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!

An orange 🍊 is a sphere - not a circle! Silly Billy!!!

I work full time too with a 11 year old.

I dont think OP is saying that annual leave is the problem - shes calling it a slog to actually have her child at home during holidays and not in clubs/school to keep her entertained.

So its nothing to do with not enough AL to get through?

My 11 year old is seeing friends probably half of the days in the holidays. The days where I’m working and she’s not with friends she is very happy at home vibe coding, gaming and writing, and occasionally taking the dog out for a walk. It’s been a while since she’s wanted or needed me to entertain her!

Honestly I think schools take the piss with hoe often they have these "much needed breaks"

I also think 90% of teachers would quit if the perks of the ludicrously long and regulwr holidays was to be removed they wouldn't bother as they are lazy b#ststds

Tell me you have no clue about how hard teachers work without....oh you should know the rest

Sample size?

You seem to lack an understanding in how school terms are arrived at. The teachers are not choosing when they will need a break.

The perks are school holidays (only) and let's not forget the continual derision and disgust for their choice of career from the public.

Let her get bored. She’s never going to learn of you keep organising her social life!

Jeez have you ever worked in a classroom? I’m amazed they still have a functioning workforce with all they’re dealing with in schools atm. Lazy? You must be joking. 😯

You forgot the word "unpaid" before "breaks" and "holidays"

If the job is that easy, why don’t you have a go. They’re crying out for teachers!

So how much time have you spent in the classroom?

Same. Mine are all small mind.But I've taken a week of leave and it's nice to have some leisurely starts instead of rushing everyone around.

I bloody love the holidays, so much so that I have been able to negotiate term time only at work. Even my 14 year old still seem to quite like coming out with me. We will do some National Trusts next week (have been away interrailing this week). I recognise that this is due to a combination of my own privilege (access to a car, some disposable income), a hard-won group of 'mum friends to meet up with, and having 4 kids so probably fairly low standards around the home and a "meh, but is anyone dead?" attitude to whinging. I have fully accepted my child centric life though and would never dream of doing anything Instagrammable or grown up (like a cafe trip or pottering round a garden centre) with the kids in tow.

I am sorry you're having a rough time OP. I am wondering whether something like a trip out bowling / for a meal / to watch the footy / friends over for a Chinese in the evening might allay some of your (misplaced imo) guilt about her being left to be bored in the day?

Please do sign up for teacher training, it should be a total doddle for you!

I’ve only got the weekends and bank holidays off. My children will have to fend for themselves. If they’re bored, they’re bored. They’ll soon come up with something to do. You do not have to entertain your children everyday.

It’s ok for kids to be bored and learn to entertain themselves.

If she complains that she has nothing to do - then tell her to get in touch with her friends to arrange things.

Quite surprised at some of the comments here. School holidays are hard for working parents. My eldest is 14 and I’m still always wittering about what he’s up to during the holidays when I have to work. He’s quite good at feeding himself and is happy in the garden or meeting friends at the park. On rainy days he’ll game with friends (don’t think there’s anything wrong with relaxing the rules on screen time during the holidays - needs must). But it does get tedious and I always worry we’re not doing enough. I work part time and on my days off I feel pressure to take him places even though he’s not that fussed and can’t be arsed going with his younger sibling.
The first ridiculous poster who said something sarcastic about the British not loving their children clearly hasn’t had to juggle full time work and school holidays. It’s very hard.

She'll be a teenager soon and have no desire to spend any time with you at all, so I'd embrace it and think of things you both actually enjoy doing together before she thinks you're an embarrassing loser!!
With my two (7 and 10) I aim for a big thing and a small thing a day, plus there's a bit of homework to get done.
Big things are;
Cinema
Museums
Day trip to a city
Lunch out
Theme park (won't do this time)
Swimming
Bowling
Laser quest
Play date
Garden camping
Small things are;
Park trip
Baking
A craft or art kit or painting
Cooking dinner together
Lego
Go for an ice cream
Nice dog walk
Picnic
Movie afternoon at home
Buy them a magazine each
Go to costa/starbucks

Try and pretend you're on holiday in your local area - what do tourists do, what haven't you seen yet, what do you both actually enjoy. Sometimes it's the littlest things, the biggest hit last summer was when I bought a bubble tea kit off the Internet and we all just made a load of bubble tea experiments with different flavours etc. The long summer can be a slog but christmas, half terms and Easter I always love - just enough time to be busy, have fun, spend time together. I think it's sad that you don't like spending time with her, I hope she never says the same about spending time with her elderly mother in 30 years. It goes both ways and you do have to nurture genuine enjoyment of each other not just duty or she will not have any solid foundations of a relationship when she grows up.

As she’s secondary school age, she should be reasonably capable of entertaining herself surely? If she struggles with using her imagination, I would sit with her and work on a list of suggestions for indoor things to do and outdoor things to do that are fun for her. Then also come up with a list of age appropriate chores she could do for extra pocket money maybe? It’s lovely do have some days out and fun trips together but it’s also perfectly ok for children to be bored and work out ways of making themselves not bored too!

With the friends thing, it is hard in year 7 - they are new to having a phone, and so I used to give my eldest a little helping hand, and arrange a few days at the beach or whatever with friends from sports clubs, and leave just the school friends organisation to him/them. My youngest is in year 7 now and all over organising himself and his friends but he is a second child so basically doesn’t seem to need parents at all 🤣

Did you read the part where she is WORKING? I presume you mean shouldn’t have kids if you need to have a job and also feed and house them? So only the super rich and privileged? OPs question is coming from a place of care and possibly guilt in making sure her daughter is happy in school holidays. Life stages change and parents sometimes ask around for new ideas on activities and entertainment. Lack of love? I didn’t read that - on the contrary. Representative of all of Britain? Def didn’t read that either.
Each to their own but really, if you can’t say anything nice why bother with anything at all.

Or home educated 🤣

I just think it’s a weird thing to get annoyed over in the grand scheme of things. But as another PP pointed out, that’s MN for you. So much ridiculous hyperbole on here. Apparently the British “hate their kids” because some dare to want an occasional break from parenting.

My oldest started secondary this school year we are one week into Easter break so far he’s spent 3 days with his friends, organised themselves, we’ve done a day trip organised by me with their input and a couple of chill days at home. He’s still got his extra cuticular activities on and does have a younger sister who he’s been out to play with in the local area.

I think it gets to a stage where we have to let them make their own fun. I’ve went out a few times with his sister and asked if he wants to join us but he’s decided to stay home then I get a call/message later to say he’s going out. I’d organise a couple of things for the days your off for then leave her to sort out the other days. Give her that little independence I’m sure you won’t be there through uni organising her social life!

I think as long as she’s safe and not going to find something stupid to do let her be bored. She may find something new to fill her time. If she hates it, it will encourage her to be proactive about the next set of school holidays.

Kids don’t need everything organising for them. Some need more encouragement than others sure but I disagree with the poster that said you should expect to be organising her calendar for the next 3-4 years. Funding definitely, and perhaps helping with lifts to and from etc but organising no. At 10 my Dd regularly asks what are we doing tomorrow, so she can arrange a time to chat or play with a friend, she’s capable of a making a sandwich for lunch. Kids can start learning independence and she’ll get there too with encouragement.

Dig out some suitable recipes and get her to cook or bake something. Suggest a reading challenge, this doesn’t have to be too expensive a trip to the local library or many have an online collection of e books or audio books to borrow for free. Lego, craft items, science kits, buy some seeds or cheap plants for the garden, assisting with chores or pets, learn a new dance routine, sudoko or alternative puzzle book/quiz books can be picked up for a couple of quid at the works.