No thought has been put into the fact that DC are on school holidays - AIBU

[FatalDistraction]

DC are off in school holidays after being stuck in for months before hand. There is very little for them to do. It's OK to shop till you drop with a mask on, but opening places for children to play and get some exercise....oh that's just too much.

I just logged on to book some cinema tickets to have something for my DC to do. There is one movie, opening at the end of August and it is a 13. There are millions of DC off school, not going on holiday, with nothing to do and they decide to put a violent, older movie on. They could have rehashed Frozen, Trolls, put on some other loved movie if there is nothing new, but no, they think we all want to see Tenet.

No one has put any thought into the fact that DC have been off for ages, are on holiday with nothing to do and are going round the bend. But shopping, that's ok. It is no wonder there are children in my town turning on others in the parks when they have nothing to do.

Shame on the lot of them.

It seems to be lost on a lot of people that children's lives have been put into suspended animation for very nearly 5 months now. By the time English schools resume next month, we'll have gone through 4 years worth of summer holidays consecutively. Half of that before hedonistic luxuries such as a playground were allowed to open. Some playgrounds are still only just opening/ or still closed because of petty beaurcracy. Lots of free or cheaper options such as swimming pools, water play, paddling pools are still closed or like the cinema OP refers to, not accessible to children.

Out of 4 public pools in a 15 mile radius. 2 are shut. 1 adult lanes only. 1 has 30 family slors per week where you have to hire half the pool, plus the weekday sessions are 5-7pm. That's serving an area of about 40,000 people.

Individual organisations are considering their own practicalities but cumulatively children's needs are being ignored and neglected as they have all the way through this giant farce. They also gain the least in public health terms.

Kids were bored of going for yet another bloody walk months ago. It makes me laugh that all these lovely, simple, free ideas get thrown out as though parents weren't intelligent enough to have though about them at some point over nearly 5 months.

This isn't the 70s/ 80s/ 90s. It's not socially acceptable to turf kids out and let them get on with it. I'm sure my 7 & 9 year olds could entertain themselves happily in the woods 150m away for a couple of hours, but it's not the done thing. They haven't got the support of other children being allowed out to play, and on the random off chance of something awful happening you'd have social services breathing down your neck for neglect, and worse case scenarios the police to deal with and media villifying you. Also children in the 70s/ 80s/ 90s didn't have 5+ months of this. Just 6 weeks at a time. We're already in week 22.

Opportunities for children are still thin on the ground and have not opened up equally with those for adults.

It's been pretty boring. DS is back to school this week (I'm back to work too) and I know he's sick of me!
But...this is how I remember my school holidays. We didn't have much money so we stayed put while others went on holidays. This summer has been endless parks, picnics, bike rides, outside play dates and one visit to the zoo (all we could afford).
I would have loved soft play, or trampoline Park. I'm dying to go for a swim but I've tried to reframe my thinking. It's a good thing DS got bored as he had to entertain himself. We've had 5 months of time together we wouldn't normally have had etc.
It's (hopefully) just one dull summer in a year best forgotten.

@DeepTreacle

funkyblackbird thank you for your suggestions which have already been enjoyed many times. Please note i said “go out when it is very hot or raining for days on end”. I don’t need ideas for at home. Thanks for skim reading and assuming I’m thick or unimaginative. I also don’t have the money to throw at expensive things. People who haven’t had newborns and preschoolers in lockdown have no idea what it has been like. I know it’s be hard for everyone (I’m certainly grateful not to have to work at the same time as I’m on mat leave) but honestly, talk about teaching your grandmother to suck eggs with those suggestions!

Don't be so ridiculous. I was trying to help, clearly I was wasting my time. We don't have the money to do expensive things either so I shared what we have done and enjoyed and will do again. Sort yourself out if you have so many ideas which are better than mine, in which case why are you reading this thread?

Totally agree with @BogRollBOGOF post

We have been canoeing, punting, inflatable assault course on a lake, picnics, parks, trampolining, thorpe park and 2 zoos. Where do you live in a cave.

The ultimate in entitlement OP

Shame on them? Get over yourself and parent your DC

Has op gone!

I grew up in the 70s and it was frequently boring as all fuck so you found stuff to do.

Op could have a read of the awesome 'shit hobbies' thread recently to find out how parents entertained kids back then ! I'm not even joking...!

Endless sports courses for kids of all ages where I am - my dc booked in for 5 weeks 9-4pm!

Where have swimming pools opened up for children? All the local pools are bookable lane swimming only

Our council pool in Suffolk has Family Bubble sessions. You can book either deep or shallow end, so maybe they've split each of the 3 usual lanes into 2, to make 6 family bubbles.

I went to my first lane swim yesterday - glorious it was!

@MumsyMumIAmNot

We have been canoeing, punting, inflatable assault course on a lake, picnics, parks, trampolining, thorpe park and 2 zoos. Where do you live in a cave.

Or maybe don't have the money to do all that.

OP I hope you manage to find some things to do.

Ahh jealous 😊

@PablosHoney

Ahh jealous 😊

Ahh unsympathetic !

Or maybe don't have the money to do all that

But not having the money to do things isn't the same as nothing being open. There are lots of things open, but not everyone can afford to do them. Surely that's the same most school holidays, most years? Some people can't afford to visit these bigger days out so do more things like walking, picnics, parks, painting whatever... It doesn't mean that nothing is open for kids, they are.

Playgrounds are open. Outdoor crazy golf, zoos, parks, activity zones. Our pool has just reopened. Beach. Cycling. Outdoor cinemas. Tree climbing. Water sports. All available near me. Some on that list should be available to you too.

What does that even mean @homecomingcabbie?? 😂

It's not the government's job to entertain your children and it's certainly not a priority.

Your local pools may not be open, OP, but have you tried looking at pools in neighbouring local authorities?

Our pools aren't open, but I can swim in 3 neighbouring local authorities and there are about 7 pools open within a 12 mile radius. All are accessible by public transport.

Oh the mummy entitlement is REAL with this one

YABU

Of course places don't care about your children being cooped up. They're your kids, your problem

Suck it up buttercup

Blimey...I really wonder how on Earth I coped as a child of the 60s, I really do 😂

Lol, I know how I did, I read my way through the local library until I was about 10, when we moved to somewhere it was safe to play out in the street.

Some playparks still shut here. Different councils, different rules.

And yet again with the egg sucking. How? Why?

We've had messy play in the garden, all sorts of nature hunts. We've explored the woodlands each day and the children have abs loved it. They seem to find something new every single day

This is fine for little ones..but try it with an older child, a tween or teen...

We've taken our two away for a week on holiday...I'm so unbelievably grateful that we've had something to break up the monotony.

It isn't a six week holiday, it's effectively a six month holiday. It's an absolute nightmare

Totally agree swimming pools have opened here for over 10s only an its only swimming lanes not much good for my 5 year old going park everyday gets a bit boring go beach 1000s of people there but hey ho we can go shopping an pub. I've now hired a bouncy castle for 3 days an invited few friends over something for her to look forward to.