Busy vs Lazy weekends

[Imabadmummy]

I am sure I have seen post about this but really can't find them now.

Kids both knackered after a long week at school. Me & husband also tired after a long week of work.

I really don't wanna "do" anything at the weekend, maybe a bit of batch cooking & cleaning, but I feel like we should go out even if it's just to the park for an hour to get the kids out.

AIBU to expect the kids to stay in all weekend & play (they could play in the garden if they wanted) just so I don't have to go out?

Kids are 4 & 5. Eldest would watch TV 24/7 if we let him, youngest is happy to get all the toys we own out & play.
Eldest does ask if we can go out somewhere, which is annoying as often on a Fri we have tears as he's tired & doesn't want to go to school! (He sleeps great at night so that's not the issue!)

Can't help but feel lazy and like I'm not setting a great example for the kids!

[AmyGDalae]

Our weekends were always for family fun stuff. Both parents worked during the week, so sat am our parents asked us what we wanted to do and then we would spend one day doing grocery shop, DIY, gardening, watching a film as a family and then the other going to theme parks, water parks, the lake, sailing, having friends over for sleepovers anything we wanted really.

[StarlingMurderation]

Don't stress, timealone. Maybe he just doesn't like getting cold! It doesn't seem to bother DS (or DP), but I HATE being cold and always have.

[KittyWindbag]

When I was little we didn't have activities every weekend. Quite often we just played at home with our toys/ in the garden. I feel sorry for parents now, everyone's so knackered but you can't be seen to just chill out and do nothing.

[phoenix1973]

In the winter we have many weekends at home. We have everything here!
We live in the south east. Every attraction that you go to is rammed. Unless you arrive at ten. We don't want to. You cannot get parked, the queues are horrendous yada Yada. Plus you pay through the nose for this shite.

The parks are not great. The playgrounds aren't great. The library is well stocked for kids and adults alike. If we do go into town, again, it's too busy. We end up in a buffet restaurant if we go out lol.

I would love the weekend to be Monday Tuesday and less people to be off. 😂🤣

[timealone]

My weekends have definitely become more unstructured lately, since DS (2.5) seems to have become more of a homebody. I work 4 days per week, and he is with grandparents one day, then at nursery 3 days. So by Saturday, he just wants to stay inside and play. This is in contrast to a few months ago when he just wanted to be outside ALL the time.

It does worry me to be honest, because I feel like he could do with more outside time and exercise. However, he often takes a lot of convincing to go out without a tantrum. By Sunday/Monday it is a bit easier. However, he does play really nicely inside and is really engaged with what he is doing, so I'm trying not to stress too much.

Our weekends tend to be home-based and fairly unplanned, with little trips out eg. park, supermarket, library, soft play etc. Plus chores, cooking, cleaning etc. I usually go for a run on Sundays while DH and DS chill at home. Summer weekends are usually busier.

I wouldn't say weekends are lazy though. Inbetween those little trips out and chores at home, I'm pretty much on the go the whole time. DS wants to help with everything, even cooking and washing up. This means everything takes twice as long.

[BoomBoomsCousin]

We all like PJ days in this house, but I don't do two days together like that unless someone's ill because it seems to result in more petty arguments at home. I also don't think it's good for them to not be seeing other kids at least a bit. I wish kids played out the way I did as a kid. I don't think they need a special trip somewhere, just not to be kept ensconced in our own little world for the whole time.

[StarlingMurderation]

I didn't spend weekends shopping, nor did I have lots of activities. So I'm not sure there's a correlation either way.

[Frazzled2207]

I think it's fine to be lazy at the weekend but i personally would go stir crazy, as would the kids, without at least one short outing. For example yesterday we had a quick trip to the park and today we all went to Sainsbury's. Elder DS also helped DH wash the car-I do like them to have some fresh air unless weather's foul.

[Yura]

Most of our weekends are lazy (no planned activity), but we always go out at least for 2-3 hours per day. Football in the garden, digging in the sand at the playground (while I sit down an read, coffee in travel mug), scootering around on side streets, blowing bubbles, .... whatever we want to do. We have full waterproof gear (trousers, coats, hats, wellies, gloves), so don't care about the weather. Kids need downtime (unstructured play), but ds4 and us prefer to go outside.
He is born outside the uk, and midwifes, gps etc always reinforced to us that babies and children need to go out every day as long as they are not critically ill, so he is used to go out every day - not a chance of staying in now!

[happilyahousewife]

Our weekends are filled with rugby, although I try to have a few hours sat & sun afternoon where they just chill out playing the xbox/watch some tv or read a book/study, although my son would play rugby from the second he woke up until bedtime.

[NeverTwerkNaked]

*brought up, that should say!

[NeverTwerkNaked]

There's an irony in your post though @hyacinth - I never spent weekends shopping as a teenager and nor did any of my friends who had been brought doing a few activities each week...

[HyacinthsBucket]

I trained as a playleader when mine were little, and had an amazing leader who taught us the importance of down time for kids, where they could use their imaginations and free play. They are surrounded by noise, bustle and routine at school 5 days a week, so evenings and weekends for us have always been very relaxed and the kids chose what they wanted to do. We had a dog and they often chose a walk to get outside, and they loved being in the garden or just days in the house in their PJs. I really miss those weekends now they are all older and obsessed with shopping!! I feel really sad when I see kids dragged from one activity to another all weekend.

[MrsWombat]

I class a lazy weekend as one where I haven't had to make a packed lunch or picnic at some point as we've needed to eat on the go!

My kids are still at the ages when they need to get out of the house every day otherwise they drive myself and themselves mad. (Aged 2 and 8) In Winter if the weather is really bad then it might be a quick walk or even a drive to the supermarket or library. We are lucky at the moment as the 8 year old has a swimming lesson on Saturday and does junior park run on Sunday so I class that as getting out of the house, and we spend the rest of the day indoors doing homework, housework, cooking and playing. As the weather gets warmer we might stay at the swimming and park run venues longer to play or go somewhere else.

Children under 5 need to do 180 mins of exercise a day and over fives 60 mins which should include light activities like walking and "huff and puff" energetic activities like running and active play. If they are doing this in the week, I wouldn't worry too much about doing it to the minute at the weekend though.

[PumpkinPie2016]

Each to their own -nothing wrong with not doing anything if everyone is happy with that

I do go out each weekend - my DS is 3 and very active so trying to spend a whole day at home is like torture

Saturday's we go grocery shopping and combine it with seeing my aunt and doing my nans shopping. Then we all spend time together at my nans which is nice and DS enjoys

Sometimes in the afternoon DH will take DS to visit his sister/friend/park.

Sunday's varies - we don't often do a 'big' day out as I need to get things ready for work but usually soft play/walk to feed ducks/park/walk to garden centre for a cake. We are lucky to have good bridal paths nearby so can easily go for walks.

Sometimes I long for an 'at home' day but DS is just not that sort of child despite going to nursery full time in the week

[SpookyPotato]

I think when DS is school age then there will many lazy weekends... The only thing we did growing up in the early 90s was the shopping and playing outside. No organised fun at all and I loved it! There is lots of pressure these days to provide full on entertainment.

[Sara107]

Kids need downtime. Playing is good, I would say constant TV less good. My dD (7)often wants a day at home to just pay with her stuff. But, I always try to get some fresh air in, even just a trip to the park nearby for 10 mins on the swings, or some time in the garden. Because by the end of a day without some excercise she will be obnoxious, silly and giddy and not wanting to go to bed. She had a friend who she used to play on the street with, biking or scootering, but unfortunately she moved away. It depends on the time of year as well I think - it's so much nicer being outside in the summer, we would spend much more time in the garden then.

[NeverTwerkNaked]

Its a bit of a balance for me; Ds does a few activities after school so none at the weekend (for now) but Dd has dance lessons Saturday morning. The rest of the weekend we have no fixed plans, sometimes there are birthday parties or we might swim or go to the cinema or on a trip somewhere. It's good to have time each weekend when they can just mooch about and play; but if we didn't go out at all mine would be climbing the walls!!-

[clearsommespace]

We try not to have plans every other weekend. But I wouldn't call those plan-free weekends lazy. (Although we usually find time to sit in front a movie together and play a board game as a family). DH and I get loads of stuff done around the house and garden. I take time to get the kids involved in cooking. (There's no time for that on activity packed weekends or weekends when we socialise) Without these weekends, we'd never have anytime to teach the DCs any life skills and the house would be a tip and falling to bits.

[Cyclingandriding2016]

We never have really lazy weekends (i.e. Don't leave the house)

But I do sometimes like weekends where we don't have anything planned (i.e. Having guests, visiting people etc) .on these weekends we go for walks, go cycling, I have my horse riding lesson and go to my exercise class so still not completely lazy. In between those activities we mooch around the house/garden.

We don't have kids though.

[Kennington]

We alternate: one busy day and normally one quieter one.
If we have a full on weekend then it is tough for her and me on Monday.
I do try and be home by 4pm on Sunday to prep for the week and have quiet time plus do homework.
I restrict activities, play dates and parties now at weekends. We just do swimming now.

[felinewonderful]

I would get cabin fever if we didn't go out at the weekends. The dcs would be irritable too. We do something every weekend, at least a walk in the country or park or trip to cinema etc. The dcs still get downtime before/after going out. I don't really understand not doing anything most weekends, doesn't it mean that all people see/ experience is work/ school?

[Lilaclily]

We eat together as a family once a year- on christmas day

That's sad really , life flies by so quickly

[mygorgeousmilo]

We are a very busy and outdoorsy family - but this weekend we are all having a lovely rest indoors and playing Lego, cooking, eating, and watching movies in our pjs. We all really needed it, to decompress, to just think and be. Take it easy

[heron98]

I think the off lazy weekend is fine. But every single one? It seems like a waste. The world is your oyster. Seize it. Visit somewhere new. Try a new activity. Explore. Sitting in the house means you miss out on so much.