To think that this adult should grow up a bit...

[shellhider]

The children have just gone back after Easter, she's now moaning about how she's lonely and august is too long to wait and that a one day bank holiday is a waste of time as it's only a day and that they have fun every day.

Some families would give their right arm to be able to have multiple holidays a year and to have the masses of gifts her children get. We are fortunate enough to be in a position to have holidays and days out but publicly complaining when I'm that situation seems so juvenile.

'TBF school is having a good effect and they are getting progressively more interesting to talk to. I have tried to talk to them before (just, like, general chat) but they don't listen for more than 3 seconds and it's just dispiriting. I've mostly stopped bothering to try to initiate anything., so we talk when they want to. Steadily we progress I suppose, but it is tedious.'

This is a joke, surely?

Mmm.... tbh it's not entirely a joke. I have tried time and again to chat with them, engage with them, suggest fun stuff etc. It's all refused unless it's part of the very few things they enjoy doing/talking about. I try chatting to them about school things that they like, but make very little headway there either.

I just find it really depressing tbh. I am clinging to the hope that they'll talk more as they get older. In the meantime I do try a bit, but it's in the full expectation of being ignored most of the time. It's hard, frankly, and makes me sad.

It's quite normal for children not to talk about what they do at school. The usual response to being asked what they did that day is 'nothing really'. And it's also normal for them to respond to subjects they already enjoy, adults do too, but I suppose we are better at feigning interest when someone talks about something we find dull.

It's a shame you feel sad about it. Stick with it. You don't mention how old they are, but if they are still small their interests and communication skills will change as they get older.

Thank you Saskia. I think I may have some issues with being persistently ignored myself as a child (I hasten to add that I don't ignore my own kids; they just ignore me)! I find it difficult to deal with. Just a little feedback would be nice

As I said, hopefully it'll improve. Not enjoying it right now though, I have to say.

LaContessa it gets better! Wait till you have teenagers. If they are anything like mine they will be entertaining and engaging, interested in current affairs and debating on them. It has been a lot of fun. Then they leave you for uni, unfortunately ;)

(for people that take some comments seriously, I'm delighted that they are going to uni, but they are/will be hundreds of miles away. I think it's ok to be a bit sad about that)

I will look forward to that stage Bewty - I will be in my element arguing politics etc! I'm a left-leaning vegan, so heaven knows how they'll rebel

I must be a childish to you then also.

DD is in nursery today and I'm missing her like crazy.

What an awful whinging mama she must be. Missing her kids.

Unbelievable responses from Contessa.

The kids are 4 and 5 FGS! Get a grip. WTF do you expect from them? A serious talk about what leader would be best for the country? A conversation on which Shakespeare sonnet is the best? A chat about the issues in Syria???

4 to 5 years of age was a wonderful time for mine. They were great fun at this age.

Contessa, just like the OP, seems like a real misery, and the type who prefers to be at work, so she can get away from her children.

Oh fgs!
I was sorry when the Easter holidays ended as it had been a lovely one and was sad to see it over.

I am looking forward to a little bit of peace now DC are back at school, and a tidy house.

I don't judge contessa at all young DC are hard work and dare I say it on this thread draining. I'm sure she talks to her DC

In reply to the op this type of person wouldn't bother me unless they went on and on then I would probably feel..Inferior mum?Bored?? Not sure juvenile is the right word though.

Thanks mines - I was a bit despondent when I posted earlier, so maybe it isn't as bad as all that. I do stand by the statement that my kids don't say too much that I find interesting at the moment (and actually I am half Syrian so I would LOVE a chat about that ), but I am hopeful that as the years go by that this will improve. I just have to continue to try, in the face of almost certain indifference. Yay, I shall so look forward to it

They OTOH are entirely absorbed in petty turf wars between themselves. Their main interests seem to be getting one over on each other and howling to parents when it doesn't go their way

It sounds like they have a promising future ahead of them. You best hope that they support the same political party as they might be even more interesting than you bargained for.