To find school holidays such a slog especially when the last half term at school was only 5 weeks long!?

[Elfie23]

I do tend to struggle with half terms now DD is at secondary school and doesn’t attend the kids clubs any more (I always take a few days off too). I’ve taken a couple of days off this time to try and break it up a bit. She’s 11 and not yet great at organising stuff with friends even though I’ve really encouraged and reminded her leading up to the holidays.
So I find myself with a full time job trying to also organise for her so she’s not bored out her mind or getting FOMO about what others are doing.
Urgh, does it get any easier at any point!

She is 11, she doesn’t need a close supervision unless she is nd. If she hasn’t organised anything, she will just have to read, watch Netflix, walk the dog or whatever to occupy herself. I don’t know how this can affect your job?

Feel better now? Having a bad morning are we?

Get.over.it...it doesn't matter if it was half term or Easter, we know what we meant!

Mum guilt is probably the main thing, torn between working and seeing your child wanting your attention. Trying to please everyone. Or that moment in the day you can breathe for 5 minutes whilst on a break from work is gone because theres this little amazing, but draining person that has been waiting for your attention all day.
Is that not obvious?

Ah didn't think of the mum guilt side of things. If it was obvious I wouldn't have asked. Is that not obvious?

No, you just sounded like you were being sarcastic and nasty to OP like most other people on this thread 🤷‍♀️

Mine are 12 and 9 and they have been off for two weeks already, 1.5 weeks to go - last week they were home, this week and next, clubs. You need to try and organise stuff surely - they are young still.

I absolutely love it because im manager in a secondary and believe me we are all more than ready for a rest after 5 weeks.Sorry!

Along with your 'why have kids if you don't want to look after them' comment...

I’ve always loved my children home for the holidays but even from small we didn’t do something everyday, being able to make their own entertainment and plans is something I encouraged. It is fine for kids to have nothing to do and at 11 your child is old enough to get a bus to town or go for a walk alone if they want to go out.

Ok sorry I asked a question, my god

A few councils do it. Clacks next year, for example, are off Good Friday and Easter Monday, back to school Tues, Wed, thur and Friday and then off for two weeks.

standardising term length makes planning so much easier by all accounts

Shows how many read the title and then skim a couple of words, doesn't it?

I feel the opposite, quite frankly. The rush to get everyone up and out for school,badgering overtired kids to do homework - that's the worst part. Having them home is the good bit.

It does people good to learn to handle boredom.

I’m a lone parent, renting a tiny flat with no garden and working full time. It’s never wise to assume.

Why do people get so upset over the incorrect use of ‘half-term’? There was an entire thread dedicated to it in AIBU a few months back where the OP was ‘enraged’ that parents call a school break half-term when it’s not. A majority of people voted she was not BU and reported feeling similarly annoyed, angry etc. So bizarre!

Why do people get annoyed about anything incorrect? You acknowledge yourself it is incorrect. Some misuses of particular words or phrases annoy some people more than others and those same people will be unmoved by mistakes than in turn annoy different people.

Half-term used for holidays that are not the actual half-terms is one that grates on me.

It seems petty and nit picky to get all bent out of shape because someone said half term.

But that's MN for you now.

I don’t think OP is suggesting that there needs to be systemic change, she’s just saying it’s hard! I think ppl are being a bit unsympathetic, in the early comments.
I would like to be spend every second of the school holidays making lovely memories with my kids. I’m not saying it’s terrible that I can’t because most people need to work, but I can understand why it’s difficult not to be able to!

I completely agree! And no I don’t hate my kids 🙄 when you work full time and only get 5 weeks annual leave but have to sort out 13 weeks school holiday a year yes it’s difficult

I think most school staff would rather every half term was exactly the same length but that’s not practical with things like Easter. A 5 week half term may sound lovely but you still have to fit in what you do in an 8 week half term!

I always think this - so many people seem to absolutely hate spending time with their children

To answer your question OP, you're nearly through the difficult bit as children get rapidly more self-entertaining in the pre-teen years.

It can help to plan a few activities for the evenings of the days you're working. Nothing to stop you from booking an after-work slot to go swimming or to the cinema or late night shopping or some park time/a walk now the clocks have gone forward. If you're working from home and business allows you can also do a short lunchtime thing.

You can also put some structure in to the holiday together. Ask your DD what she'd like to get out of the time and plan how it's going to happen. For example, if she'd like to do craft then day one is watching YouTube videos or reading a book to identify the project. She writes a list of materials while you're working then a quick hobby craft trip for supplies after you're finished for the day.

With the days you do have off, id prioritize activities that build independence for the summer - how to get the bus to town, how to cook lunch, how to walk to the swimming pool, friends' houses etc.

Plan one thing that's a focus of each day. On the working days, it's a small thing that fits round work, with bigger ticket items on your free days or the weekend.

I've never noticed this