To hate school holidays

[beachunready]

More specifically school holidays with no plans. We went away over Easter and will again during summer. But this half term has been stressful and dull. Trying hard to keep tween occupied while also juggling a 3 year old is difficult because there are so few things that both of them can do together.
Tween and I had a day out shopping while little one was at nursery. Been to the museum with both. Weather has been crap but visited the park a few times and will try to go swimming tomorrow. But there's been an awful lot of screen time, the house is a mess and my usual routine has gone to pot. I end up feeling guilty, stressed and resentful that we aren't doing enough.
Tried to encourage tween to arrange to meet with friends but they're all either busy or not bothered.
I'm really dreading the 6 week holidays. I feel like a bitch because I love being with my dc but the age gap makes it tough.

I am someone who never ever takes leave without going abroad - it is just wasted time IMO. However, this is our first year of school hols so we have tried to book 4 weeks away in the summer - split into two weeks at the start and the end. Then hopefully that should offset the other 3 weeks of being at home with some day trips.

We went away for Christmas and Oct week but really struggled when being home for 2 weeks at Easter. It is so boring.

If you think this is bad, wait until you're in exam years. It's a delicious mix of boredom, stress, not being able to go away and everyone in a bad mood! I can't wait for the next month to be over.

resentful that we aren't doing enough.

Kids need downtime - especially school age children. Don't feel guilty about not packing stuff in.

Start making a list of things you can do over the summer - ask for input from the Tween. This gives you something to draw on when the holidays begins. You could set it up so that you pick an activity from the list at random.

Kids need downtime.

Me & ds8 have spent the past two days binge watching an anime together as it's been a literal shit show of weather this week. I don't feel guilty at all.

I find when I do lots over half term mine are really tired & ratty over the next school term as they haven't had time to rest.

I’ve had 3 days this half term with DD1(10), DD2(3) and DS(2 months) whilst DH works and that’s been hard enough. The first day, we didn’t do anything other than go to a supermarket. Yesterday, we went to a shopping centre with my DM. Today is another nothing day but we’re at a party this evening. It’s boring but my older two need the break because they’re both exhausted. The weather has been crap so going outside sucks.

DH, DS and I are off to a wedding so the girls will have a fun few days at my parents’ house.

Would the tween do a sports camp relating to a hobby - tennis/football etc? Even half a day would get them out of the house and take the pressure off you.

That’s what I did with DS1 until about age 13.

A Levels and GCSE mocks here. A couple of 1:1 coffees and ice creams, but mostly tempers and tears.

Summed it up perfectly!! 😄

Roll on the end of June.

Well, 15th August...

Forgot to mention he did a karate camp 9-3 on Tuesday while I worked which was good. He also has a rugby match tomorrow.
I just find 12 to be such a tricky age, he's too old to engage with kid stuff like soft play and farm parks but still very immature when it comes to entertaining himself or making arrangements with friends.
It hasn't helped that I've been quite unwell myself this week and not in the best frame of mind to provide constant entertainment.
To the poster who only takes leave to go away - lovely idea but unaffordable for us sadly. Although in hindsight I am regretting not booking a cheap caravan break or something because being at home with them both is just painful.
It's not like the tween doesn't have a lot of books, art stuff, games etc but all he wants to do is stare at his phone or Xbox. I've told him today I have chores to catch up on and a big food shop to do so he's been on a screen all morning. It just makes me feel shit.

If he did karate on Tuesday and has rugby tomorrow that doesn’t sound too bad over the course of the week.

They all spend time on screens, if he’s getting out of the house to do some activity too that sounds reasonable to me.

I also ask mine to plan and make dinner to give them something to do and also help out.

I'm ignoring results day currently (22nd August for us). If I can get through the rest of the exams then at least we have a holiday to look forward to in the summer!

Sounds fine to me. My daughter has been mulling about all morning while I catch up on housework. A bit of screen time is fine. Sometimes they need to be a bit bored and fit around you.

Mum guilt is the worst.

Get a calendar and look for free stuff -
split the week.

Tuesdaya sports camp
wesnesday library looks out for little reader sessions or art session
Thursday’s Park
Friday friend over
Soon feels less daunting

My 5 year old has swim camp yesterday, today and tomorrow and we child on Monday,Tuesday.
during the summer she’ll have one week at swim camp, two weeks camping at my in-laws and then the remaining three weeks just doing day trips or staying in. They don’t need to be doing something constantly.

can you afford a National Trust or English (Scottish/welsh) Heritage membership? Both of those can be suitable (depending where you go) for both - for us we have Kenilworth Castle not far away and that is fine for both tweens and toddlers

We have a national trust near us that we go to regularly but the weather has been so poor this week. Tween would usually spend a bit of time in the garden but it's just muddy and miserable.
He's done a fair bit when I think about it but there's also been a lot of huffing around being bored.

Can he go out by himself? I used to wander about the fields near my house at that age. Obviously don’t know where you live, but I think there’s possibly less of that these days. There was no way my mum was going to entertain me (I was ten years older than sibling).

I’ve told my lot they’re to stay upstairs whilst I clean the kitchen (only screen is a tv downstairs) and they have (ages 6-11). I find once they get over the initial boredom it’s ok, they roll with it. I think I’m a bit 80s in my approach. It’s a shame his friends aren’t about.

Random idea for 12 year old to use some time up in holidays (too late for this time but in future)...Hello Fresh (or similar).

I started it with teen dc when they were 12/14. I'm not a big fan of recipe boxes in general because I can make cheaper myself and we're a family of 5 which is never catered for! But they are fantastic for teens, to promote cooking skills whilst still being easy and straightforward to follow.

During holidays I usually get a box of 3 meals for two each week. Each of the teens makes one meal independently (just for those two to eat, dh, ds3 and I have something else) and then the third one I make with ds3 (7) just so he feels included and he gets to eat his 'own' meal too.

You could just buy a box for two x 2 meals, for 12 year old to make dinner for him and his sibling a couple of times a week then you/dh sort yourselves out.

My eldest dc were SO ridiculously proud of themselves for making a 'proper' meal and it uses up a couple of hours in the afternoon and helps them gain valuable skills. Plus it's not ridiculously expensive for just say 4 meals a week for two, especially with sign up offers.