To just want a peaceful Sunday morning with serene children?

[BergamotMouse]

My kids are just manic, age 6 & 4. Either one on their own and it's fine. Put them both together and it's about 4X the noise and chaos. Both fighting to be heard with increasingly whingey voices, one doing a headstand, the other falling off the kitchen bench, oh where's that remote control car come from that your driving around the kitchen like a maniac??!

DH sat there absorbed in the newpaper with radio 3 blaring in the background to add the noise, probably a stressful trumpet heavy orchestral piece.

I just can't deal with the noise and chaos, find myself using my stern voice for the whole morning! I know I should engage with them more, sit down and have a wonderful Sunday breakfast and a chat but it's no fun (I'll just get stressed out by one of them making loud dablahblahrookle type sounds on repeat!), I do it 6 other days a week and just want a break to drink a cup of tea.

What can I do??!

Mine are on their tablets with headphones whilst I drink a cup of tea. It’s lovely. Recommend it. The cat is giving me the most grief currently.

Screens. TV. That's what we used to do as kids on weekend mornings and it's what my kids do now!

Your husband listens to Radio 3?! I've never known anyone to listen to Radio 3, or Radio 4 for that matter.

Lots of people listen to R3 and R4! Weekly listening figures high to low, 3rd quarter 2022:

1. Radio 2 - 14.4 million
2. Radio 4 - 10.2 million
3. Radio 1 - 8.1 million
4. Radio 3 - 1.7 million

I feel you! I get so overstimulated with lots of noise. We have a nearly three year old and 5 month old. There's lots of noise. I'm contemplating investing in some loop earplugs just to take edge off. Can still hear but drowns out background noise

I remember those days as well...we used to take it in turns. One Sunday I would get up, the next Sunday dh would do it. We would sit and watch TV or take them out, whatever - but the other one would stay in bed and ignore whatever was going on, knowing it was their turn the next week. I thoroughly recommend this approach.

I had years where I couldn't bear the radio noise on top of all the other noise!

Thankfully, I'm through the other side now that my youngest is 10, and we both companionably listen to r4 together.

In the meantime, I'd suggest alternate lie ins - you can stay in your peaceful bed, and maybe getting out early on the weekend too. It will pass and instead you'll be struggling to get your kids out of bed!

Just wait a few years and it will all be over. Mine are 10 and 14; youngest only just got up and is making his own breakfast. Eldest won't surface for a good few hours.

I'm about to go out with dh for a run.

When the kids were smaller we took it in turns to get up. Only way to survive.

I also listen to radio 4 (not on a Sunday morning though).

Stay in bed and tell sh to bring you breakfast.

Turn the radio off, you definitely don't need that adding to the chaos. DH can buy himself some headphones if he wants to listen to it anytime on Sunday Mornings, or he can take the kids out & listen to it in the car!

Then whatever it takes to keep the kids quiet for an hour TV/Garden

I'm guess as DH is able to 'switch off' within the chaos, he's probably not that keen to do alternate Sundays with you, especially as he does the school runs. But talk to him & see what he's willing to do to help you.

it feels relentless when you're in the middle of it, but they do grow through this stage pretty quickly & most of us do actually miss it, once it has passed.

we used to play cafes a lot - it was a bit tedious at the time, but a relatively easy way to pass the time with a cup of tea in hand.

We're pretty strict on tech. If they could take it or leave it it would be ok but once we let them have a bit they're asking for it constantly. They usually have an hour or two of tv on a Saturday and Sunday late afternoon. Maybe we should shift this to the morning! It would solve all our problems as they would be zombified but our overall life seems easier without much tv.

I think R3 and R4 are fairly normal.

We normally have R4 on but it's Sunday worship so switch to R3 on a Sunday. And sometimes if I can't bear the sound of more talking added to the mix I switch to R3

Hmm, I will consider becoming religious to escape!!

I do actually have loop earplugs. The fanciest, most expensive ones they offer. It slightly takes the edge off. But mine are very high pitched.

Granddaughter and daughter upstairs supposed to be eating breakfast but I can hear screaming laughing and the computer chair being span round on the wooden floor. It's getting on my last nerve. I'm going to hoover in a minute to drown them out.

Up and out. They sound bored.

We're out not for a day out at a children's museum! That'll wear them out.

Nice one. Good move.

It won't always be like this. Mine are 8 and 11 now and sleep in until 9/10am on a Sunday. We've just had bacon sandwiches and a chat. Eldest has now gone back upstairs and youngest playing roblox on her tablet for a bit. Husband and I chilling for an hour. These has been my favourite ages of the kids so far. All the noise, tantrums, craziness has gone now

I used to do stuff like taking them to the woods and getting them running around till they were tired out. 3 boys all older now, it gets easier.

That’s so weird my almost 7 year old DD does a fantastic southern accent. Wonder if there is something they watch with someone in with this accent?
it cracks me up. Close my eyes I’m in Louisiana 😂

@BergamotMouse I have no answer, as currently my three are making such a racket underfoot they make a herd of elephants resemble ballerinas. If we lived in a first floor flat the residents below would have lost it some time ago.

Excellent. Plenty of opportunities for hurtling around.

@RocketIceLollie

“Embrace it. You'll miss it when they are grown up and move out.“

she might not though.

You've gotta use it strategically. What does the afternoon get you - time to cook dinner in piece? Or are you doing chores while they zonk?

We use it morning and later afternoon so we get our chilled start to the day and then while dinner cooks we can do various jobs and maybe even have a conversation.

Isn't this exactly when so many men take up cycling?

Can you ride a bike? Or swim? Maybe you could learn?

We do a 2 hour dog walk on a Sunday morning. DC are much calmer & quieter after that!