Why does summer never go as I envision it to?

[AnyonehatefliesasmuchasIdo]

I always look forward to it, I plan so many fun ideas for my Dc and I, mixed with seeing friends and family and days out. We have nice times, but also so many hard days with Dc just wanting to watch Youtube or play on the ipad
I know i’m very fortunate to be off over the summer and feel so guilty but maybe saving and booking clubs for summer would be better next year.
I remember loving my summers as a child

Anyone else have similar?

What are you planning? You need a mix of it all I think - chill, holiday, activity and outings.

How old are the kids?

8

We do a mix, but it’s on the days we stay home-still have garden, pool, toys etc that are a nightmare

Are you not in the UK? We broke up early and it’s still only day 4 of the holidays? Surely it’s not a failure already

Not in the uk no

The summer doesn’t need to be planned within an inch of life! Book in some chill days if you know dc just want to chill on screens!
I don’t have kids but I broke up last Friday and we went straight on holiday on Saturday visiting family and had a full on 4 days so my plan for the next few days is to do nothing but bimble around at home doing some light chores and reading!

Scotland broke up three weeks ago

Northern Ireland also broke up at the end of June. Nine weeks…

It’s ok for some screen time imho as long as there is a lot of other stuff mixed in too.

I plan and do a mixture, but on the days when I am at home with them then they can do what they like even if its watching movies or playing on their phone.
On those days we still go out for a walk to get the dog out or we feed the ducks etc.

How long into the holidays are you? How long left?

There is way too much pressure on summer to one big fun ramble in the countryside, or endless glorious days on the beach in the sunshine.

The reality is often that everyone is overstimulated by the heat, the constant outings and constant socialising.

Try to take the pressure off yourself! (She says to herself… 😆)

Like a big, built in pool or a paddling pool? Do the kids not want to spend time in the pool?

Completely agree OP. I can’t wait for September 😩

Mine are teens now but when they were younger, I had list pinned on their door that I printed off from a website somewhere that gave a list of things they needed to do before screens. Screens only allowed after 3pm.
The list had things like
get dressed
make your bed
do a chore
do something active
do do something creative
read

we stuck with it on days at home.

Why are these days a nightmare?

To add - I agree that days at home are the hardest as the pull of the screen is very strong. For this reason, I try to get out of the house every day, even if it is just a short walk or a trip to the library etc.

have you invited friends around?
It's not unusual for kids to not be that interested in garden toys and not want to spend much time there when they have more interesting things to do.

If you allow screens during the day, why wouldn't they use them?

I just take mine out or have people around. When we have to be home doing nothing, they can be on screen, I can't blame them, they join other friends and they all play/bicker together.

I never spent more than 1 week at home in the summer when I was a child, we would have been far too bored, it's ok to make realistic plans.

It isn’t planned to that extent, but this is my point, if we do end up staying in, screens are all that is wanted and i’m not keen on that

My children were young in the 80s/90s so many years ago, but I loved the summer holidays. Obviously there were far less electronics. We didn't have that many days out, but they spent days at home playing with their friends, going to the play scheme on the fields, riding bikes, going swimming, building dens etc.
We also did long picnic walks with the dog, and caravan/camping holidays. I miss those days!

We’ve taken the dog out, but that was moaned about too. Perhaps i’m being too harsh but she seems incapable of being in at home and doing anything other than tv etc.

Sometimes it's best not to try and plan every second of every day. Some days are YouTube days or X-box days. If we've been out and about and they want to lounge around being lazy and playing Minecraft/Roblox or whatever it's called - then they can. Pick your battles.

I feel you. Too much tv and iPad time on days at home here too. I try to get out every day even if just to walk in the woods, go to the park of library just to break it up a bit.

just ban the screens during the day or during the week.

If they have the choice and go for what they prefer, you can't blame them.

It's easy to put at least time limits, and allow them just 2 or 3 hours max a day. Which sounds a lot, but when that can include a movie in the evening, it's really not much.

Large pool, she goes in but still all the other hours to fill

I feel sad as wait for these days, was so much easier when she was younger, she seemed much easier to entertain and would play

but also so many hard days with Dc just wanting to watch Youtube or play on the ipad

What the issue- too much screen time or too many arguments, too much clean up?

I found doing an out the house activity in morning and then a chiller afternoon worked well for mine - also to get cheaper free stuff had to book early so most summer every day had something pencil in it mostly for mornings occaionally all day.

Some cheap days walk to liabary and park - tour of local parks with pinic - walk in wood - when young sure start and private pre school had events on older kids coudl go to as well - when we moved it was often council swimming stuff or cheap art center cinerma tickets or activitis - or down to shop to make something liks pizza or sassage rolls for tea or pinic later in week.

You could try limits and routine - so you tube between x hours then gone rest of the day - or have activties planned for them part of the day - or if they fight go to their rooms for so long and hopefully that time they will find something to do- it really depends what the issue actually are.