Lord help me with my moaning children

[Moaningdc]

Goodness me can someone please help me with my moaning ungrateful dc?

So far we have been away on holiday for a week, they've been on football camp for a week. So far so good.

This week and next are going to be pottering about at home. They've got a couple of days at grandparents while I work, these will be lazy days for them as they'll just watch tv at grandparents. I'm going to take them swimming, to a small zoo and probably the cinema, but I'm not spending money entertaining them every single day. Then we will be going away on holiday again.

Today we've had a slow morning then I've said they can ride their bikes to the park, have lunch we will go to the the library, then I've said that eldest can cook them both a simple meal, because he is too fussy to eat the very ordinary meal I'm making (chilli) and will just refuse to eat.

All I've had is moaning, whining and protests at how it's boring and they don't want to do any of that.

All they want to do is sit around watching tv or playing on consoles. Everything is met with screeching protests.

How old are they OP? Have they got any suggestions?
Mine are 10 and 11 and i made them make a list. Some free (picnic/museum), some smaller cost (swimming) and a larger day out

Obviously you know your family best but I'd just let them chill as you have planned. Holiday, football, grandparents, library, zoo, swimming, cinema sounds like a lot of activity (completed or planned) so maybe this will balance things out a bit. Mine get whingy without enough down time. I don't think screen time is the evil it's made out to be unless it stops you doing things that are necessary.

If they moan or protest, tell them to leave the room. They might continue doing it in their rooms but you'll hear it less. They soon run out steam.

A woman I met had a big plastic jar labeled I'm bored. Anyone who came to her and said it had to pick a piece of paper in the jar and do what it said. It had all sorts of jobs that always needed doing around the house. She swore it worked wonders the first summer she used it. The house was lovely and tidy. The kids cottoned on pretty quick and stopped saying it, which was a win for her.