To be absolutely dreading February half term

[Whatdoesitmatterif]

I know i am being a bit pathetic about this but It's actually making me feel so nervous and sick because I know it's going to be impossibly hard.
the weather will no doubt be shit.
The kids will just fight at any given opportunity if I take my eye of them for a second.
we live in a small flat with no outside space or anything like that.
I have no money to do anything with them, we will be stuck in the flat pretty much the whole time.
i know I need to just build up some resilience and just get on with things like everyone else does and make the best of it but I just want to cry at the thought of trying to entertain everyone for a week, one dc has sen and I'm a single parent so even just going to the park or the shops can be very chaotic when I have to take the children with me.
the February half term is definitely the worst, most miserable one imo!

I used to hate feb half term, nothing open, rubbish weather and squabbling siblings

@Abracadabra12345 eh? Sorry your post didn't make sense.

What's the significance of the rainbow?

I wonder how many of the sanctimonious arses on the thread are broke and live in a flat.

It's so easy to say just stay in and do free, educational activities if you have the means to go out if cabin fever kicks in.

You have my sympathies OP. DS2 is autistic, and occupying the three kids during holidays can be hard, especially if the weather's shit. DS2 is liable to run off into the road or throw himself down if he gets fed up so if it's just me taking all 3 out somewhere I sometimes have to pop him in the SN buggy - but then if he's in that he's missing out on burning off his copious energy!😭

*Ha. I home educate and spend every single waking min with my children and have done for years. My kids don't go to a school so I don't have a break

I always find these posts so strange....and I must admit it's something I can't even understand. They're your children surely you want to spend time with them?*

And the winner of THE most annoying, smug and unhelpful post goes to ...

Asda are doing free food during half term, that's a day out in itself

www.facebook.com/131236596964480/posts/pfbid028RiGFUEniecHwCcTbqLqo4wHdgqrg2wMQYRq678n1sQBF9PCViDouyVu4ZdK729Pl/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot the runner-up.

I'm really not being nasty,but why did you have children if you are dreading time spent with them ?
they are going to pick up on this you know.
negativity attracts more negativity to you.
try to think of the positives of having them with you and enjoying family time together.🌈

So that's 7 hours today and you say you will do the same next week.

Am I reading that correctly?

OP, I’m sorry this thread has attracted so many utter dicks.
There are lots of good suggestions from others on what you could do to help get through the week. No doubt some of them won’t work for you because of where you are, your particular kids, your finances etc etc. But hopefully some ideas might help.
That aside, you are totally within your rights to be dreading half term and to want to a moan about it. It’s shitty circumstances, making the best of shitty circumstances gets old quickly. No amount of fun free library activities or park trips will fully fix that. Have a look at threads on chat and other parts of the forum - they tend to be much more supportive than AIBU. But, for the record, of course YANBU.

A local charity is hosting a free space to go plus lunch, activities and snacks in our village. Can you check local churches? Anyone can go this. It runs once a week.

I don't know if this will be of any help to anyone, but this came through on my FB feed just now.

Wow. I dread to think what you're teaching your children. I'm a secondary English teacher and we absolutely would not tolerate that lack of empathy from our students.
Firstly, it makes for cold and uncompassaionate adults of the future.
Secondly, if a child showed this lack of understanding, sympathy and empathy towards a character, they'd fail their literature GCSE!

I hope you're different with them to what you are on here otherwise you can save yourself the pat on the back for home educating because someone like you shouldn't be!

It's OK to not want to spend every hour with your children! I love mine like every other parent but I'm also a person outside being "Mum" and I enjoy that, doesn't make me less loving or a worse parent

& your posts just show that no amount of education is the same as living it.

That all the education will not teach empathy & understanding.

your comment about kids not running into the road at school, beggars belief.

Stop preaching at parents who live this & don't just spout theories.

Hi OP
Sorry you've had some cruel and nasty replies on here.
Sometimes parenting is really bloody difficult, particularly with younger ones, kids with SEN, no outdoor space, and no money
I really feel for you.
Take each day as it comes and do your best.
They love you.

I don’t think it’s normal or healthy to want to spend every waking minute with your children

Agree. And even less healthy to deny them the opportunity to experience the world independently, and benefit from a bredth of social and educational opportunities that one person can't possibly provide in order to indulge yourself.
OP, some people lack the ability to distinguish between not wanting to spend time with your children per se, and not wanting to spend time with your children in miserable circumstances. It takes a singular lack of imagination not to understand that financial, housing and even weather conditions can make the difference between quality time with your children and a miserable time with them.
I hope you're able to do some of the things suggested on here and that you don't feel bad about a natural response to a very challenging prospect.

Oh do fuck off

Sending hugs- it can feel very overwhelming at times.
It would be worth asking either your HV or council if there’s any kind of children’s centre or team that can send you links to events given you have one with SEN; here some are free and some are not but you can lick and choose. They are also good at the ‘coffee and breathe’ type of thing.

This is an activity I thought of. Photo scavenger hunt

Get them a camera each or even your phone if willing. give them a theme e.g. photo everything green or blue or whatever you want. Off they go. Get a walk and something to focus on and learn a life skill all in one.

Yep

One thing I have found op - if you have family and friends who buy your kids gifts for Xmas and birthdays, ask for vouchers to do things. Vouchers for the cinema, restaurants etc. Then save them for things like half term. Honestly I find it so much better than people buying the kids toys that don't even get played with.

Money is always tight for me too so it really can help. I'm just honest and say anything to contribute towards taking the kids out is better than toys.