Does anyone have weekends like this anymore?

[Ranoutofideasfortheelves]

Friday night, got in, made chilli and nachos, fire on, throws on, pjs on, dh, me, dd (7) and ddog on the sofa watching films
Saturday, Dd did colouring in the morning, had pancakes, then her friend came to play, then she went to theirs for a few hours. I watched xmas films and sewed a top, Dh messed about on his computer.
I made lasagna and Dd came home, we had a dance to Christmas music then watched Home alone and bed.
Today we took ddog out to the woods, dd did clay, we made chocolate Christmas tree biscuits and played with her elves, played in the garden on the trampoline with the elves, had a roast, bath, fire, stories & bed.

Just been looking at Instagram etc and so many posts of visits to cities, girls nights out, santa spectacular shows, Lapland, London visits etc and just feeling a bit 😬
We will do a few Christmas outings for sure, but don’t seem half as busy (or wealthy)as lots of people. I remember lots of weekends as a kid being slow, but I was perfectly happy. We definitely do a lot more with Dd than I did as a kid, but do most of you do these kind of outings most weekends? Is Dd missing out?

Depends where you live, surely. We’re in fairly central London so lots to do out and about, but we also go out to the countryside as much as we can.

Some weekends would be like yours (DD is a teen now), some we’d do lots more.

✨delete social media✨

Seriously. It's not very relaxing if it's making you worry enough about your parenting to make a Mumsnet post about it, is it?

But you still did the night out on Saturday, whereas we did nothing 🫣

It sounds like such a wholesome weekend, it reads like a stealth boast. Or maybe a stealth judge rather than a genuine concern that your DD is missing out. I don't think you believe she is for a minute do you?

Sorry maybe that was me being a touch grumpy on a Sunday evening. It is indeed a perfect weekend.

I don’t think weekends are mutually exclusive with doing ‘planned’ stuff too though - we do a combination of both. Both are lovely. But you’re spot on in that you don’t need to do the big stuff to be happy.

Your weekend sounds perfect to me!

Just been looking at Instagram etc and so many posts of visits to cities, girls nights out, santa spectacular shows, Lapland, London visits etc and just feeling a bit

Why?

Honestly, as much as these things are nice to do, don't you think the people who do these ALSO crave the beauty of a cosy, lazy weekend?

I find the run up to Christmas with a zillion events and Things To Do great BUT

Fuck me do I look forward to when that's done too. Precisely so we get those days of PJs and films and no crowds and bullshit.

It's not an either / or jealousy thing.

It's appreciating both.

No worries

Yes this is definately a smug stealth boast augmented by wide-eyed 'is my child missing out? 'concern'.
The correct rensponse is: No your child is lucky to have such a perfect family and life, well done OP

When I first read your post I thought you were kind of bragging, because honestly, your weekend sounded amazing.
And, judging how great your wonderful weekend is compared to others social media post...don't believe it.... Seriously.
Half of what you see/read is exaggerated or flat out untrue, and the other half, who cares?
You're not missing out

But that was far from normal for us. And certainly not Lapland or a big city etc . A local village hall about 50 minutes drive away. Were avoiding the big Christmas market near us this year and have no plans for Santa visits etc.

I got that vibe too.

Aside from that rhough, comparison is the thief of joy. Everything in a balanced way is good.

We try to have similar weekends but DD is ADHD and struggles to do anything off her screen!
We have watched a couple of Xmas films… baked… I did the baking, DD threw some sprinkles on them!
We visited a few Christmas markets yesterday, just local ones nothing fancy….

We stopped doing the big events as found tickets were expensive and then the expectation of spending more money once there… and most were not worth the cost!!

Bragging about staying in all weekend and watching tv on a Friday and Saturday night, when I see so many at city night markets, trips away, another girls xmas do or Christmas cocktails? 😬 just seems there is a lot more going on in the world and wondering if lots still do what we did?

It also sounds smug to me because you absolutely know this is DD's ideal. You should be straight about it though, I admitted to my two besties over lunch a few weeks ago that the area where I live wouldn't be my ideal but my DD is having an idyllic childhood here imo. I didn't plan it that way, it was all we could afford but it became a fortune accident.

Another point - people are posting when they go somewhere. It's a special breed of tosser who posts from their house doing regular stuff.

However one thing I would like to raise; you are more than a parent. None of your weekends involved anyone else. Is that the norm? Your DC will not be little forever. Don't lose yourself.

Yours sounds really lovely. But yes we generally always do have at least one weekend day where we’re out doing an activity, usually at least 1 paid for activity (trampoline centre, snow centre, panto show, family meal out for example) and the DC have clubs in the mornings both days so I don’t find weekends to be particularly restful! And we spend quite a lot of money at weekends, I wish we didn’t. I like the sound of yours OP. Don’t feel pressured by insta.

sounds like my weekend a bit except mine and normal activities for DD and a village kids xmas party thrown in (only 2h) on saturday.
I posted a few pics from that so maybe seems to others i’m living it large 😆. Spend sunday on couch/jammies decorating shortbread and DD played with her elves and toys then we went to her normal activity, came back and baked cookies and she sat on ipad. I don’t think it’s a case of either/or, just what people choose to post on SM. I could’ve posted pics from our house activities but didn’t, and people would think I hadn’t crossed the front door.

Your weekend sounds great OP
Ignore Instagram and people's amazing lives.
Be sure that it isn't reflective of real life.

Really not nice, thanks. It wasn’t that at all, it’s trying to make the best out of a struggling financial situation and make it nice for my Dc, feeling ok, but then seeing that others are providing all these magical xmas experiences and feeling a bit meh

Yes most weekends, but people don't put that on social media. We do festive days out too but obviously that's not all weekend, every weekend

No - everyone else was ignoring their kids who were on screens and slamming back bottles of wine. Have a medal for your wholesomeness 🎖️

Marvellous! think you’ve had a wonderful, happy, wholesome weekend!

I also think it’s really important to have weekends that are restful, relaxing and restorative. No one can be full-tilt the whole time - you’d run yourself ragged, your immune system would take a hit, you’d pick up a bug and be ill for Christmas. What on earth is the point in that.

You do you, OP.

We are empty nesters. Our weekend:
Friday night - made supper, had a bath, watched some really great telly, into bed - reading by ten.

Saturday - did a few jobs at home. Read the paper. Went into town with a short list of bits to do. Home again. Had a takeaway, bath and watched telly. Nice early night again.

Sunday morning - changed the bed, went to the gym, went to the supermarket. Did the Christmas decorating. Watched the F1. Read the paper. Made steaks for dinner. In bed nice and early again.

^ DH and I have honestly had such a nice chilled weekend, pottering about.

We do the same as you. Everyone needs to chill after a busy week.

You sure like minced beef

Sounds like a fab weekend and I’m sure your daughter enjoyed it too!