What have your dc done these Easter holidays?

[pontypine69]

Ds11 has:

Been to the theatre
Been swimming
Been to the cinema
Been ice skating
Been shopping to another city
Had lunch out a few times
Done a sporty holiday day camp
Had friends round for hours on end
Spent a lot time in the park/garden
Been to the library

Yet if you ask him what he's done it's very much a shrug and 'can't remember' response.

When I was a kid we'd probably have one day out during the holidays and the rest of the time it was down to me to entertain myself. These days I feel like kids are constantly on the go and busy which isn't always a good thing. But I know if I don't arrange things he will just be on screens in the house. Doesn't help that one of his friends is in Florida and the other in the canaries for the week so I guess he's seeing their snaps and thinking they're having a much more fun holiday.

Does anyone else feel under pressure during the holidays?

Hmm pressure from arranging an all time consuming holiday? Your list of what he's done is like a bag full of candy. So much he can't appreciate one or two of his favorites. Thus the shrug and lack of interest in the question.

It's hard to see your children go without something all their friends are getting. I know. I'm 61 and was a single dad.
But they do seem to be more appreciative.

I don't feel massively under pressure. We take infrequent trips out and the rest of the days everyone is getting on with their own thing. There is a fair amount of screen time but when I was a child, I would spend the majority of my holidays quietly reading so I don't think there is much of a difference (my kid does creative writing and drawing and only some of the screen time is gaming and SM)

3 kids

We all went to grandparents for 3 nights in IOW and did not very much.

Cinema DD15 and DD10
Park DD10
Played out with friends A LOT DD10
Lego land with friends DD17
Revision DD15
art work DD17
Shopping DD15

A lot of screen time, films and crap tv.

DH and I not at work. We've watched a lot of MAFS Australia and I've painted 2 bathrooms.

Tbh when they were younger we just went to the park, did craft, baked, met friends and had days out like local parks. They played together and with friends a lot.

Mine have had that awful cough so all the plans have gone out the window and they’ve had a lot of pj days with far too much screen time and the weather has been shite too.

Circus trip
Cinema trip
Went into the city with friends for an egg hunt the local council had put on
Farm park
Soft play
National trust with big adventure playground
Two separate days with grandparents where they took them to the museum, park, library, made slime and had a pub breakfast
Lots of time on the switch
Made Easter bonnets and I let them use the hot glue gun which apparently was the highlight of the entire holidays 😂

First week:

Playdate
Swimming
Bike ride with a picnic
Park and library
Trip with cousins to a safari park
Trip with gp's on a bus into a city, lunch then a lovely walk along a river feeding ducks.

Majority of second week has been nursing a fever and cough so not much.

Yes I agree. Sometimes we over compensate and it breeds kids who appear ungrateful but are probably just overwhelmed. It's hard though because you want to make the most of the time off and give them fun memories. We are having a much needed rest day today.

You are putting pressure on yourself. On dd's birthday we took the kids out to a trampoline park with their cousin and dinner out. The next day we took them to softplay where they had a princess and super hero meet and greets. dd1 also did a morning at a holiday dance camp which she enjoyed. They've played in the garden when the weather had been dry (2 days). Ds came out with chicken pox last Wednesday so we haven't done any clubs etc since then. I'm strict on screen time but in the holidays they get an hour a day, otherwise there has been a lot of playing, painting and watching films.

Few days at grandparents
Long family walk at the coast
Soft play and lunch
Zoo
One play date
Just hanging out at home, tv, films, crafty things, gardening

I try not to take any notice of what other families do and my children are often happy amusing themselves at home. Kids are often ungrateful because their life is just normal to them, they have no comparison. They also don’t always understand the value of things so won’t be more grateful for a trip to Legoland than a family day at the beach.

I feel.under pressure but haven't got the funds right now to do anything about it.
My oldest child is working an apprenticeship and financially I don't contribute much to him right now as he is able to manage himself and has been away with friends over easter.
Next daughter is 15, and I got her a horse a few months ago so she has been spending time with it and studying hard as she has exams this year.
Next child is 18 months and likes walks outside.....easy one there.
Due any day with last baby hence lack of funds and energy right now to do much but once baby comes along, plan to take all kids away to Scotland in June for a few days.
I think it just depends on how things are in everyone's household when easter/holidays come round each year.
As long as I get to spend some quality time with all my kids and get them small treats that's my main priority and when things look a bit brighter and money can go a bit further, we do the bigger things.
As long as they know I love them and I'm always here for them I feel like I'm on to a winner.
It's hard OP when they are at the age you have mentioned.......you could take them to the moon and they still get on like they never left their bedroom lol!!!
It's hard trying to juggle and be sure you are doing the right thing......being a parent is hard haha they don't tell you that in the instructions 😉
It sounds like you have had an amazing Easter OP.

Trips to the park
Pantomime
Played football
Playcentre
Swimming
Been out on their bikes
Lots of hanging out at home
Sleepovers at Grandparents’ house

We’re going to a theme park on Saturday.

Going to zoo tomorrow.

DC1 and DC2 went for a 3 night sleep over with cousins last week (I was working) which I've reciprocated this week.

Older two (and cousins whilst here) have been to local park when weather has permitted. They are all old enough to take themselves and be left for an hour or so. They pop back and then off out again. There is also a local adventure playground my DC are signed up to so they've been there a few times. DC3 is still happy with a pootle around the smaller kiddies park with me.

We've all been on a Canal walk, to a local nature reserve, to the IWM.

We've had way too much screen time.

I'm meeting friends today with DC2 and DC3 and DC1 is having a friend over.

We've been swimming a few times.

Weather has been pretty shit so we've been fitting it around the rain.

It does feel as if we are the only people from our daughter's (year 4) class who haven't been away on a big holiday. I'm sure that can't be true! But there are a few skiiers, some in Cornwall, Disney...

Week 1 she did a 3 day learn to ice skate course. That took up the mornings, then she hung around at home in the afternoon. Some drawing, some TV watching, some dog walking, went swimming one afternoon. One day she was in a dance festival. One day she was shattered so stayed home not doing v much. Had a friend for a sleepover - took them to an adventure playground. We did an easter trail at the local open air museum.
Week 2 she has been at the grandparents by the coast - funfair/ castle/ zoo park and lots of playing.

She'll still complain that she didn't get to go skiing or to Disney...

Right on. Don't beat yourself up. Though admittedly I think it's much harder to be a parent today more so than the 90s. Much more drama with the interweb. Take care yall.

Nine are teenagers and both me and DH have worked a lot of the holidays.

We have done a scarecrow trail, been to Devon for MILs retirement party and gone to see family friends for lunch and a long walk. We also had a board game day as weather has been so rubbish!

Other than that DS1 age 17 (yr 12) has had driving lessons and A-level revision sessions at school, DD age 15 has had extra work shifts in the cafe she works at plus GCSE revisions sessions at school, we also went to look at prom dresses. DS2 age 13 has been fossil hunting and thats about it.

Ha took my daughter to NY for a weekend (side trip, we were already in America). We went to see the Rockettes at Radio City, we took a pretty hair raising ride on a bicycle rickshaw thing through Times Square at night, we walked down Fifth Avenue and bought something at Saks, saw the skaters in front of that huge tree in whatever square, visited the Lego shop ... what does she remember most? Making a gingerbread house with her friend we visited on the way who she goes to school with in England.
Take a step back - he doesn't need an activity every day.

Nope I don't feel pressure.

We are now back at school as we broke up earlier than most of the country. We used our national trust membership for fresh air a couple of times, library and a few visits to the local country park. Not much else but DS's birthday fell in the holidays and we were decorating DD's bedroom which took a few of the days. I took the kids away in February half term for a cheap seaside break so I wasn't intending on doing much this time anyway. I don't care what others do really.