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?

Mine 5 and 8 and I work term time only so always feel like I need a holiday as well! So I try and plan things so I get some downtime too. So mine get tv/screen time until 9. That is my lie in/alone time.

Then we have a big breakfast together and plan the day.
I write up the day so they know what they are doing. I make a timetable ( eg 10-12 park, 12-2 lunch and quiet time, 2-3 arts and crafts, 3-4 play with toys, 4.30-5 walk, 5-7 dinner, bath, bed)

If we go out we always have an hour of quiet reading/puzzles upon our return.

I also make an effort with meal times as we are so busy during term time and they try new foods and help prepare.

My friends are old school friends who either haven’t had children or were teenager mothers so now have children who are 15/16. I’m not the type that would approach someone so haven’t made any friends at the school and wouldn’t know how to go about changing that

You sound exactly like me!

Do you have a local Facebook page, or the Mush app? You can post and ask to meet up with other mums at the park/walk/Soft play?

You have to be brave and take that step the first time. I did it on my second mat leave as I'd been so lonely on my first mat leave with DD and it turned out to be a life saver. Most days people would just post something, often just on the day or night before like, I'm going to be at X park at this time with my children aged X, if anyone fancies joining us for a chat and play.

It was a good way to meet local parents, even if I never saw them again it was a change for the day, and a couple of them I still meet up with every few months. I'm sure there will be others in the same situation over the hols.

It's good you have a garden. If you have some old sheets/duvet covers you could set them up with a teepee to have adventures in.
Plant pots with seeds they can all grow different things in and take care of every day
Scrap books to fill in with pictures or diary entries of their days
Cinema set up a couple of times a week with a movie, closed blinds, popcorn

Our primary has a case rep for each class who arranges socials for the parents, I understand how that would be hard though to get to as would need childcare- I think they do some after drop off coffees and the like. I thought most schools did this

Mine are similar ages to yours OP, can't remember if you said you live anywhere near the coast? If so, mine love collecting shells and big pebbles (don't forget to take a sturdy bag or container!), when we get home they paint them outside and then varnish them later, they look lovely displayed in the garden and nice reminders of their art skills years later! Free if you have paints already of course.

Have a look on Pinterest for ideas to do in the garden, making dens etc, just gather everything they could use and leave them to it!

Also, make their own playdough or saltdough? Google it, it is sooo easy. I work at pre-school and make this every other day!

They can make allsorts. Add colourings, flavourings etc. Set up a bakers shop and they can make the 'cakes' and 'bread' to sell.

Get out and about into the countryside, local woods etc. Print off the national trusts 100 things to do before you’re 11 )can’t remember the exact title), you can spend the summer ticking off these for free.

Go for walks along the river/canal by a lake print off a list of things to spot.

Visit some local churches, find out about local history.

Races in the garden, egg and spoon, dress up etc.

Movies for juniors is dirt cheap.

Have a bake off/cake decorating completion

Also there’s some Cheap tents around you could go camping in the garden