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?

What a horribly smug op post. You have empathy in spades . Its not even worth responding to, just too too smug

countrykitten I think you'll find that you can't turn around on MN without offending someone.

Hmmm Now what does that say?

Oh dear me. Do you know what - I am going to go out with my two and have a wonderful afternoon the in garden which is perhaps what a few of you should do rather than sitting on an internet forum moaning about being forced to spend time with your kids Just a thought....

The professionally offended comment as not aimed at parents of kids with SEN btw - but you would know that if you had bothered to read my post rather than jumping up and down in ire and then on to a bandwagon with other people who can't read.

And gordy - always classy to drag things from other threads in to a completely different subject. Well done you.

babies it says that there are thousands of people on MN and everyone has something that offends them.

And imo the OP is not smug - she just isn't moaning which is what so many of you seem to enjoy. She's probably out in the sunshine with her kids right now! Try it - beats the crappy internet.

saintlyjimjams Mon 18-Feb-13 13:27:52
countrykitten I think being attacked is quite common actually. It certainly is in my circle of friends. Which is why we dread the school holidays.

If its pretty common then what happens during term time? Do the children only attack at home, or does it not count if its not the mother who is being attacked?

PS i don't understand the use of strong words like "survive" either when it applies to your own DC. I certainly don't feel that way about looking after my own (and last time I checked the qualifications for being a super-mum were a lot higher than just liking being with my children).

Mine's in school thanks kitten

Everybody is different.
Every single one of us on here comes with a different personality, different amounts of children, different living areas, different amounts of money, different children, different ages of children, different family set ups etc .
And yes, for some, it is a matter of sometimes surviving school holidays.

Ah but maryz if anyone applied thought before posting we wouldn't have myriad "AIBU to not understand" threads like this delightful specimen.

Girls it is obviously ok to struggle but not to admit it or seek support or kind words about it, because struggling is your dirty secret and makes you A BAD PERSON!!

Also I think to some extent there are those who have SN kids and those who don't and to an extent they will never really understand each other. Just like those who don't have kids never really understand the lives of those who do.

Therontheron, I think Saintly said why it is more likely in the holidays in this bit of her post

because there's structure and routine and everything happens when it should and so anxieties don't go soaring through the roof.

Always has been, always will be.
Oh, and forgot. Some parents have Mental Health issues. Probably more parents than we are all aware of.

maryz.. the other adult help is shared by many children. Your child's classroom must be very spacious as the ones I've seen do not have much spare room when the desks, chairs are in there. and then it has to be shared by 30 other children plus a couple of adults.
Routine... that I don't know except to say that I am surprised that being at home seems abnormal when the children only go to school for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, 39 weeks of the year (not including inset days).

amillionyears - tut tut, mental health is another one of 'those' things the professionally offended get up in arms about, back in your box!

Just curious though.. why has a thread that doesn't mention SN in the OP become all about SN?

therontheron - Are you suggestion I only care about myself? Maybe you're just very ignorant about severe autism.

I explained in my post about anxieties and how they rocket during school holidays. DS1 doesn't lash out because he's mean or nasty or wants to hurt people. In fact he gets very upset after he's hit someone. He's a teenager with no speech at all, and learning disabilities. He lashes out when very anxious and upset.

During school terms my son has a very regular routine so his anxieties are much lower than during school holidays. So it is very rare for teachers/TA's to be attacked, or for me to be attacked during school terms. He can get challenging towards the end of the summer term when he knows the long summer break is fast approaching, but we all know that now. In his annual review last month no school behavioural issues were raised at all although we discussed his behaviour towards me and other care givers during school holidays and discussed what could be provided to support him through the holidays (note support HIM not me - as reducing his anxieties is the key to a happy ds1)

I think I was last attacked at Christmas. I don't think he's lashed out at anyone at school this term. He had a go at me and dh earlier today and presumably it will happen a few more times this holiday.

HTH.

therontheron, I don't know whether saintly's ds attends a special school, but even if he doesn't he may have a full time 1-1, which would be full time adult help. And the ratios and space in special schools are very different.

The amount of time you are at home is n't the point, it is the consistency that is the point. Ds is all over the place in the holidays, because he isn't used to his sister's being around, during the day. Already today (they are back at school), he is more settled, because we are back in a fixed routine.

Maybe because a lot of the people on here have SN kids. Perhaps disproprtionately so because the subject chimes with them because they struggle more because they have SN kids????

theron Because the OP failed to take into account SN of parents, carers or DCs when posing her question. Another poster then used some phrases which were provocative and which were, rightly, answered.

To answer your other post, children with SN will usually receive extra help in the classroom. A classroom setting is all about routine, whereas time at home is unstructured by its very nature.

"Also I think to some extent there are those who have SN kids and those who don't and to an extent they will never really understand each other."

I think there is ALOT of truth in that. I refer to OPs initial posting. I dont think she even thought about how hard it could be for parents with SN. It was not even on her radar, she was commenting about parents with non SN kids who in her eyes seem to be moaning about time with their DC?

always happy to oblige County - hope you aren't professionally offended now - glad you have remembered how many children you have - wouldn;t want you to leave one behind

Right. You've all told me I am being unreasonable, I accept that, have backtracked, admitted my OP sounded smug, that everyone is different and that I'd posted without putting myself in others shoes.
I'm off now. Got stuff to do and this is now a bunfight.