to be utterly fed up of the summer holidays already?

[ilovecake]

We have all just spent another day shouting at each other. Kids don't want to play with anything. I can't seem to do anything that suits both of them. Weathers pants so cant go outside. Builders making mess in my living room. DH grumpy because starting night shift. DD 5 either suckng thumb, sulking, stropping or falling out with brother. DS 2 doesnt listen to anything i say just does as he wishes. Aaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhh! Please tell me its not just me who finds this hard.

Small town in devon - no car. I realise there have been some breaks in the weather but on the whole the rain has been torrential and i am not about to go out and get soaked.

pmsl, 'are your kids made of sugar?'
for what its worth, im finding it quite hard, ok when able to get out, but money is tight, so yet another day in the house today, dd bored, even though she has loads of toys, and ds1 small and rather naughty!!! so i do understand

I am n full sympathy - I have just done a similar post, didnt see yours.AIBU to have lost my rag with the kids.Im fed up!

We went cinema yeaterday.1 adult,2 children plus popcorn and a drink each - £30!
Playhouse - 2 children plus drink and crisps each - £25!
I am now skiny and wll spend the rest of the holidays over the bloody park!

i think the summer hols are too long for the kids (not the teachers, they definitely need the break but my dd played schools today with her dolls and teddies, and i asked her if she was missing school, and she nodded and said she misses her friends! bless

Ha ha @ i am now skiny. Meant to be skint! Wouldnt mind if i was skiny!!!!

DD is missing school too - keeps saying how many more days till i go back to school. It is expensive if you do any major "activity" isn't it. I don't have a car and to get the bus is £6.
To be honest getting soaked in the rain is not my idea of fun nor the kids. But i take the point about getting out more.

I suppose you have to bite the bullet. Its really hard when its pissing down to say come on kids lets get our wellies and rainmacs on and go and get soaked. You will feel better tho if you get out.

i dont drive either ilovecake, so only have the car if dp is off work, and sometimes hes too bloody knackered to go anywhere!!
i dont live near any good parks, and only so many times you can go on the same walk, before you and the kids die of boredom. we do have a park near here, but its really shit, me and dd call it sad park. thats exactly what it is!!
to do anything 'eventful' costs a bomb. its really rather rubbish!!

If you really can't go out in the rain (which is a shame as children this age love it, especially when they can jump in puddles so much that they get all their clothes wet), then do things at home that are completely different, such as...

Make them a tent/den using sheets and furniture

Use your washing basket as a boat and be a) pirates b) fishermen c) cocaine runners

Paint a pirate flag for above. Make fishing rods using sticks, string and a bent paper-clip for the hook, make some fish for them to catch out of paper or cardboard and put a ring on the fish heads for the fishing hook to pick them up with - try cutting a loo roll into thin circles and sellotaping them on.

Do some easy cooking. Or make playdough.

So pretty much anything that involves the misuse of household items or making a mess. It is less annoying to clear up after some creative play than to be telling them off all day.

i feel the same as ilovecake. i have dd(4) and ds (15mths) although she isn't at school she doesgo to preschool and misses it. she is bored and i try to go out as often as i can but don't want to go out everyday. Sometimes they could just play in the garden but dd isn't happy with that. ds isn't bothered either way but for my sanity home is beeter for him since he's at the running everywhere/into everything known to man/climbing phase which imo isn't fun when out.

So you are not alone

Mildmannered first 5 days of holidays had beautiful sunshine so i am sure it will return for you hol.
It is the age difference that is difficult to tailor activities. DD loves art / craft stuff and i do try and do these things but DS just wants to shred and chuck stuff around. Go to library and he tried to keep leaving library with various books whilst DD still choosing.
I think i'm going to have to plan some things each evening for the next day so that when i am tired and frustrated i dont have to think too hard.

im the same as eddas and ilovecake, my dd is 5 and ds 19 moths and very destructive!!
dd loves art and crafts aswell, but ds ruins her pictures and rips all the things up, or pours glitter everywhere!!! aaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!!!
it is hard work.
tomorrow i am so going to get out the house, even if it is to sad park, or the same old walk, as being in here is driving me crazy, and a miserable mum makes for miserable kids!!

wow oldgregg - bet my kids wish you were their mum. Im going to build a den tomorrow!

Have a look at your local wildlife trust web-site. Ours does loads of family nature days, for a small donation. We have done pond dipping, bug hunting and nature trails in the past, with children from 2-10.

My kids love it when it rains, bikes and scooters in the park are loads more fun when there are puddles to wizz though.

If it's raining you put on coats and wellies and go anyway. You get dry and have hot choc when you get back

shatteredmum - I have 4 DCs and the eldest is 6, so having them all bored together indoors has to be avoided at all costs!

If the sun does come back, there is the magic lure of water play! A washing-up bowl of suds to wash tea-sets in or a bowl of water that you can play 'seaside' in, put in stones, shells and any plastic fish, dolphins etc you have. Or forget the water and make dinosaur-land instead.

Or give them a bucket of water and a large, clean paintbrush so they can 'paint' the fence, shed, house bricks etc. Particularly good for toddlers because they can't mess it up - similarly drawing with chalk on the side of the house, terrace, path etc.

Ilovecake I'm in Devon too and last week was the pits regarding weather crap,crap,crap. I actually ran out of wet weather gear and the kids have 3 sets each!!!!!!!

Don't know where you are but there is a children's centre near me running weekly play days, Exeter museum has loads on (in the cathedral),the library does too. Kids are free on the bus so we're going into Exeter next week just for the hell of it if it rains like last week. I've got passes for the zoo and pony centre which have indoor bits.

Arrange some play dates and have people back. You can hire DVDs from the library for £1. Will be taking all 3 to do the weekly shop just to get out but out of the rain IYKWIM. I'll be avoiding soft play big time

I've made an emergency plan for several days of 2 or 3 indoor activities to be used when desperate. Sad I know but wet afternoons when you've been out can drag and my creativity goes out the window. I feel more relaxed knowing I have back up so shout less.

I had to keep reminding myself it was Aug last week, I hated it. Some of the problem is being in Devon we're very outdoorsy and when that is limited the dc and I get twitchy so no it wasn't just you who found it hard

You have my sympathy. Staying in is pants. My 3 are up until really late at the moment (I know, I know - I shouldn't let them) and are crabby and vile all day. The shouting. The hitting. The begging for sweeties. Aaaargh!

They go in the garden and have compost fights, or shout rude things over the fence at the girl next door, or get hold of dh's tools and start sawing and chopping things while my back's turned.

Library would be nice - if ds3 (3 yrs old) would sit down and read instead of doing an impression of road-runner.

They'll all three be in school or nursery full time in September. . I think I can last until then. Just.

Thanks all for your suggestions and for letting me know that i'm not the only one struggling at times.

make some playdough with them, they'll love making it and love playing with- just dont ask me for the recipe its been too long!!!!

Paint the walls with water, 2 year old will love it, cheap brushes from pound shop.
Get some chalk while you are in there. Noughts and crosses outside for 5 year old, also hop scotch and general pavement filling.
Popcorn lights off early evening, rent a dvd.
Picnic in from room with teddies.