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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"fucking school holidays !"

181 replies

mrsfuzzy · 23/07/2016 11:39

have just heard the gentle tones of my neighbour with her two young dcs, they broke up yesterday ! how does anyone manage nowadays ? are more dcsgaming/indoors or do people actually take dcs out ? years have gone by since i did this stuff and i'm out of touch Blush

OP posts:
Icecreamsundaes · 23/07/2016 11:53

I love the school hols! Think we're on week 3 and we've had days out, lazy days, tonnes of time and activities together, water fights, beach, evenings out by harbour, watched a storm cuddled up, movie days, soft play, park, love it. Ds get a little screen time on minecraft each day if he wants it/has the energy whilst dd and I do something else. I'll be gutted when we have to go back to school restrictions.

I only have one other mum friend who seems to feel the same. Just love how there's endless possibilities to our days and no pressure. I think some people find the hols stressful, I find school days restrictive. Guess it's just opinion and lifestyles.

branofthemist · 23/07/2016 11:54

We don't take them out everyday. We don't have the money or the time.

We spend time at home in the garden, watching DVDs, gaming just chilling.

The first few days are the hardest, imo. Mine seem to get used being at home and chill out after a a week or so.

Original poster
mrsfuzzy · 23/07/2016 11:55

ice wish you were my mum when i was growing up, my childhood was... not good. Sad

OP posts:
MaryPoppinsPenguins · 23/07/2016 11:56

I love the holidays.... I love having them home. Days out, days at home... Bliss.

JinRamen · 23/07/2016 11:57

I love the holidays! We have loads of little activities planned at home and a few days out. They only broke up yesterday so will just chill this weekend though.

Cocochoco · 23/07/2016 11:57

I've just been telling dd that we always bicker on the first day! Everyone is tired and breaking up isn't quite the fanfare you expect it to be (unless you whizz straight off to the airport). It just takes a few days to chill out.

Icecreamsundaes · 23/07/2016 11:57

I'm sorry fuzzy, mine wasn't the best either. Flowers

pieceofpurplesky · 23/07/2016 12:01

We broke up on Wednesday (DS 12, me 47 and a teacher). Thursday we went out for lunch and walked along the river Pokemon hunting and ate ice cream. Yesterday we
Went to the cinema and a long walk with the dog. Today he is out with friends for a birthday and I am chilling and washing sheets.
Tomorrow we are off to spend a few days with my parents in Wales.
Perfect

BathshebaDarkstone · 23/07/2016 12:05

All our family seem to want to take us for pizza in the park when they visit, DD goes away for 2 weeks every summer, we do the park, the supermarket cafe, there are a couple if local charities which do children's activities.

PlotterOfPlots · 23/07/2016 12:10

I wish we had more days at home and fewer in childcare/work. Those days we have at home are so precious.

I feel like I should be taking them on amazing Days Out more, as FB says their friends do all the time. We will do some of that, but I think they need time at home too even if does mean some boredom and bickering.

Original poster
mrsfuzzy · 23/07/2016 12:12

ice Flowers for you too, thank you.

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witsender · 23/07/2016 12:13

As a home edder, all of a sudden our usual peaceful haunts are...not so peaceful! Grin

MissDuke · 23/07/2016 12:16

Mine finished in June. We went on holiday for two weeks then chilled at home/local park etc for a week. I am working the rest of the summer Sad but my mum is taking them out most days. The weather has been unusually good here so we are trying to take advantage of it. Usually am not working so much in the summer and go out most days for at least a short while, full day trips maybe 3 times a week. There's loads of free things to do if you look hard enough and have transport - very difficult without transport though.

dementedma · 23/07/2016 12:22

Some of your lucky dcs are having a great time. If you are a sahp/teacher, financially ok and don't live in Scotland where it has pissed with rain for most of the last 3 weeks, I'm sure the holidays are lovely.Hmm. Not for everyone sadly

ZippyNeedsFeeding · 23/07/2016 12:23

I love the school holidays, even though they can get a bit hectic. I work from home and I can't just take time off this year, but MrZippy has a couple of weeks off and he takes the kids out in his boat a lot. Sometimes this leads to lobsters for me, which is a bonus. Mostly they just catch ordinary fish, but the boys love fishing and boats so anything they catch is just an added extra.
We do some days out all together as well, but mostly it's just a more relaxed form of what we normally do at weekends. I love having the children around and I really love not having to herd them all to the bus in the mornings!

mogloveseggs · 23/07/2016 12:23

Day one here. Dd finished yesterday. Ds is still doing one afternoon a week at nursery. I love the holidays. We don't do a lot of big days out and definitely not this year as high school uniform is a fortune. But there will be lots of national trusting, and doing what we did last summer when it's big shop day-go to a different town each week and visit a park after the supermarket. Worked really well last year.

rookiemere · 23/07/2016 12:24

Agree with dementedma - long school holidays not so great for you or for DCs if you have to work and don't have relatives that can look after them.
DS has 8 weeks as he goes to private school and I feel it's too long a break.
They forget everything they learnt at school (particularly as the last couple of weeks of term seem to have been spent tidying rather than learning) and by the time the last couple of weeks roll around DS is practically feral.

ZippyNeedsFeeding · 23/07/2016 12:25

dementedma I not only live in Scotland, I live in the Outer Hebrides, so we've had out fair share of rain. We mostly just either ignore the rain or put coats on.

crazybat · 23/07/2016 12:30

I wish I had everyday off.... However I have Merlin passes and will be making sure I get my monies worth. The holidays are magnificent (if I don't have work) depending on what my child care is it can be really stressful but today my son has said he wants a day at home so we'll have a garden picnic later so he doesn't spend the entire day playing mine craft

SatsukiKusakabe · 23/07/2016 12:32

Yeah the first few days are acclimatisation and can get a bit fractious, but I am so happy to have them off school. No relentless routine, no only snatching a couple of tired hours with my ds and trying to fit everything in at weekends. Lots of places I want to take them (all free).

They get on so much better the more they get used to hanging out with each other and I feel like everyone is chilled and has enough time together, and space to do things alone, that the school year just doesn't allow.

Everyone just seems freer to be themselves For e.g. My five year old who most of the year resists anything 'babyish' and is always on about watching stuff other kids are watching that I think is too old for him. One day in he is happily giggling along to teletubbies with his two year old sister. His sister is ecstatic to have him home. They potter in the garden together, invent games, fight over toys and this morning I found them sitting quietly looking at picture books. I'm not so tired and there's far more time for hugs and playing and I don't have to rush them around or say no all the time. It's brilliant.

BravingSpring · 23/07/2016 12:34

It's very different when you have to go to work.

paxillin · 23/07/2016 12:37

Go to the park, go to the fountains, fill the paddling pool, eat 3 watermelons in one day, re-watch old favourites until midnight, pj days... I love it. I hate half term holidays with their bad weather and pressure to recharge quickly. 7 weeks of no idea what we'll do tomorrow are bliss.

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 23/07/2016 12:41

Teacher here. Alternating between blissful and bloody awful. Not going on holiday til next Friday and DS2 is already getting on DS1's nerves. Doesn't help that we are skint til payday and can't really do much.

OvO · 23/07/2016 12:44

I don't think the weathers been too bad - I'm also in Scotland. There's not been days and days of hot sunny weather but I hate that anyway. Im not made for the heat. Grin

I love the holidays but I'm a SAHM so no childcare nighmares to cope with.

We've been off for 3 weeks now and have done loads. I'm a bargain hunter so find free or discounted stuff as much as possible.

My neighbours have spent 3 weeks screaming in their garden. They're clearly of the "fucking school holidays" persuasion.

NameChanger22 · 23/07/2016 12:48

I don't mind the holidays, probably because I'm working for most of it. I have 2 weeks off, that's enough for me.

On days off we go out - parks, picnics, museums, meals, shopping, day trips etc with an occasional slob about at home in the paddling pool day. We also have a week camping to look forward to.

I'm just enjoying the weather, no complaints from me.