To be dreading the summer holiday

[BigRedLondonBus]

I feel like an awful mum for saying this but I am really dreading the summer holidays. I have 4 children and I am a single parent (ex is absent) so I am with them all the time as I don’t have any help with them. I am really not sure how I’m going to survive the summer holidays! I am really not looking forward to it as I just know it’s going to be a nightmare. They fight constantly, I won’t have much money to do things either and even on the weekends the house is always a tip because they make so much mess so the holidays will be even worse. Aibu to be dreading it? Is anyone else dreading it?

It's shit when you dont have money to do stuff and older ones dont want to play in the garden or go to the park, which will undoubtedly be suggested. I'm no help but feel your pain.

I’m dreading the mess! I’m getting better at embracing it but sometimes the house is a shit tip by the end of the weekend. I find the best thing for a tidy house is not to use it! I try to spend most of the day outdoors.
There are loads of free things to do. Do you drive?

My kids love the park... I hate the park as they can’t seem to play independently!

River/lake walks, a towel, cozzy and a pack lunch and they’re happy!

Visiting relatives... both sets live at least 4hrs away so I just crash at their houses for a week 😀

I’m going to learn to embrace the mess!

And hide in my bedroom 😂

We tend to get together with other mums and kids a couple of times a week at each others houses or at various parks. Even if the kids aren't good friends they tend to muck in and find something they can do together.

I bloody love the summer holidays, though it’s a juggle with work.

I was a single parent of 3 for many years and had a term time only job and no spare cash at all.....so we planned parks, parks, and more parks with picnics. I got national trust membership and went somewhere at least every week. Local swimming baths, cheap Saturday morning screenings at cinema with a bag of £1 shop sweets (tickets were £1!), scout fb pages for local play schemes and events.

There’s loads on if you look.

And do picnics, walks, parks, woods etc to fill the blanks.

My local council always have a bus trip to the coast, for about £9 each which we always did.

Tired kids are easier to manage 😂

I try to find as many out of the house free activities. Check what activities your local council run. Mine have free park activities. The fire station run activities. Local splash park with picnic. I guess it depends on your kids ages. I also meet friends in the park. I spend a lot of time in parks!

I don’t have any friends with kids so going to all the places on my own is very lonely, especially when everyone seems to be out with their partner/family

It’s a lot easier if you drive, do you? If not it can be tricky. I recommend the app Hoop though, lots of free activities in your local area. Do you have a garden? Open the door and force them out in it if so. If you have a local library, that’s always a great (free) way to waste an hour. Poundland has some great cheap crafts, that’s always an option and baking is fun and inexpensive.

YANBU though, I find the summer holidays far too long and also hate the endless mess.

No I don’t drive. They are definitely too long! Do have a garden though so that’s something I suppose

How old are they OP? Here are my cheap summer hols ideas for primary school age.
Do you have a local library that does a reading challenge over the summer?
Get lots of play dates set up-having friends over keeps them entertained and if they get invited back gives you time off.
Take a picnic to the park with you makes it more interesting and longer outing-especially if you have a splash park.
Get them to help you do house/garden jobs and pay them a small amount then Take them to the charity shop to choose a new toy or book with their earnings. Charity shops often have loads of board games and jigsaws for next to nothing, and DVDs for a family movie night. Pop your own popcorn -less than a pound for a packet that lasts ages.
Baking-it's messy play that results in something hopefully edible.
Hope that helps and good luck.

If you have

I don’t know where you live, but if you’re near a hobbycraft they have free sessions 2/3 times a week. They are prebookable now but you can do ceramic painting, slime making, wind chime making and loads of other stuff. My kids are doing one a week!

Pets at Home also do little furry petting sessions every week in the summer holidays and, if you don’t have pets, they won’t be nagging you to buy something on the way out!

We aim to do 2 paid activities a eeek (one cheap and one that’s a ‘treat’) and then free activities the other 5 days a week. If you look about and book stuff in now then it’s very possible to entertainment without much cash

And as Pp says, tired kids are cleaner and easier to manage!!

Yes, it's not much fun but planning is the key: meals and activities. Do you have room in the garden for a tent? Involve the kids with tidying up and cleaning.
I find they like doing jobs that arn't tidying their rooms, so cleaning the loo for example or hoovering are more grown up jobs.
How old are they? Is the oldest able to babysit for short periods? Mine are older so can be left while I pop out for a bit.

Make a time table

Search for free stuff in the area - add to the calendar - include stuff going on at the library

Other days invite a few friends round for a water fight

Parks and this at least twice a week

Find some films to records or search charity shops

Save up some boxes bottle tops and get some glue for an afternoon making things

Get some old sheets and build dens in the garden

Chalks are always cheap, as are bubbles

Baking is always a good one

Visit other relatives

Pay for a day bus ticket and go explore

Suddenly you have loads in the calendar and it seems less daunting

Also OP try to make friends with their friends mums, invite them in for a cuppa when they drop off or pick up from a play date then suggest a meet up at the park. Having mum friends makes a huge difference.

I find it lonely as its only 1 DC & I.

At least yours will play together?

My DD just shouts at me the whole time, telling me what she's doing!

When I see couples everywhere, I wonder if the women are secretly on the Mumsnet Relationship boards as their DHs are intolerable. Its gets me through days out alone

I know most families are genuinely happy, but some are not.

Plus when I get home, I just have myself and DD to think about.

Im working mostly through the summer, & DD will go to a Forest School.

Tax credits will pay 70% towards Childcare costs., which I am extremely grateful for.

We have loads of Nurseries around here that offer care through the holidays, from 08.00-18.00 & we are rural.

Could you put 2 in holiday club on some days?

I tell Tax Credits the week before online, it takes seconds to sort.

Good luck.

I use Tesco clubcard vouchers to pay for the occasional expensive day out, you can also use them at Cineworld

We also do as others have mentioned, the free activities at Hobbycraft and kids club cinema trips are really cheap with pound land snacks. Even picnic in the garden.

I'm dreading them to be honest - I'm lucky in that I am off work during school holidays so don't have to worry about paying for holiday clubs but I can't get out and about much (generally need a second adult with me as DC1 has ASC and at risk of bolting off and DC2 hates being in the pushchair now so shes no longer contained in case of DC1 having a meltdown) so I imagine we will rapidly descend into tantrums all round as usual routine is suspended and DH is only off a few scattered days for outings.

YANBU

I have two children with SEN and it's almost impossible to take them out on my own.

I dread the long holiday - definitely prefer term time.

So do mums who hate the summer holidays usually have schools days free to tidy, cook, etc?

I get ultra organised in the holidays, plan plan plan. Even if the plan is to stay home, make a theme of it.

So our first week is
Monday - fountains (they can play in) and picnic
Tuesday - adventure park (free)
Wednesday - bake off competition at home
Thursday - pirate day at home, games, menu, dressing up all pirate themed.
Friday - cinema

I wish they would play together but they just fight. They are 8,7,5 and 2.

Not made any friends at the school with any of the mums so won’t be any play dates. I do have a few friends but they are Child less or have teens so aren’t interested in doing anything involving children. Some good ideas though Can’t wait for September!

What's public transport like nearby? Even a short bus / train trip is fun when you are that age.

Dfriend's kids fondly remember having a picnic breakfast.

Where do you live?