To tell you all to appreciate half term with your kids, as long as they still need you and want you for their half term activities.

[QuintessentialOldDear]

My sons are now 7 and 11 (soon 8)

They both wanted skateboarding camp for half term.

Granted we went away for some of the bank holiday weekend and did a couple of good hikes and "quality time".

All I am required to do now is drive them to and from camp, and make lunch packs.

Great. I can continue to work. I dont have to take time off. Fantastic.

But, no more trips to the park and playground where I get to enjoy a latte watching them play. No more looking at birds together in the Wetland Center, or marvel together at the beauties of Flowers in the botanic gardens.

They want their own fun, and it does not involve me.

It happened so quick.

Next I will moan that they have flown the nest.

Oh, ArthurCucumber, DD loves being with me & doing stuff together but often there just isn't time - lunch together or cooking or sewing is special as is vegging in front of the telly

I treasure the times I have with mine exactly because I know it is all going to end soon. I just hope that being girls, they'll still enjoy going shopping. Though given that I'll be the one limiting their budgets that may not work out either...

The sadness is that life stages close but new ones take their place. I'm proud my DS can find his way across Europe and drive a car (and navigate London and hold his own in any company). That doesn't mean I don't miss his soft blond hair under my chin or think fondly of when feathers were wafoos and the day he cried when footie was cancelled because of the rain. But our boys become men and our girls women - and we can be prouder of them for it x

I think one stage has closed but the other one hasn't quite opened yet as far as DS1 is concerned married, hopefully it won't be too long. How he can possibly be 14 soon is a mystery. I have only just had him.

Sparkling my two are still newborn at 3 and 7. But I love love love seeing them grow. I keep trying to halt DS1 at 7 but he won't have it and says but I have to grow and get older, it's just how it is

BUT they are beautiful boys and get better with each passing year

I know. At least the cats still nuzzle up for a love in sparkling .

dd is 12, nearly 13 and we are still very close, do a lot together. I know it will change. Good to remember that I suppose.

Ooh yes. Sparkling Cat get lots of my attention married.

Funnys I remember Ds1 being about 6/7 and thinking in another 6/7 years he will be a teenager. And now he is.

Both mine 12&15 have sat on the sofa playing in their lap tops while I MN and chatting to me and each other.

Didn't see much of them on Sat as they ran into friends at a village event and vanished off.

Tomorrow younger one is off to see a school friend and DD1 is coming shopping. She isn't a great one for vanishing off with friends a lot if the time. Tends to a few very good friends with complicated lives, who require planning to visit and they have GCSEs this year and are revising.

The Last Time
The father, reading to his girl
some little tale they always read
is unaware that this may be
the last one that she?ll ever need;
she?s grown past stories softly read
by daddy sitting on the bed.

The mother with her muddy son,
kicking a football in the park,
cannot sense as they wander home
through chilly, soft-approaching dark;
this was the last time they?d come out
to kick that happy ball about.

How secret, sneaky-soft they come:
those last times when we?ll kiss it better,
hold their hand across the road
or lift them up to post a letter.
They pass unmarked, un-noticed; for
we?re not so needed any more.

So they abandon fairy tales,
and nursery rhymes that mummy sings
and leave behind soft toys ? and us -
and put away their childish things;
a loss so small. Our loss the greater,
unmissed, un-mourned, until years later.

© Lucy Berry

Yanbu, my ds is five and I LOVE half term! I work hard during term time so I just live for weekends but they are so rushed. Half term is a real treat, and Ioved just sitting with him in our jammies today eating toast and watching TV.
I feel sad that he's growing up so fast but every stage he gets to, I love him even more and I imagine that doesn't change.
I can't imagine him being 14 and not wanting to be seen with me, I'm just enjoying him being 5 and wanting to play Lego Star Wars with me!!!!

It makes me feel so sad when I see people's comments about their kids and half term etc as I just live for the holidays with my ds. I am going on maternity leave in November and I can't wait to be able to pick him up and drop him off at school instead of using the wrap around clubs!!!!

........Then they give us grandchildren. Crosses fingers and hopes x

trucks I am now actively sobbing blames pregnancy hormones

Errr thanks for that Trucks.

I do cherish every moment I have with DS (8) but also love the fact he's becomming independent and plays out more. Maybe because I'm a single parent and actually having an hour to myself has been unheard of up til now, and maybe because I work in a school for my holidays are also his.

My best friend is also a teacher so we do a balance of days for children in holiday - eg tesco football sessions, whilst we go and have a cake and coffee somewhere and days out to beach, combined with visits to each other, visits to local parks etc.

I'm cramming in loads of stuff now,in the time between them being too young to do what I want them to be actively involved in,and too old to want to.
They're 7 and 8,and they'll be exhausted with keeping up with all the activities I shall get them doing before they are teens.

This is my window of opportunity and I intend to make the most of it.

I know what you are talking about OP, and I'm sure you are right,but it is very hard to remember that when you have two preschoolers and no preschool/toddler groups for a week.

You can't blame pregnancy hormones, ILive - I'm bawling like a baby and I HAVE a baby.

And I'm not pregnant.

:) :( :)

Nice poem.

It's not even half term here, I have no reason to be reading all about how soon my girls will just want lifts everywhere.

DD1 is only 5 and already making plans for how she'll send me a text to let me know where her artist studio is. And she'll let me buy one of her paintings :o

Thanks for some perspective, especially from the parents of older children. I do look forward to discussing career plans beyond "Professor of genetics so I can mix dna to make my own pokemons", and them finding their feet in the world.

But I am a bit wistful thinking "if only they were more like me, and would bake and cook with me, or go shopping and for lunch" etc. They are more into mountain biking and skiing. I think I need to shape up and get fit and join them!

I have never looked upon spending time with my children as "childminding".

But oddly, I find that I now wished I did not work at all. I feel slightly envious of sahms who can focus 100% on their kids and time with them.

Maybe because running your own company means holiday and time together is actually so rare.

Like today, ds1 got hurt at skateboarding camp. My friend was there with her own kids for a session. She was the one applying cold compress on his sore foot, and looking after him, while I rushed up there, leaving unfinished work behind and feeling harassed and stressed. I should have been there. A skateboard flew and hit his ankle - total accident, other skateboarder very apologetic. His ankle is not broken but very sore, and the rest of half term he will mooch on the sofa with his foot high feeling sorry for himself, and me feeling rotten.

Thanks Trucks. I have tears. I love watching ds wandering about discovering the world. I would love a third child but dh won't consider it. Dd is amazing to be around but growing up so fast. All time my babies is precious I need to stop squandering it with all the shouting. So far though we're having a good time and have lots planned for the rest of the week.

Mine is 7, but still likes hanging out with me ( he has no choice!) I am sort of cherishing this time though, which I didn't when he was 3 or 4, because I can see there will be an end to it. He still likes cuddles though, and tonight squeezed me tight and said " I love you I love you I love you!" with that exuberance of little boys. Love half term, even though I am working some of it. We both just chill out and have fun, without the constant rush and daily grind.

Now look you guys need to calm down - you've made me miss DD

DD1 is 21. She is away in the US for university. She has a son (yes, she was a young mum). She doesn't have half term.

DD2 is 13. DS is 5.

Today I asked what they wanted to do in half term.

'I'm going up to Westfield Wednesday and Friday with my friends, right, and then on Thursday I'm going round Saima's house and on Sunday, I've got a party. Today I'll do my homework, but I'm going round Afraa's house to do it, okay?' From my 13yo. When she's not doing stuff like that, she's on her IPad. I was HAPPY when she got that because she earned money towards it by selling things on Ebay and at car boot sales and walking some dogs and so on. I thought it would teach her responsibility with her money fgs! No. It has given her another way to avoid her mother.

And DS just said 'well, I'm going to that party-remember, Mum?- on Wednesday, it's at the zoo! And on Thursday there's that sleepover, but the party starts really early because we're going into London and then going back home. Friday, you said X (his friend) could come round, she says she likes fish fingers Mum, remember that. Saturday, I'm not doing anything. Sunday, I want to go round X's house, but his mum said to phone up and check for sure.' First of all, I'm jealous of his great memory. Secondly, I'm worried that, for nearly every day of the week, he's away. Thirdly, we haven't got any presents yet.

Kids....[sigh]