle. I do my best but it is sometimes very hard.

this not to take anything away from MRSDV but i struggled with school holidays when mine were smaller for a lot of those reasons, doesn't mean we love our children any less OP but yes people do struggle with school holidays, especially summer

OneLittle stealth boast or just big fat boast?

I wish i had your enthusiasm, Happily.

The thought of spending a week sitting next to my dd while she just stares silently at a tiny plastic cat isn't really appealing to me.

There's only so many variations of that 'game' I can play before I quickly grow fed up.