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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

When does the fun stuff stop

79 replies

Banditandchilliputustoshame · 02/10/2023 16:17

With kids?

Its exhausting undoubtedly but lots of fun activities with Dd, 5. What age does this generally end..?

OP posts:
UndercoverCop · 02/10/2023 16:18

What do you class as fun? This seems an odd question.
For example I detest soft play and love the theatre, the ratio of these will only improve as DS gets older

Original poster
Banditandchilliputustoshame · 02/10/2023 16:24

@UndercoverCop Most of it…the ice creams, cinema, bouncy castles, playgrounds, zoo etc etc

OP posts:
SamAndEIIa · 02/10/2023 16:27

This is the weirdest post ever 😂

Im in my mid 30s and my mum and I still sometimes eat ice cream or go to the cinema. Except the bonus is she doesn’t need to wipe my arse or stop me running into traffic now.

Octobermeterreadtime · 02/10/2023 16:29

My dd is now 34 and still comes to zoos, parks etc with the youngest...(9)

jeaux90 · 02/10/2023 16:30

SamAndEIIa · 02/10/2023 16:27

This is the weirdest post ever 😂

Im in my mid 30s and my mum and I still sometimes eat ice cream or go to the cinema. Except the bonus is she doesn’t need to wipe my arse or stop me running into traffic now.

🤣 love this

SamAndEIIa · 02/10/2023 16:30

Octobermeterreadtime · 02/10/2023 16:29

My dd is now 34 and still comes to zoos, parks etc with the youngest...(9)

You aren’t allowed to do that. Once your child turns 7, you must stop having fun with them at all costs.

Octobermeterreadtime · 02/10/2023 16:38

Dd is the worst instigator of fun in our family.

Original poster
Banditandchilliputustoshame · 02/10/2023 16:38

Ok. I mean the bulk of the fun stuff as above. My friend has an 11 year old for example, she’s lovely, but spends most of her time in her room and eye rolls/side eyes any *Fun suggestions from the mum of things they can do together…😂basically anything aside from clothes shopping

OP posts:
Original poster
Banditandchilliputustoshame · 02/10/2023 16:39

@Octobermeterreadtime Why?

OP posts:
Finteq · 02/10/2023 16:39

Mine is 9 and we still have lots of fun

arethereanyleftatall · 02/10/2023 16:40

Banditandchilliputustoshame · 02/10/2023 16:24

@UndercoverCop Most of it…the ice creams, cinema, bouncy castles, playgrounds, zoo etc etc

Eh? I'm fairly sure I'm still allowed to eat an icecream, go to the cinema and to the zoo even though I'm 48.

dameofdilemma · 02/10/2023 16:41

When puberty properly kicks in. Its like mogwai to gremlin.

TadpolesInPool · 02/10/2023 16:41

I have tonnes of fun with my 9 and 12 year olds. Playing in the swimming pool, playing cards, playing video games together.

Last summer we did loads of activities together and it was great: canyoning, canoeing, hiking, cycling, via ferrata, rock climbing, playing in the waves....

Ozgirl75 · 02/10/2023 16:42

I have an 11 and 13 year old and I think it’s more fun now than it was when they were small! We still go to the cinema but it’s to good (ish) films or if I don’t like the film I can drop them off and pick them up later. We go to interesting museums together, plus we’ve all done high ropes, climbing, theme parks, water parks etc. We all like outdoor things so we all do that. They also like go karting so we’ve done that too and it’s fun.
Then they also like a trampoline park which I don’t want to do so I drop them and read my book in the cafe while they jump.
We even occasionally go to a playground although not often as it’s too young for them, but you don’t just tail off fun things and replace them with nothing - you find new fun things to do.

TheaBrandt · 02/10/2023 16:43

I much prefer teens as what we enjoy now overlaps - eating out /musicals / vintage stores etc. Don’t personally enjoy hanging round parks, soft play or trampoline centres but guess if you love that you may be bereft when they hit 13.

That said from 13 ish they mostly want to be with their friends anyway so important to keep your own life going for when you inevitably get binned by your teen.

BaronessBomburst · 02/10/2023 16:43

DS is 13 and we still do fun stuff together.
We shoot Nerf guns, race each other on a zip line, which we're both too big for, watch cartoons, and just generally dick around. The difference is that when the timer goes he can get the pizzas out the oven himself.

AboutRound · 02/10/2023 16:43

Mine are 17 & 19 and it’s brilliant fun. Can drink beer with them and go to live comedy and they still like watching Harry Potter. Mine have mostly always liked our company except when one of them had a toxic partner who has now been binned thank fuck.

Stephisaur · 02/10/2023 16:45

Hugely dependent on the child, I think.

There's a point where 'fun' comes off as 'childish', so it's about reevaluating what 'fun' activities are. Instead of ice cream and the park, it might be shopping and the cinema.

I'm 32 and going pumpkin picking with my mum for the 5th year running in a few weeks, so the fun stuff definitely comes back round!

Ozgirl75 · 02/10/2023 16:45

I agree @BaronessBomburst - you still get to do the fun things but equally they can make themselves a meal and can be left at home for a while if you’re doing something else.
And the zoo - we went to Edinburgh zoo this summer instigated by my 13 year old DS as he wanted to see the Pygmy hippo and we had the most fun day out. AND we even had an ice cream….

littlepeas · 02/10/2023 16:45

Still having a brilliant time with my 3dc aged 15, 14 and 12!

Ilovelurchers · 02/10/2023 16:47

I find dd funner than ever at 11 - we watch films together, go to the cinema, cook together, travel, wild camping....

It very much varies from child to child and adult to adult I expect. And how many other kids you have of what ages, how free you are to spend time with each, how much money you have, where you live, etc etc etc.

TadpolesInPool · 02/10/2023 16:47

Ah yes we've had some epic nerf battles recently.

Honestly I'm finding 8+ much more fun

StuffedToys · 02/10/2023 16:49

I hate silliness and got bored of imaginative play. So there was nothing fun for me in the early years. I adored the years after 13, and found the teen years very rewarding though challenging and have the most fun now they are young adults. Genuinely.

So it depends on your definition of fun. Ice creams have always featured in our summer holidays though and I hope always will!

DyslexicPoster · 02/10/2023 16:50

For my eldest who is now 19 he didn't want to hang out in late year 6 so about age 11. He will occasionally go out with me alone for dinner or a a shipping trip.

But his brother who is 15 still mostly votes out everywhere with his little siblings, zoo, beach, woods etc. He will refuse some things but likes being with us.

Ds 11 and dd 9 live doing everything including paddling pools soft play the lot.

I think it depends on the child and their personality.

Ffsnotaconference · 02/10/2023 16:51

Mine are 20 and 12 and it hasnt stopped yet.

I also do those things with my dad and we have fun and 40 and 68