To struggle during the 6 weeks holidays?

[Cookiedough123]

I'm a teacher and many people tell me how lucky I am to have 6 weeks off. In reality I struggle with the lack of routine and loneliness that comes during this 6 weeks. I am 3 and a half weeks in now and I am struggling. If I didn't have the dog to feed in the morning I dont think I would get out of bed. Some days I dont even want to get dressed. I live with my boyfriend and have family close by but they are all working. Usually I would have a holiday half way through but we cant afford one this year. I have spent most my summer catching up with the odd friend, walking my dog and occasionally riding my friends horse. Can anyone give me any ideas to boost me up a bit and get me through the final few weeks.

Why don't you book into some cheap community classes? Art stuff? Work on some creative writing, go to museums.

I’m also a teacher but I have children to keep me (very) busy.

If I didn’t have children I would also go mad. Could you join the gym, find a hobby, go to the cinema, museums and art galleries etc?

I know some of my colleagues do temp work during the six week holidays to keep themselves busy, one of them volunteers.

Netflix

I'm a teacher too and find having a replacement routine helps.Its a big change to go from being manically busy to no routine. Reading is good, catching up with books, papers etc. Any physical activity. Giving yourself permission to do nothing, to try to relax in to it.

The more you stay at home the more you want to. This is what I find anyway. We had a day at home yesterday due to the weather and again today. No matter what the weather tomorrow I know we will need to get out of the house as for me it gets harder each day we stay in. Maybe there’s things you always want to do but don’t get time to do? Maybe sort photos? Clear the loft etc.

Feeling the same Cookie.

Contemplating going into school tomorrow to potter about the classroom and do some bits but it was mostly done before the hols.

Low on funds and everyone else is working! When the weather is good Ive tried being outside plenty and Ive done lots of cooking, library, caught up on some Netflix, had a week away, deep cleaned the house but getting restless now with all this wet weather too.

Paint your house/ do some diy or gardening (although the weather is a bit rubbish today)?
Listen to the radio- get very involved in Brexit discussions?
Start researching your family tree online?

I am the same. Worse at the moment as we are usually on our big family holiday at the minute (the rest of the family are) but I am at home as my mum is undergoing treatment for Cancer and she needs someone with her - I don't begrudge staying by the way! Just sad that I'm not away (and so is she).

My DP says it's because I use my brain so much and I'm just really not stimulated at home. We are in the process of buying a house so I have literally been lying in bed buying stuff 😂 and dragged DP and DM out to Ikea etc at the weekend.

GET ME BACK TO WORK!

In future, can you offer yourself for some holiday nannying? I bet lots of families at school would bite your hand off.

Same here, I just want to start the term. It’s my first Summer of having no children at home (both now started apprenticeships/work) and we haven’t been able to afford a holiday this year. All my friends are working and I’m totally skint. It’s just felt a never ending few weeks of cleaning, tidying, gardening and boring stuff. Think I’m going to look at getting a job over the Summer next year.

You sound depressed. I’m off in the summers too but I love it. Love it to bits. Time to sort the house out, read, go for walks, pop into town, watch Telly. Do all the things I’m too knackered to do during the school year. I get depressed, but it’s more about not having enough time off, not the opposite.

Me too. The lack of routine and purpose on the day is starting to drag. I can see some of my work colleagues, but with the best will in the world, I don't have an endless pot of money for tea and cake or lunch etc every time. I can't wait to get into school tomorrow for A level results.

I used to be like this and, like you, would have stayed in bed for six weeks if it wasn’t for my dog. I now have a child and think wistfully about those days when I would slop about getting dressed at 2pm, although at the time I struggled.

I would sometimes take myself for day out, somewhere on the train. I lived in a small town so trips to cities perked me up. There’s always something to see. I would also go to the shops and spend ages drifting about trying clothes on (rarely buying, as always skint!) - it was always good to just be out amongst people.

I used to think I’d be able to embark on a project, like painting the livingroom or whatever, but the truth is that without the bells, timetables, stress and invigorating energy given off by hundreds of teenagers I seemed hardly able to stand upright.

Lie down, cuddle your dog, watch telly and eat some cake. The maelstrom will be upon us again in a few weeks and we can go back to being stressed out, exhausted and bloody loving it.

I am sorry I am not really sympathetic at you having a six week holiday.
I have just spoken with Syrian refugees who saw children being killed.
Why don't you go and volunteer somewhere? You don't have to sit in all day by yourself

My parents were teachers in private schools. Pre-children, they always found casual work in the long holidays (two months). My dad worked on a farm for a couple of summers and my mum pulled pints in a local pub, which caused a bit of a stir apparently!

angell84 That sounds harrowing and very distressing. I hope you feel less distraught soon and can go back to allowing people to discuss difficulties they are having which, to you, are unimportant because of your own context.

Could you do some volunteer work (food bank or something)? There must be people who can only help during term time so they might be short during the summer.

Do you enjoy sport?

I'm also a teacher without children (plus I'm single) and I identify with this so much. I'm getting better as I get older but I am very capable of spending entire days in bed/on the sofa just reading, watching tv or falling down the internet black hole. I can go whole days without speaking to anyone. I tend to stay up till 3 or 4 in the morning and wake up at lunchtime if I don't have anything on which is a really unhealthy pattern. I also work in an independent school so it's an 8 week summer! I do have mental health problems though, I don't think it's that normal to need structure and work so much.

I am lucky enough to be able to go on holiday every summer so that helps. But what has really saved me is structure. I try to plan the holidays like I would a working week.

Ideas that I use:

• Having evening activities that don't stop for the summer holidays - amdram rehearsals, gym/dance classes, church groups etc
• Doing school work in school rather than at home (I'm more productive and there are always other people around to talk to)
• Picking different nearby towns or cities to visit and touring the charity shops and coffee shops (take a good book).
• Being prepared to travel to see friends and family, especially those that aren't working.
• Projects - reorganising photos, upcycling, ebaying, decluttering, redecorating
• Looking up local events, attractions and sites - many are free and they aren't all for kids (a lot are but I'm a big kid really)
• Making myself go for a walk every day so I have at least left the house.

@Armi it wasn't distressing for me . I was volunteering with them. These are people that are really suffering: that have lost everything and are living in refugee sheltere. I have no time for people complaining about something so pretentious as having a six week holiday. Go down and volunteer with the many, many people worse off than you

OrigRights - it can be surprisingly difficult to volunteer. Organisations (quite fairly) want people who can commit to them long term which, typically, teachers struggle to do. They often aren't interested in people who can offer them lots of time for 6-8 weeks but then nothing. I've been turned down twice by the foodbank and also by charity shops in the past.

I have done short term summer volunteer projects abroad (but they're so expensive), camps and clubs in the UK (but they also usually charge volunteers to attend) and work with churches/community projects if I know the people involved. But haven't found much else.

I think most people would find it hard to have sympathy for a teacher complaining about having a six week holiday. What a selfish and ridiculous thing to complain about

Sorry-brush up!

Friend's mum was a teacher. When my friend was old enough to not need constant supervision anymore she embarked on projects. One year it was the house, my friend moved into mine virtually as she redecorated and moved everything around.

One year was family history, the garden was planned and researched another. Honestly, she was busier than when she was teaching. But I think she also needed the routine and a purpose in a way.

Volunteering would be great I’m sure they’d appreciate your help.