Summer holidays

[werenotallgoingona]

Aibu to wonder how you're occupying your primary aged children or how they will be spending the summer holidays?

Mine are older now but mostly it was visiting and staying with close family members we didn't see much in term time. A vist from a friend with similar age children, days out to parks or beach. Otherwise it was a paddling pool in garden and dog walks through local fields. We were never able to afford to go away.

Yes TheVillageElder we live here.

If we didn't have the sports mornings, then DD would be on the play station or my laptop playing Roblox the whole fecking time. They can't 'play out' in a city centre aged 10, or go knocking on each others' doors. And she's an only, so no siblings to entertain each other.

She's at a sleepover tonight YAY!

Two weeks on holiday
Two weeks of holiday club
Then two weeks of things like park/museums/etc

I have two weeks off and we're aiming to visit family. Then a week by the sea. Then I'm back to work, and the childminder will be taking care of the rest as I'll be working full time.

2 weeks abroad and lots of days out planned.
1 trip per week when we’re home which they’ve chosen;
Chester Zoo
Drayton manor
Legoland
Chessington
Alton Towers

The remainder will be a mixture of walks, swimming, trampoline parks, cinema, bowling, ice skating, farms, parks, beaches, friends round to play / going round to friends & playing out.

When my kids were that age I used to plan the summer holidays like a military campaign. I'd book a few day camps in advance (football, science, multi-activity, etc), ask friends when they were going to be away so we could pencil in play dates or days out, I'd pin my parents down on when we could go and see them, and I'd book things like a week's intensive swimming lessons in the mornings so the weeks had some structure. Bung in a couple of weeks' holiday and that got us through. It's tough keeping small children amused for weeks on end.

2x weeks holidays, 1x week with grandparents and 3x weeks of summer camps while working. Will have my non working day for them to just chill.

I do find it a bit odd when people go on about children needing the 6 weeks as downtime. Most people I know will have to use camps for a good chunk of the holiday and they’re generally pretty full on. Yes they’re different to academic learning but I suspect mine will be more knackered during camp weeks than they would be at school/wrap-around.

But just because you choose to send your child to exhausting full on activities for weeks of the holiday, doesn't mean that your children wouldn't benefit from some recuperation, chilling, relaxing etc does it?

We do do a lot over the holidays, but try very hard to find a good balance. Even with my working, my child isn't in holiday clubs and I am more exhausted from very early starts to facilitate earlier finishes. But my child uses that time for home activities, playing, sleeping, etc. Then we go out after lunch when I have finished.

We both work full time so apart from the 2 weeks we are all on holiday together, DS1 will be at holiday clubs/with grandparents and DS2 will be at nursery/with grandparents.

2 weeks away then as they are older and I work part time they will be mooching at home a lot.
DH and I will probably take a few days sprinkled after our main leave.
Reading
Minecraft
Cooking
Few cinema trips
Maybe a walk and camp
Nothing else costly as the main holiday it's the expense.

“Even with my working, my child isn't in holiday clubs and I am more exhausted from very early starts to facilitate earlier finishes. But my child uses that time for home activities, playing, sleeping, etc. Then we go out after lunch when I have finished”

Well that is something of a luxury though. Many of us can’t just work with a child in the house. For a start, there is a small issue of being in an office or other workplace out of the home and secondly I don’t really have the luxury of just stopping work at lunchtime. That would be lovely but isn’t the reality for many working parents.

Do you think that my situation happened without my pushing for this?
It is in the best interests of my child, so that's what I sought out and would accept.
Just because others don't do the same, is not my fault that they don't prioritise this. Anyone could do this even if a non family friendly role currently - start looking and applying or getting better qualified to do sk5.
If you would prefer your child to, in effect, be institutionalised for 48 weeks of the year using school and wraparound care to do this, then carry on. But that is very much yours and others choices. It's not mine.

DS8

Cubs' camp
Pony Club camp
Science holiday club
Riding lesson
Swimming
Treasure Trails
Camping with friends

We’re lucky enough to live ten minutes from the beach. Kids have a annual wrist band for the local funfair and sea life centre. We have a field behind the house where the boys meet friends to play football. My girls are older so hardly see them as they window shop and go to the fun fair most days. Will probably just do a few bigger days out as treats.

Wow @TheVillageElder . Just wow.

@TheVillageElder "If you would prefer your child to, in effect, be institutionalised for 48 weeks of the year using school and wraparound care to do this, then carry on. But that is very much yours and others choices. It's not mine."

My 8yo child goes to holiday club 4 days a week for the middle 5 weeks of this years 7 week summer holiday.

It's an outdoor pursuits centre that will do kayaking, climbing, team building, bushcraft, archery, bell boating and many more outdoor activities.

The alternative would be that she entertains herself at home while I work at my desk. I personally think she'll have a lot more fun outdoors with a load of other kids, making friends and doing a wide range of activities. In no way would I describe these plans as 'institutionalised'.

Mixture of cub camps, going out to play and visiting cousins.

DS1 is going away with cubs for the first week so will just have ds2. The children's centres in our area are running lots of playgroups so will do some of them. Lots of free days out to the beach, parks and using our annual passes for the local theme park. We will also do a bigger day out at London zoo(ds2 choice) and Harry potter world for ds1. We also have things like aboard game afternoon, visit a relative, have a playdate on our summer bucket list. I am looking forward to it. Ds2 struggles with nursery and is likely to struggle starting school so looking forward to having some fun with them both over the summer.

DD will be 15

first week - at home recovering from school, checking all supplies are replaced, checking holiday homework (yeah), packing for holiday, seeing a friend

week 2+3 off to Greece

week 4+5 repacking, off to waterspout camp with the Explorers, theatre trip when back home

week 6 - ensuring all school stuff is done or finishing it, doing nothing

A couple of weeks of UK based holiday (1 near the start, 1 near the end), a couple of week long stretches doing school hours with the childminder, and the rest is odd days with DH/I/a grandparent

DC best friends go to the same childminder so they consider time there to be one long play date.

I've got one primary-aged DC (9) and an older one. The 9yo has got:

3 weeks-ish on holiday with us
1 week at home
1 week at PGL
1 week at home

I'm waiting to hear about the sports camp run by her school to see if she can go for a day or two before we leave on holiday. DH and I both work so when she's at home it will be a mix of playing with the girl next door, having a friend over and just entertaining herself. I might ask her GPs to have her for the 2 days a week when I'm in the office. Not sure what I'll do with her otherwise!

We have three kids, two circa 10/11 and one nearly 5.

We are lucky to live near a lot of beaches, so if nothing else planned just head there. Don't tend to do a whole day, normally a long morning or afternoon with rest at home.

Swim at parents'

Hang out at home

Maybe go camping a few times

See friends

Nothing planned and I can't wait, happy to mooch about at home with them or in the garden

I’m working 5 days per week, but early finishes. Dh is working flat out (needs must). Dd 11 and I will do some local things together. She likes clothes shopping now, so we’ll head into town a lot I expect.

The beach is at the end of our road, so we’ll spend time there.
We’ll also craft and bake etc…
Maybe a couple of bigger days out. Have to see how the finances go.
She really doesn’t want to go to holiday clubs this year, and I’m fine with that.