To be depressed we are only halfway through the summer holidays

[blackcurrantsuponus]

I know, I’m going to get a load of YABUs as I love this time with my precious children’ but there are still three weeks left, I’m skint and having to muster the enthusiasm for another day out because the alternative is worse!

I’m definitely lagging. I felt a bit tearful on the way home today.

Oh no! Is there someone who could help you out?
It's ok not to be the Entertainment Queen. Let them get bored and create games. As long as you're around, it'll be ok
Is there a film or something on iPlayer they could watch?

I know @MadeInGrimsby honestly I do … it’s just managing them at home is no easier! Otherwise 100% I’d do it! DH being there is an added complication as they just won’t leave him be, which means any sort of games or anything is out. He’s out on Thursday though. So while I do want to nip into work (gcse results) we can stay home all afternoon which I think is needed.

I do think your DH needs to make himself scarce, or try to find another workspace. Good luck with your yr11 results.

The home education trend doesn't sit well with me. Teachers go through a lot of training to actually become a fully fledged teacher yet these mothers think they can become teachers overnight! They isolate kids and often don't teach them to have any kind of schedule. How they all become exam standard students if their mothers are just winging it.

Also these mothers put a huge financial burden on their husbands - what happens if he gets made redundant or takes ill? Or the relationship breaks down? It's huge gamble and they could easily badly disrupt a child's education!

Can your husband work somewhere else for a day or two so you can stay home and not worry about noise?

I think I'm lucky in that way as my husband works at home but he doesn't have many calls so noise cancelling earbuds or closing doors and he's fine and just ignores the chaos around him!

DH ignores it but his presence sort of alters the kids behaviour which is hard to manage.

My partner and I are child free by choice as the whole rigoir of kids didn't appeal to us and I have a lot time for parents who are honest about how hard it can be. Yes there are people who can't have kids or have lost kids but it doesn't wipe away what a struggle it can be. It's ok for those mum's who have husbands on very high salaries and they can have lavish stay at home lifestyles and drive the kids about in the Chelsea tractor to different places all.holidays, but for the working families that need to both be in full time jobs to make ends meet it is much much harder.

Some people on here are being nostalgic because they enjoyed school holidays with their kids decades ago but times have changed, many mums didn't have full time jobs to juggle back then, it was safe to let your kids go off roaming in them days, things didn't cost as much as kids were sensible enough to be left at home to look after themselves by the age of 10 then whereaa people accuse you of child abuse now if you did that.

In my area there always seems to issues with kids roaming around late at night smashing windows and vabdalislng things because too many parents don't parent at all. I think the majority it would better if the holidays were shortened.

Of course! He needs to work elsewhere, at least part of the time.

It really may be worth asking if he could go somewhere else to work then? As the house is your children's home too, they deserve to make some noise sometimes

They do but at the moment it just isn’t possible. Hopefully in the future.

Hopefully? Stop hoping, start to discuss.

@MadeInGrimsby its a bit more complicated than discussing - but nothing will change this summer, that much is certain!

That's a real shame. Do you think couples counselling will help? There's obviously quite a bit going on.

There is but it’s not anything counselling will fix unfortunately. Thank you. I didn’t mention as wanted to keep things relatively light is all.

Ok, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope the rest of the holiday, and the results, go ok.
All the best 👍🏼