Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Pressure to entertain kids during summer

35 replies

Wafflethefuckinwonderdog · 17/08/2021 13:32

This is going to sound so selfish and bad but I just want to sit down with a crappy book and a cuppa and chill for a couple of hours. Have two kids off, 6 and 4. I'm a teacher so I know I'm lucky to have that time but one or the other is constantly asking what we're doing. It feels like I'm running some sort of shitty holiday camp. Weather is crap so took them swimming this morning. Quite stressful as oldest can doggy paddle but youngest hasn't had lessons yet. After lunch, they're asking what we're doing next. All I want to do I have half hour and a cup of tea!!

Then you see so and so from round the corner den building, zip wiring and go karting on Facebook with her kids and think, why can't I do that?! Where do people get the money for a start? And the energy??

OP posts:
Mol1628 · 18/08/2021 15:13

Mine are 8 and 6 so it’s a little easier now. But I’ve always followed the same sort of routine.
Up, washed, dressed and make bed and have breakfast. Then we go and do something to tire them out. Usually a rotation of swimming, (long) walk to the library, play at the park, bike rides, scooter rides, even just a walk to the supermarket to fetch lunch. We have a car but when possible I make them walk everywhere to pass more time and get them more fresh air.
Then back for lunch. Then I have my me time. They’re tired from being out so less likely to bicker so I leave them to entertain themselves and tell them to leave me be to chill out. I feel less guilty about them having screen time if we do something physical and outdoors at least once a day.

We have maybe 2 or 3 big days out each holidays, spread out over the 6 weeks to keep things interesting. This year it’s been mini golf adventure place and sealife centre. The rest of the time it’s free or very cheap stuff.

I don’t post anything we do on social media nor do I look at what others are doing on social media. I think it’s unnecessary but that’s just me.

isthisareverse · 18/08/2021 15:18

@eddiemairswife

Don't children play with friends anymore? Parents never used to provide constant entertainment for their children.
of course they do! You just need to arrange for both to have friends on the same day, and both to be AT friends on the same day. That's 2 days done already...
isthisareverse · 18/08/2021 15:21

Swimming, bowling, kids cinema, petting zoo, boating, paddle boarding (when available), camping, national trust with den buildings etc, there are loads of cheap activities to do - local facebook groups are very useful to know what is available in your own area.

You can go "out" without spending hundreds of pound on each outing,

KatherineJaneway · 18/08/2021 15:23

Kids: We're bored
You: Find something to do then

MedusasBadHairDay · 18/08/2021 15:32

@isthisareverse

I can’t imagine having to entertain two kids for six weeks!

probably best if you don't have kids then. Nothing wrong with it, but entertaining your own children is not such a chore Confused

such a relief from the rush around work and school, or worst - so much worst - working AND homeschooling.

It can be a chore though, not always of course, but it really can.

I love spending time with my kids, but there's always a point where they are complaining they're bored and none of the things you suggest they do are acceptable to them. Or you were just going to sit and relax for 5 minutes, maybe you have something you want to do that's just for you (read a book, watch TV, do a hobby - anything that's not housework or work really) and they want you to come and arrange something to entertain them. It absolutely can feel like a chore.

Doomscrolling · 18/08/2021 15:40

I had 3 bored children and a husband who worked away during the week. We ended up with A System during their primary school years. (A System is even better than A List)

At the start of the holidays everyone wrote on strips of paper Inside Things To Do and Outside Things To Do. Outside had a price limit.

All were vetted by me as appropriate so “Feed youngest to the swans” for example, got weeded out.

We had a coloured piece of paper on the fridge with the heading This Week on it.

On a Monday after breakfast each child would pull out a strip of paper from both jars and blutak them to the Week page. It became quite the big deal. No substitutions or reselections unless weather prevented it. No arguments.

Then we had a mix of indoor, outdoor and (importantly) free stuff that we’d do over the course of that week.

There were things like Ride The Whole Bus Route At The Top, library visits, scavenger hunts, blanket forts, indoor picnics, lots of films/audio books while colouring etc, and the city we live in did lots of free things for children too, so I got on the appropriate mailing lists to put about them.

We also had Film Festivals (think Harry Potter, Star Wars, Disney) - one day was making posters, making tickets, then the next we’d make a “snack kiosk”, each child could invite one friend if they wanted. They’d roll dice to see who got to be the usher showing people to seats with a torch in the darkened living room etc. That killed quite a lot of time, thank god.

Paddling pool at night with glow sticks was another big hit. (Bubble bath in the dark with glow sticks is hilarious).

If you have a small tent you can put up in the garden, that also keeps them busy and quiet for ages.

Best of luck!

stripedbananas · 18/08/2021 15:44

My DC at that age were in Summer clubs for a lot of the time because there's no way I could do all that crafty crap with them Grin plus of course there's loads of other DC their age to hang out with.

dottydodah · 18/08/2021 15:49

I think a morning/afternoon activity is fine! When home have lunch .Tidy up ,then read the paper in peace .A video or favourite TV show to watch for an hour or so, is completely acceptable .SM is just a show off "look at us " for many people .Most DC are going to get bored as Summer hols wear on!

elliejjtiny · 18/08/2021 15:49

My 10 year-old has been like that these holidays. My teenagers just want to stare at screens like zombies and my 7 and 8 year olds are just happy to not be at school.

I find having having things written down on a chart on the wall helps a bit and some kind of routine. I've been doing 3 activities a week, mostly cheap stuff, grandparents round for tea every Thursday and 1 day free to do housework/chill out/whatever.

00100001 · 18/08/2021 15:50

What's next?

We're going home, and you can play there.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page