Sad we all have to go back to real life

[Whodesignedlifelikethis]

Dh has been lucky this summer and had just over three weeks off (normally has two) I'm fortunate to be off over summer and obviously Dc off school.
Woken up to a quiet house, Dh already gone to work, Dc a bit quiet and just watching tv. We will all be back to work and school by the end of the week.
It hasn't all been perfect, but I've enjoyed the lazy mornings, us all having breakfast in the garden, making plans for the day to do what we like.
Life is so short to spend in the rushed, stressy way we sometimes live, only seeing each other for snatches of time.

I know i'm being totally unrealistic and it's life.
But it's rubbish and I wish we could all spend more time together

Yes I totally relate. The relaxed bumbling mornings have been absolutely lovely. Dreading (perhaps too strong of a word) school run and routine return.

I think mine are ready to go back to school. We’ve had some lovely times over the summer but the working parent juggle has been insane this summer as I’ve been so busy at work it’s felt quite pressured at times. There has been a lot more annual leave than usual in our team!

Opposite in our house, the kids are so much happier when they are on a routine. And TBH so are we. When things are unstructured, we go a bit mad

We’ve had a similar summer OP. I’ve been telling myself it’s been so nice as it’s been a step out of the norm, but yesterday I was wondering what it’s all about. We could do this more. It has made me wonder if I’m missing the point a bit.

I get it. We're just about to get on flight home after very relaxing 10 day holiday, then almost straight into DS GCSE year, which is going to be stressful as hell and involve us having to do a lot of work to make sure DS does what he needs to.

Also oldest DC is off to uni and we're creating halls costs, so we'll be down a lot of money until or unless I change jobs, so I'll be new job hunting starting this week as well.

X1 GCSE year
X1 A level year here

it’s going to be a nightmare!

I will be able to sit A’level chemistry come May so let’s look at it as a time to learn

If anyone wants to take shares out in revision guides now is the time

I do wonder if this is a couple thing though @Whodesignedlifelikethis - single parent here with two children and i quite like the routine of work and school. Siblings all feel the same as you with their partners as life is so lovely with their partners together with them as opposed to be working.

I retired from teaching in May this year. This is my first not starting new year in school since 1991.
Im marking it by still being in bed drinking coffee and eating biscuits. My other half has gone to work so its me and the cat and green parakeets in the garden.
I get migraines triggered by the seasons changing (I know its weird) so I often really struggled at this time of year.

I am with you completely. Both of ours are back to university soon. It has been so nice having the whole family together for the summer

Im gutted the kids are back tomorrow. I've loved this summer so much. Having them home, where we can do what we want, when we want has been a blessing. We've done a few trips away too. Its just been perfection. I dont want to send my kids off to school tomorrow at all.

It’s only great because it’s temporary. If you lived like that permanently you’d get on each others’ nerves, take each other for granted, and start to get depressed because you had no real purpose

Same here. X1 final GCSE year. X1 final A-Level year. Neither will want our help academically though but I’m sure going to have to be the punching bag through the stressful times. My job is to toughen up.

If only we could just fast forward to next summer.

I feel exactly the same! This summer has just been so chilled and relaxed and I am not looking forward to going back to the rush of school mornings and all the stresses that come with going back to work and school etc

I felt like this when DD1 went back (Scotland) and still do a bit. I think it’s the morning rush that is the worst bit honestly. If school started at 10am that would probably suit us nicely as we can have the mornings we like and leave the house unhurried. DD1 had a couple of delayed starts due to weather last year and it felt so nice going in at 10, we were all much less stressed!

She doesn’t go to school on Fridays so we do have nice time together during the week, but the mornings, oh the mornings..

I think that rather depends on what the “purpose” is.

Well there is nothing you can do about the end of the school/work holidays so just try to live in the moment. I always do a little something every day that brings me joy and I don't look too much into the future

I don't have a partner/husband and my DD finished uni and started working about a month later, and I have worked all summer, those with young kids have had time between them, the only difference for me was the struggling to sleep between nights because of the hot weather and people out enjoying themselves, making noise that isn't usually there, and the usually quiet days during the week where I shop or wander not being quiet! (I'm not resentful before anyone jumps on me, it's just life, I don't expect people to change because I work nights) I have a week off at the end of September though, which I'll thoroughly enjoy.

It's nice to hear people have enjoyed time with their families over the lovely summer as a break from the grind, we all seem to have to give everything to keep a roof over our heads and miss so much, I missed a lot of my DD growing up and I regret that I had no choice really, it's lovely that people are taking the time to enjoy it.

Could you make normal life not so rushed and stressy? It really doesn’t have to be that way.

Dh and I are both mostly around before and after school, though sometimes one or both of us does have to do some work. We’re always both home for a family dinner every night. We spend time together every day, even if some of that involves a lot of taxiing. We’ve built careers with a high level of flexibility that means we can always prioritise family.

It might not happen overnight, but what can you change to make normal life more something you don’t want to escape from in the holidays?

I agree. I wish it started later. Also wish we lived in on of the areas where they finish early on a Friday. A little school is good for them and space from each other too but five days plus starting early feels too much.

Your question reminds me of the joke / parable of the fisherman and the businessman.

www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/6ft98c/conversation_between_a_fisherman_and_an_mba/

YANBU on two fronts.

One, the exhausting school run / school routine. Day in, day out. I’m out of that now, but I was thinking about it just yesterday. It’s like living your life in chunks of term time. Two, the general rush of life. As the government, schools, and businesses shift responsibility for everything from them onto individual households, there is a never ending list of ‘things’ that needs to be done. Again, every single day.

Summer feels like the only 5/6 weeks out of the year where life slows down. By the end of the week, the rush hour traffic will be back to its usual peak.
We’re not meant to live like this.

If only …
solidarities!

I love the summer holidays. WFH with flexi hours. I love lazy, slow mornings and hate the school runs!

😆 I think a lot of people realised this when they were forced to reflect during covid. But then most went back to life as it was before. People don’t really like change or don’t feel able to make it.

Enjoy- sounds like you've earned it! 😊☕🍪