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Original poster

To think we waste every weekend!!!

78 replies

Khloe99 · 04/03/2018 19:23

It drives me crazy but every weekend we do nothing! I love my life I have an amazing dh and 3 lovely dd’s and Monday - Friday it’s fine we’re busy and living everyday life but dh works away a lot so is never at home on the weekends and we seem to spend all day just laying about, dd’s are 13,7,2 so trying to find something they all want to do I’d almost impossible so they usually fight over the telly all day or sit staring at their iPad, when I was young my mum and dad always took me and my brother places and kept us busy without technology but now everything costs so much and the kids aren’t interested anyway. What does everyone else do at the weekends?

OP posts:
RoseRuby26 · 04/03/2018 19:33

Easier in the summer. At least the warmer weather is on it's way. I enjoy a long walk to a destination e.g. a pub for lunch. Picnic in the park. Crafts e.g. cross stitch or collage. Create photo boards/frames with family photos

Pixelpuffin · 04/03/2018 19:43

Both me and my partner are in pretty much the same situation.
Difference is we have only 1 DS and were both home all weekend. DS (10) normally plays soccer on sundays and has various sporting activities 5 nights per week. So Saturday mornings he just wants to slum it.
Sunday is usually soccer till 1pm and then we sit around waiting for mon to go back to work.
Problem is we are both nearing the big 50 and are absolutely determined to have all debts gone by the end of the year.....Everything. The Mortgage, OD and CC have gone just clearing the car loan...never ever again!!
So trips out are usually based on cost and as you say it seems everything costs money these days.

I'm conscious I'm wasting my life but I'm so sick of debt I just want out of it.

sorry if I hijacked your post

Itscurtainsforyou · 04/03/2018 19:48

Yeah I sometimes feel like that. We try to do activities that will fit all if possible, swimming, the local climbing wall does lessons and has soft play, library ( ours had a toddler reading area), but options are limited in the cold/winter.

spagbol11 · 04/03/2018 19:48

We always go for walks, rain or shine. We go swimming on a Saturday. We all have Sunday lunch together, do crafting, watch a film. Do jobs in the house together, more to do in summer we often head to park for picnic, feed ducks, potter about. Depends where you live too, we’re very lucky we live in the lakes. And although it rains a lot, there’s a lot to do and see

MattBerrysHair · 04/03/2018 19:50

Our weekends can be like that too. Recently I've been trying to plan things by making a list of things we have to do (football, shopping, homework etc.) then everyone puts one thing each on the list of things they'd like to do. Last weekend Ds 1 wanted to play pictionary with everyone, Ds2 wanted to watch Xmen first class together, I wanted to go for a long walk, dp wanted to cook with the dc. Then we just have to find a way to fit it all in.

redexpat · 04/03/2018 19:54

We joined a film club so once a month we all go see a film. Today it was ninjago. Sometimes we go to softplay. I keep a very close eye on local events, search regularly on fb to find stuff to do. So we go to a day with thomas the tank engine, motorfestival, football club fun night, model train exhibitions, pride, steam train - all of those i found on fb and now follow them all so we get invited next year.

eurochick · 04/03/2018 19:58

Swimming would probably be something they could all do.

NeverTwerkNaked · 04/03/2018 19:59

Staring at screens is a waste of a childhood. It’s fine in moderation but not to excess. Set some time limits and stick to them. Mine whinge for a bit when screens go off but then find all kinds of ways to occupy themselves and have a heap of fun

totallyrasamus · 04/03/2018 20:02

Marking my spot, we have similar age gaps & it seems impossible to keep them all happyConfused

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 04/03/2018 20:06

Walks and bike rides OP !
Occasionally a free (ish museum)
Getting bikes has been great actually as we go to library or shops on the bike and kind of have a fun trip out
Got the bikes of the local Facebook page for about £25 tops

I hear you after a week of hard FT toil I do limit weekend stuff

And today I took the 7 year old
On a walk and he had a random tantrum . Next time I’ll go On my own !

Riverside2 · 04/03/2018 20:06

When I was a child, my parents took us on trips most weekends

I fecking hated it. I was so glad to get back home to a book. My sis was glad to get back to the TV.

I don't remember anything good about those trips, I'd been in a school all week and just wanted to relax at home!

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 04/03/2018 20:08

And yeah if I didn’t they would be on a screen all day . God roll ON SPRING

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 04/03/2018 20:09

Also remember that life was slower when many of us grew up . My mum worked FT but even she acknowledges that my working hours are full on - back then they did 9-5 with a lunch break and no evening weekend emails

leccybill · 04/03/2018 20:11

We visit family, mooch in the shops, eat out at least once, go to the park or on bikes.
Getting up handy for DD's drama class on a Sat morning is good as it stops us lazing around.

Riverside2 · 04/03/2018 20:13

just to add - I wouldn't have minded if they'd said "right, hour walk in the park" but it was always whatever all-day activity they could find...ugh.

Ledkr · 04/03/2018 20:13

We have had a nice few days playing monopoly on and off. Done a bit of house work and watched a bit of telly.
We normally do loads but the snow kept us in and it's been a really nice rest. I haven't even got dressed today!

MistyMeena · 04/03/2018 20:13

Get a dog, that gets you out and about!

Undercoverbanana · 04/03/2018 20:15

Weekends are the best. Long runs, pub, cake, meeting friends, weekends away to visit my children or to go to a YH and do walking challenges, cycling, reading ....... Monday to Fridays are crap apart from 5.30pm until bedtime when it’s swimming or running or gym classes.

CavoliRiscaldati · 04/03/2018 20:16

mainly being a taxi!
Sport clubs Saturday morning, drop one, drop 2, stays with youngest, pick up one back.
Sometimes sport, sometimes party in the afternoon (still being a taxi)
Sunday morning, sport club again, or one has a competition a few hours away so one adult drives, or we all go together.

Sometimes we have friends or family coming to stay over, and everybody goes to bed a bit too late. We try to go and visit at least once a month, if there's a "competition free" weekend, or if the tournament is near someone we know.

Add walking the dogs for a few hours whilst kids run, walk, cycle, add homeworks and the weekend is gone before it even started. By now uniforms are ready,all bags packed and downstairs and one of my kids might even be asleep whilst the others are reading in bed.

No housework is done in this house at the weekend unless absolute emergency, would be a waste of time for me.

Married3Children · 04/03/2018 20:17

We usually have something going on linked with an activity that both dcs and H do.
If there’s isn’t something, then we go out for a quick walk (an hour or so during the winter) somewhere.
I’ve started to go down to Costa sometimes just to have a coffee/chocolate with the dcs and have a chat with them.
Today we went out in the countryside to find a field we could access (aka with a path) and the dcs went down sledging.
When They were younger, we used to go to NT places/gardens so they could run around and/or enjoy a play area.
We also did all the museums stuff (free)

You do have the added issue that you have three children at very different ages though.

Married3Children · 04/03/2018 20:19

Oh yes, we do also spend time playing board games. We found some that are collaborative or other that are simple enough so that people with different ages/abilities can play.
Not unheard that one child will be ‘helped’ too so that one person isn’t left behind iyswim

CavoliRiscaldati · 04/03/2018 20:25

tv and screen time in general (apart from homework) is only allowed until I get up. It works wonderfully, they are not deprived, I can have a lay-in sometimes, and I am guilt-free when I am ill and leave them in front of the tv all day.

Penguinsandpandas · 04/03/2018 20:31

National Trust etc / swimming / canoeing in better weather / bowling / trampolining / cinema / DD has gymnastics club / seaside in better weather / pub lunch / odd theme park or farm with animals / zoo / wildlife park

CountFosco · 04/03/2018 20:33

We spend weekends ferrying children to sports. Football league games for DD1 on Saturday so DH travels all round the local area with her. Sunday they all have swimming at different times so backwards and forwards to the pool. I'd prefer we had a day free to do family activities TBH.

Kikashi · 04/03/2018 20:34

If they have a really full on week then maybe a bit of relaxing/downtime is what they need.

Could the 13 year old do a Saturday Club like drama/arts/coding and you use the time to take the smaller ones to the park? Make a list of family films that the 13 year old might watch but are saccharine enough for the younger ones - some of the Pixar films, Problem Child etc and have a movie early evening.

You could graduate some activities. The 13 year old could cook a meal/make a cake and the younger ones make rice crispie cakes or decorate a biscuit with icing and bits - that kind of thing.

Ask the the DC for suggestions and see f they can be accommodated.

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