To say I'm dreading Easter Bank Holidays ?

[Pappadontpreach80]

DH & 2 mid teen DC at home. They will game, maybe see mates etc. They are too young to be left at home all day alone. Me and DH are always around, even if we're in & out the house doing errands etc.

There is nothing going on this bank holiday. Its due to rain the whole time. DC refuse to go away (uk). They might come out for a day. I do not want to be stuck at home doing jobs the whole time. Which is what I do most weekends.

I'll go for a run, see local family etc but apart from that it's going to be be bloody boring. I could go out with friends but I would feel bad leaving DH at home, alone, bored on a bank hol weekend. I don't even know if my friends are around tbh.

What on earth am I going to do ?

Tbh, Friday night I just wanna piss off to the pub with DH. But a bit meh just the two of us. DC like us to be at home, even if they are gaming in their rooms. They like to know we are there. Boring.

Saturday we will go out with DC in the eve for food.

To add, DC don't do walks/ national trust/biking etc so anything like that is out of the question. We don't do the theatre. There's nothing on at the cinema.

Please can someone give me some inspiration. I can't face 4 days in the house/ doing jobs.

We don't do clothes shopping other then online, neither of us drink tea or coffee, we don't read, we have no interest in the arts/theatre/cinema/NT/gigs/long walks (due to rain anyway)/nature reserves and we don't have a dog)

That's a very long list of things you don't like doing! What do you like doing OP? I think that seems to be the problem. I suspect if you knew, then you'd be able to do it (possibly leaving the teens behind).

Your teens are massively ruling the roost aren’t they? They won’t come out with you for the day, but they don’t want you to go out either 🤷🏻‍♀️.
Pick something you’d like to do. Ask them if they’d like to come along. If they do, fab. If they don’t, then go and leave them at home gaming. There’s no way I’d be sitting around just so that I could be a ‘presence’ for my teens who spend all their time gaming.

What do you like doing? You said you are easily bored, but that’s not surprising if you don’t enjoy doing much.

DD is 16. Life seems to be a constant stream of birthday parties and film nights. She is overjoyed if DH and I are out for the evening.

Get the kids to plan a meal and (get DH to) teach them how to cook it.
Dig out some board games if you really do not want to venture too far.
Not particularly cheap, but is there an escape room or tenpin bowling nearby?

The weather is improving a little this weekend, but still cold. How about jumping on the train to the nearest big city?

Ok so I've decided it's no use asking dh or teen, I just have to make plans or we will do nothing.

Firday - outlet shopping centre to buy ds new football boots, bit of browsing for me & Dh. Night out with dh.
Saturday - day out to a castle, it's dog friendly too thank goodness. Will take our own food.
Sunday - adult dc coming over, dh cooking a roast, I will do some baking.
Monday - Cinema to see new Ghostbusters film, dinner after at Nandos.

I don’t know if this helps you op with some ideas. As my dc are the same age. We are doing:

Thursday night: drinks with friends

Friday: lie in walk dogs - lunch in town followed by pedicure for me and teens are going to Waterstones to choose books. Dc2 needs new school shoes

Saturday: Going to see family for lunch

Sunday: Easter egg hunt for everyone. Late Easter lunch at local restaurant and shopping

Monday: lie in - dog walk. Spring clean house. Will try and tidy garden too. Teens to organise spring wardrobes and dh and I will pop out for cocktails at local Italian at 6pm before using fondue set for dinner ( would highly recommend this if you haven’t got one) great for fussy teens - board game or cards

I am really struggling to reconcile your need for entertainment and insistence you can't stay at home and do jobs with your list of things you don't do or have no interest in?
I get that some people read loads, and others hardly ever but I have never known anyone just say they dislike reading or have no interest in it.
There is so much variety of Theatre shows and gigs....OK so you might not be a regular but to rule it out as you are just not interested?

I don't do those things every weekend, but I am rarely short of anything to do.....and If I am I don't complain....I enjoy the peace.

Given: We don't do clothes shopping other then online, neither of us drink tea or coffee, we don't read, we have no interest in the arts/theatre/cinema/NT/gigs/long walks (due to rain anyway)/nature reserves and we don't have a dog)

I really think you should work on some new hobbies. You're always going to be bored if the only things you like are going out to see other people or watching TV (and I love TV so not judging that). You can't rely on others to give you freedom or entertainment. I'd honestly be reading books/internet on finding hobbies!

Do you have any life goal type things you could work into a hobby? What's your long-term vision for yourself? Even if it's something simple like having a cosy home and hosting parties, you could be cooking or decorating or reading about interior design. None of those things would be for me, particularly, but you have to seek out things you might love, not just things you already like/tolerate.

You can't spend your entire life either at work or doing housework/jobs/going to shops without being bored. I don't have any out-there hobbies but DH and I both read, have an unlimited cinema pass, have NT and a Longleat membership for DS, like board games/at-home escape rooms, enjoy horror and adventure games, love football, will often go for coffee... I can't really imagine the internal life of someone with absolutely zero interests apart from the gym.

After reading your update, this phrase of mine came to mind
"Happiness is not having what you want, it's wanting what you have.
The thoughts of boredom exist in your mind.
You have things to do, you have healthy DC.. appreciate what you have.

My DCs were babysitting neighbours kids at that age .... I don't see why you can't go to the pub or for a meal without them.

If you normal weekend is made up of food shopping round various food shops, drinking and doing household jobs, it does sound like you do much on a normal weekend. And you seem to have a long list of things you are vetoing but not a long list of things you wish you had time for!

I think a bigger issue than this weekend is finding yourself some hobbies to do every week/weekend!

We don't do clothes shopping other then online, neither of us drink tea or coffee, we don't read, we have no interest in the arts/theatre/cinema/NT/gigs/long walks (due to rain anyway)/nature reserves

So what is it you like to do ? Your 13 & 16 yo could be left alone for a morning or afternoon or evening if you and your DH wanted to go and do something, surely ? It’s irrelevant if your teens prefer you to be around, if yourself and your DH want to go out for a few hours, then go.

I don't think it's that the DC can't or won't do the jobs, I thin OP is doing the jobs in order not to be paralytic with boredom.

Has OP been back?

If they are old enough to be left go to the pub! Find a pub with music on perhaps

I don't think they like theme parks and it's going to rain every day but Sunday.

Tbh, Friday night I just wanna piss off to the pub with DH. But a bit meh just the two of us.

Theres no reason why you and DH shouldn’t be able to go to the pub for a couple hours on a Friday evening….since when did a 13 year old boy get to dictate this? I would nip that in the bud stating this weekend!

Is there anything you enjoy except going to the pub with friends and watching TV?

There are four days to this weekend, don't waste it! Why can't you take one day/even to spend with friends and your husband do the same? That leaves two days!

I agree, your kids don't get to dictate what you do!

Own your choices OP. You are actively chosing this and are not wanting to change. Sort it out or accept a boring life.

For the first time ever I've attended Holy week services and I've found it so relaxing and calm.
A distraction from everything else going on in my life and a real time for reflection and renewal.

That’s really lovely. I used to do that as a child and in my teen years, I loved Holy Week.

I left home at 16 too, worked shifts in a factory & had a flat with my friend. I then got married at 17 & had two daughters by the time I was 19. I'm 70 now.
I would've hated to spend my teens sitting gaming! What a waste of life!

Please OP, get out & enjoy your life, you are only here once, it's not a rehearsal 😉

The best years of my life was between 16 and 20. Figuring out life, making a lot of silly mistakes but had a great time figuring it all out. Also learned how to cook some great recipes I still use now! Such fond memories !