School holidays are so expensive

[singingismypassion]

I feel I have literally shredded money so far these holidays. Children seem to have had a nice time but we haven't even done that much...
Sports camp for 3 days for one child
Riding for 4 days for one child
Two day trips to NT houses

How can you not get it?
"Mum. Can I meet my friends today - everyone is meeting up for cinema and hot chocolate”
Are you really gonna make them stay at home and watch all their friends talking about it on Instagram/ snapchat etc?
If you really are giving your pre/early teen a fiver a day for hot chocolate I hope she is at least earning it with chores. If not I'd suggest she invite friends over instead of going out.

Kids who are easily entertained.
My kids are very easily entertained. Every time they tell me they're bored I give them a chore to do.
They are lit never bored.

Nobody should feel that they have to "entertain" their children constantly during the holidays. It"s nice to take children out to have new experiences, but I wish there wasn't so much pressure to do things that cost a lot of money.

No not daily choli.
But I have several children and as they get older this is the type of stuff they like to do.
They are brilliant at chores and really independent. I’m in awe of them.
But they’re expensive!

I take DD to work. If she does something useful she gets paid. She is too shy to speak to anyone so that precludes most jobs like delivering something to another room or answering the door/phone ....so mostly she just goes on her phone or does homework.

Totally agree Choli

Don't children amuse themselves any more? BarbarianMum has the right idea, if they say they are bored, give them a chore to do and they will suddenly find something absolutely fascinating to keep themselves amused.

The inverse snobbery is horrible on here.

Don't children amuse themselves any more
Yeah, They sit in front of the Xbox all day. id like them to actually leave the house, get some exercise, meet up with friends, do something else now and again.

Well mine only finished up today. Tomorrow is lunch and a small bit of shopping with granny (we have some vouchers to spend if we see anything). Sunday I will probably visit some family. Next week I have no plans as of yet but it will probably be a mix of beach walks, hot chicks in the local cafe, skate parks and play parks and picnics. There’s a birthday party on Friday that DD is going to. And then next Saturday DH and I are going away on a city break for 5 days. DC are staying with Gp but I will leave money for activities/petrol/foodso that’ll be about 200 just to cover everything. Although I do have some vouchers for the local soft play center.

Why do you need to fill the days with activities?

Kids have plenty of toys at home to entertain themselves

I remember being a kid and we would have 1 activity for a week off school,rest of time was either playing with toys or out on bikes etc. Watching films. Yes i remember sometimes saying i was bored which was fine.

As pp have said, you have chosen to spend that much money

*hot chocs not hot chicks 😂😂😂😂

Become a farmer. My kids are under 10 so happy to poke about in a wood/stream/mud patch/race the dog.

Age 11+ they want something they'll be working for it!!

Seriously though, when did all this have amazing days out crap start. I had one day out per holiday as a child. Summer was a day trip to Clacton. Easter was the train to London and then pick A museum and winter was Santa on the Nene valley railway. As a teenager you poke about with your village mates surely?! Maybe the cinema once in a holiday?

What about free stuff (or vaguely cheap) for teens. Join YFC, guides, volunteer at the church kids group.

The most I’ve spent is the petrol to the beach and some fish n chips. The rest of the time they’ve seen friends or family, gone to the park or done things at home - my 9yo is currently working on watercolour painting and teaching herself via YouTube videos.

@Redcrayons I remember those days! Between the ages of 10 - 13 thereabouts the horrors did not want to leave the house. I would insist that one day per week was a family day so that left the other 6 with me tied to the bloody house. As soon as they were old enough to be left I did. It was easier when they were infant school age. We went everywhere

Mine are grown now but i used to use my tesco points to buy tickets for woburn, cinema etc. Take a picnic & snacks, only cost is extra petrol.

Also I tend to do one day out and one day home, mine just get too tired and annoyed if we have to get in the car every day. They have plenty of space and things to do, playhouse, sandpit, slide etc in the garden and a playroom to play in. And movies are popular here too!!

We spend a lot of time at NT property near by as my OH works there so we have picnics, kids take part in 50 things activity, little seedlings, craft cart and this time of year the egg hunt. During summer hols we save up the vouchers from the sun for the theme park days out and use them for big days out, we have lots of bike rides and picnics. We like a good bake day as well. Generally though my two love the get out the playmobil or wooden food, they’ll play happily for hours

They don't have to be expensive. I've got 5 dc so always looking for cheap/free things to do because a trip to softplay/trampoline park costs a fortune. So far older ones have been on a sleepover to grandparents house while I do gym/softplay with little one. We've had friends round, played in the garden. Free kayaking next week. My dc like taskmaster on tv so I've made up my own tasks like getting them to make a birthday cake out of lego together. Spent £7 on activities this week although I have to admit I've probably spent loads on extra food.

I miss NT places we used to live in uk and Dh Is from us and has lifetime membership but we live in Ireland now so we can’t use it 😭😭

I see that first we got the competitive non-spenders on the thread, whose kids stay home all week and eat weeds from the yard, and then the competitive non-entertainers arrived with tales of how their kids are left to themselves until they start making duster doilies to relieve the tedium, because boredom is so good for them and brings out their creativity. Or their kids simply love the holiday club at the end of the road that gets them sewing mailbag for a reasonable £3 a day and all the ship's biscuits they can eat.

Carry on. Things are unfolding pretty much as I expected.

From uk

It’s cost me a small fortune and my children have done nothing so far. Childcare costs are expensive as I have to work as normal and when you have a disabled teenager who is too old for “normal” childcare but not safe to be left alone it’s not cheap to hire a specialist to care for them.

I don't get the snotty attitude regarding the horse comment. I live in the countryside and lots of people have access to a horse. Not everyone who regularly goes riding is minted.

Lol Buttery.

I guess when they’re older you forget you used to pay £60+ every sodding day you had to work for nursery.
Mine hasn’t been at school long so it’s still fresh in my mind and half that amount for holiday or sports camp feels like a bargain!