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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

How much of the School Summer Holiday do you spend at home with DC doing not very much at all?

58 replies

GiantTurtle · 22/07/2014 12:18

It's our second day of staying indoors and doing nothing. We are all still in PJ's and so far the day's activities have included breakfast, CBeebies and Lego.

I'm in my 3rd trimester and have 5 year old twins and a 2 year old at home. I'm wondering how I will get through the next few weeks, feeling very tired already. We don't have a garden so staying at home means they are pretty cooped up. Our nearest parks are a drive away and honestly right now I can't even muster the energy to get them all dressed and washed! DH is out of the house for 13 hour days and home after bedtime, and no family nearby. We have only just moved so also no local friends yet!

I am feeling very guilty about doing so little with them and we're only at the beginning of the holidays. How do you while away the days during the school holidays?

OP posts:

doodlesandles · 22/07/2014 13:08

I have a boy with ASD like some pp. He spends about half the holidays doing nothing. This year I have quite a bit of work to do from home, so I'm happy for him to have screen time and just relax at home. He doesn't get lonely at all and has no desire to see school friends, or feel the need to be kept active. We will have a few days out for events that he's particularly keen on, and spend some time seeing family, but I won't take him out just for the sake of not being at home.

amyhamster · 22/07/2014 13:10

I don't know how to out this without sounding rude but I find it really hard to get out the house
So I stuck at two kids
I'd rather have two & take them places than 4 & not

HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch · 22/07/2014 13:11

We do something every day, but we don't spend all day doing it.

So, for example, if we're going to a park (which is a drive away for us too), then we will have a leisurely start to the day and leave at about 10:30 or 11 or so. I will take a picnic. We will leave at about 3 or so, and come home and the DC will play outside, maybe watch a DVD or some telly, then have tea, then bath and bedtime routine.

Or another day, friends will come over between those hours and we will have lunch at home and play in the garden. We don't have to be out and about every day, but we do have plans every day.

Everything is just so much more relaxed. I love it. I have already told DS1 that we won't be buying our ice creams or ice lollies from the ice cream van though (not just because of the price, but because DS1 has a belly, and I am watching what he eats). I have bought mini twisters, mini nobbly bobbly, mini milks etc for the freezer, which are smaller so have less calories. He can have one from the freezer on a warm day.

That said, I am not pregnant, and I don't have twins

TheWholeOfTheSpoon · 22/07/2014 13:11

We're on week 4 with 6 weeks left to go. I would go insane if all we did was sit at home for that long. It's ok for the first week but then it's time to get out.

Are there any local day camps available to give the twins, at least, something else to do? Or woods you can head to with a picnic? A lido for outdoor swimming?

I know a poster above has said about FB making you feel bad. I'm the opposite. Seeing pictures of my friends doing loads of stuff inspires me to get my shit together and get the kids out the door.

StillWishihadabs · 22/07/2014 13:19

My goodness it's so variable isn't it ? For me half a day of doing nothing is enough and I NEED to get out. I have 3/6 weeks off, we are away for 2 of those but I only work a 3 day week anyway.

redskybynight · 22/07/2014 13:21

Not enough. (and I feel guilty about this).

We have 2 weeks away, they have a week with grandparents (both set combined) and a week of holiday club. A lot of the remaining time is already planned with activities/friends visiting etc.
I wish they had more sitting and just chilling time!

whitepuddingsupper · 22/07/2014 13:21

I only have the one child, we do try to get out every day unless the weather is horrendous but when we're home we're generally chilling out. We spent 2 hours in the park this morning and now we're watching a film eating sandwiches and planning to do nothing much for the rest of the day. Sometimes I feel bad I don't spend all our time at home painting/baking/doing craft projects (will do these sometimes but not every day) but DD is quite happy playing with her toys, colouring in etc, it's good for her to learn to find things to do for herself sometimes.

MintyChops · 22/07/2014 13:27

I am 29 wks pregnant and have 2 DS's, aged 5 and 18 months. It's tiring, especially in this heat but we have to take the dogs out every day for a walk so we get that done in the morning before it's too hot then mostly spend the rest of the day pottering, we have a v small garden but can just fit a small paddling pool so they play in that while I sit under an umbrella. Maybe go back to the park with a football for an hour or like today just do Playdoh, drawing and Leap-pad. Or chill out with the TV. They actually don't seem to care as long as I am with them. Go easy on yourself, all those people on Facebook are cherry-picking the bits of their life that make them look best. The rest of us are slumming along trying to justify bread and ham in pjs for lunch AGAIN...

MintyChops · 22/07/2014 13:30

By the way I read an article recently about letting kids bumble along and make their own entertainment. Apparently it enhances their "self-directed executive function". So whenever we have a really lazy day and I start to feel like I should do more, I remind myself that I am allowing them to do that and it sounds better!

KEGirlOnFire · 22/07/2014 13:30

DD doesn't break up until Thursday and I haven't got a week off until 18th August.

DH has next week off and will take DD on day-trips (beach/moors/parks) and we also have an annual pass to the local Farm Activity Centre so he will take her there.

The next two weeks she is with the CM and I don't feel at all guilty about that because she has loads of fun and sees her friends that she doesn't get to see much now because they're at different schools. She is so excited about it and will have a ball.

It also means that when it gets to my weeks off, she won't be too exhausted to be dragged out every day!! We like to go out especially if it's raining because it means that the local attractions will be quiet. Get some waterproofs and wellies on and it's fine!

But if we do have some days at home, we will normally invite friends around to play or get the craft stuff out. We've got a whole box of craft stuff that DD got for her birthday in June, so we'll do some of that.

CaisleanDraiochta · 22/07/2014 13:35

My DC are home educated so its lessons as normal each morning, even during the school holidays.

Only difference will be that I will be much busier as I work for a company that provides out of school activities for children, so summer holidays are our busiest time. I'm working nearly every day for the next 7 weeks which means I can't take my DC on any outings as a family and, apart from the few days they have play dates or other activities to go to, they will have to come to work with me each afternoon.

So really summer holidays means my DC get less free time at home than they do normally, but we have 2 weeks in France booked for September, so I don't feel too guilty about it

LisaMed · 22/07/2014 13:41

I am deliberately not doing much over the holidays. I have a few things we are likely to do (he has a sports camp booked and a few days out sketched in), but less than you would normally and I'm planning on letting ds hang around, play out with the local kids and let ds read/draw/talk nonsense to me/use his imagination. I suppose I am giving him the chance to just drift a little. He is seven.

Mind you, father was taken into hospital on Sunday so I'll probably be juggling child care and hospital visiting, so that will throw that idea out of the window.

iamdivergent · 22/07/2014 14:33

They spend 20hrs a week at holiday club, I collect them after lunch. We do an activity on a Monday (prepaid sports) and go to the park maybe a couple other days. apart from that we sit at home DH takes us out in car at weekend tho.

wobblyweebles · 22/07/2014 15:04

You're pregnant and tired. Don't feel guilty. It's just one summer.

Can you afford any paid activities for the twins to give you a bit of a rest?

ShineSmile · 22/07/2014 15:17

It's good for children to just potter around the house. It's good for their development. That's what I tell myself anyways

Staryyeyedsurprise · 22/07/2014 15:23

wobblyweebles
You're pregnant and tired. Don't feel guilty. It's just one summer.

ACtually yes, this sums it up really well

spiderlight · 22/07/2014 15:24

We've not done much yet because DH has man-flu. DS has spent lots of time Minecrafting and he and DH are currently watching the Lego movie, but we're going on holiday on Friday and then to the in-laws/cousins for a week in August so we'll make up for it then.

MATB1 · 22/07/2014 15:45

This thread makes me feel better. I'm overdue with dc2 and v tired today and bloody hot. DD is 2.7yo and we spent an hour or so at the park then we've been pottering in the garden but been on the sofa watching tv for the past half an hour. She also watched about 1.5hrs this morning before the park so I'm feeling like a super lame mum.

We're in the midst of dropping her nap so she's pooped too.

I need to nip out to get some bits for dinner and that feels like a huge effort.

Difficult to plan fun days out with the thought of a new baby arriving hanging over me!!

MrsWinnibago · 22/07/2014 16:06

LOADS. Of course we go to the park etc and have the ODD day out but we can't afford lots of trips...the DC make stuff, play outside and craft etc inside.

crazykat · 22/07/2014 16:18

My DCs play in the garden with the odd trip to the park in the summer holidays. Everything is either expensive to get into or expensive to get to as we don't have a car. The nearest decent park is a half hour walk which is fine on the way there but rubbish on the way back with three tired kids.

Its the only reason I'd like to live in London with all the free museums and parks in walking distance and free public transport for kids.

Heels99 · 22/07/2014 19:36

The free museums and parks in London are unlikely to be within walking distance! Unless you live in Kensington or similar and are very wealthy.

StillWishihadabs · 22/07/2014 20:53

Do you live in London heels99. I can't think of anywhere that doesn't have free museums and parks, they aren't all in South Kensington !!

tiggerkid · 22/07/2014 20:59

I signed up DS for a summer camp for 2 days per week. Other than that, I let him get on with it. He can read books, chat with friends and play some games. I do try to drag him out of the house when I can but it's becoming harder and harder to impose any activities on him as he gets older as he is very much into doing his own thing these days. From what I am seeing, some of his mates have gone on holiday for a couple of weeks but others are doing the same as he is because not many of us can take 6 weeks off.

tiggerkid · 22/07/2014 21:03

I'd also ignore the smugness of those FB mummies and daddies, who spend all day tagging everything #mykidsaremylife and posting pictures of their kids, best-in-the-world holidays and God knows what else while the precious kids are being supervised by their iPads and TV in reality. You will find that in reality not many people actually live the lives they try to show their mates on FB.

stagsden · 22/07/2014 21:32

With facebook - Don't compare someone else's highlight reel with the worst bits of your own.

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