Summer holiday moan

[Scandalousmum]

On week 6 of summer holidays here in Scotland and am I unreasonable to think this is just too long?
kids are climbing the walls. My budget on holidays, clubs, snacks spent. Patience spent. I work too and am at the end of my tether. Husband works full time but deals with no laundry, cooking, shopping etc. my house is literally falling apart and needing work and can’t get a thing done trying to entertain two kids. plus the weather has been shit.
how are others coping? Is it all arts and crafts or are others at breaking point and about to open the gin.

Why doesn't your husband help with anything?

I’m closer to the gin bottle than the hot glue gun. We’ve had a horrible tummy bug this week, the weather has been horrendous and tempers are fraying. I’ll be very glad to get back into our usual routine next week.

hes at work and I’m part time- meaning I’m naturally doing more domestic stuff as I’m in the house but during the holidays the house is a tip it’s all piling up so standards have dropped.

6 weeks is definitely too long imho. I say that as a teacher and a parent! 4 weeks is plenty and we are only on week 3 here!

I don't think this the point of your post but if I've read it correctly- you work, look after everything house related, and everything child related and all the mental load (booking holiday clubs etc)

Your husband works

It sounds like the issue isn't the length of the holidays but the unfair distribution of labour and childcare which means your life gets busier in the holidays and his stays the same

i just think the kids are ready to go back now, it’s been way too long and we’re all at the end of our rope missing our routines.

Do the kids not like being on holiday?

Of course they do, they’ve had loads of fun, they’ve been abroad twice, two weeks of sports camps and play dates. They’re just fed up now we are working and have limited fun left before school. They both enjoy school,
The post isn’t really about them more about how parents are coping though

YABU. The holidays are just the right length, although I recall one summer many years ago when it was nearly 8 glorious weeks! The rest is direly needed; I was crawling to the start of the summer holidays by the middle of HT6.

As a teacher, I appreciate being able to spend the time with mine before I have to practically ignore them again for the sake of other people's children.

I'm from a country where its 3 months so 6 weeks feels really short to me!

3 months is probably a bit unrealistic but 8-10 weeks would be perfect (for me).

I'm on week 3 and I feel the same. I need time to myself to function and it's not happening. DD is loving it though so I don't know what the answer is. She needs a long break from school. But it's a lot for me to manage.

We have had a lovely holiday, and actually had fairly decent weather this last couple of weeks. But yeah, it's too long. No one else gets 6 weeks holidays except schools/teachers so the childcare planning, the activity planning, the holidays away, it's a LOT! I'd be happy with 4 weeks Summer holidays for sure.

I get your point OP about the length of the school holidays. Unfortunately I think the alternatives would have greater drawbacks. Imagine how much holiday prices would go up if the school summer holidays were just four weeks long, or the arguments between people at work as to who gets the time off.

Of course they like being on holiday but by week 6 out of 7 they’re getting restless and a bit bored because while I’m at home I need to work during the week. They’ve had two fantastic holidays and some great days out but keeping them entertained while I’m working is trickier, housework expands with more people in the house all week, and that’s before I try to keep them fed.

Not necessarily. If the 2 lost weeks were added on to half term weeks, people would go away at other times of the year. I know I would 😉

The problem is that children no longer have the freedom to play out for hours unsupervised. Which was the norm before cars took over the streets...and also when mothers tended not to work.

If kids were off running about making their own fun the holiday would ge fine. But let's face it...kids in low income families end up stuck indoor as everything costs money

I love the holidays, i'd happily have 8 weeks but I work in school and my kids are teens so it's easy for me. I don't find a need to constantly entertain them.
I've always loved the summer break though even when they were little but i'm in the privileged position of working term time so can understand it being hard if you have to go to work and juggle kids.

2,5 months here! 😄 But free holiday clubs.

Six weeks is fine (teacher and parent).

Too late for you this year, but we always go away towards the end of the holidays, it seems to balance them out a bit better with something to look forwards to then when we get back only a week left til back to school.

Give them a project, ideally something where they have to work together and where there is a notable reward at the end. Good luck, the end is in sight!

I miss the summer holidays! It depends how much you work though. When I worked 2 days a week it was great and the kids were at their grandparents on those days. The rest of the time was hanging out with friends/camping/lazing around. Now they are all adults and we are all working all the time - not so much fun!

My kids school is trialing a two week October half term

With a shorter summer? Don't (I know, not your decision). But, from experience, it's shite. October weather is far worse, so you're stuck indoors a lot more and for seniors it's hardly much of a relaxing time, especially with Y11 mocks following so shortly after.

I love the holidays. I’m always so sad when school comes back around again BUT it is definitely more enjoyable when there’s actually been a summer and it hasn’t rained (it’s been bad even by scotlands standards). Windy and freezing aside from 3 days the entire summer. I’ve one starting school this year who’s ready and excited and a teenager going into 3rd year who is not 😂.

With a shorter summer? Don't (I know, not your decision). But, from experience, it's shite. October weather is far worse, so you're stuck indoors a lot more and for seniors it's hardly much of a relaxing time, especially with Y11 mocks following so shortly after.

I think it is to replace the inset days , i need see the academic year calendar to know for sure.