to think that my DCs should show more gratitude if I lovingly offer to take them on a picnic??

[BoffinMum]

So I spring out of bed this morning, despite having done 3am and 6am feeds, and offer to take the DCs to the seaside as it's the first day of the summer holidays and the weather is perfect. "Do we have to?" comes the reply. I then offer an expedition to the local park for a picnic, with all their favourite stuff in it. "Only if I can take a friend" replies DS1. "I'm not going" replies DS2, who promptly has a big grump on the sofa. I mean, I am trying to do Proper Parenting and Interact with them and ensure they have Fresh Air and stop them watching Dinosaur King all day in a darkened living room whilst playing their gameboys. Is that so unreasonable???????!!!!!!!

Bung them in front of the TV, retire to kitchen to make tea, eat biscuits and MN.
If you hear cries of "we're booorrreeedd", point out rejected seaside trip, insert ear plugs, lock kitchen door.

Can I have a gin instead of the tea? I've got six weeks of this ahead of me!

Ha Ha - this is why I scorn my friends who 'plan' their whole kids summer with lovely picnics, trips to parks and museums etc... My kids have exactly the same reaction to a highly expensive, organised day out to a day on the xbox...
Me: "have you have a good day"
them: "yep"

I'm sure it's developmentally not normal (not evidence mind!) for parents to provide entertainment for kids over the summer. Let the buggers sort themselves out and leave me to my book, paper or mumsnet... the result is a win/win all round.

We have having a chill out day today.
Bit of tv, play in the garden etc
Don't want to peak too early!

7 weeks holiday for DS here, and 8 weeks for DD as she is going into Reception and they start a week later.

and they're probably a bit knackered.

DD finishes tomorrow - she has hollows under her eyes and looks permanently grumpy.

I'm hoping she stays in her room for the first week

ps. can you take me to the seaside?

I'm very well behaved, just an ice cream to keep me going.

C'mon Laurie, let's make a run for it!!

To be fair one of them has now started writing his own book now, so perhaps I can sit back in the knowledge that their creativity can only flourish if they become truly bored. I should know this by now.

LOL at 'peak too early'

First day of the holidays here. I am taking DS and DD with me to the dentist so they can watch me having my teeth dealt with.

Am definitely making sure we don't peak too soon .

Tis true tho!

We have laid down some ground rules today [evil mummy alert]

Breakfast and dressed before any tv.
One hour of tv allowed in the morning, no arguing over choice of programme (that is so not going to happen)
Nintendos allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays (usually only allowed at weekends)
Everyone happy so far, tho that could be because we have not reached the end of the hour of tv! And amazingly they both wanted to watch the same thing today - Tom and Jerry.

Any bets on how long I will stick to the 'rules'?

That's a really stringent Nintendo ration. I could not get away with that.

Yes, I'm an hour a day on Nintendo in the holidays.

I'll let her play on the wii fit as much as she likes though

Hahaha it's clouding over now. Perhaps a good thing we didn't go!!! They have consented to a picnic though - might have to be indoors at this rate.

Relieved to see that uber-mum-dom is unappreciated, as mine have so far had the following entertainment offered:

Go Back To Bed if you're Too Tired to be Nice.

Empty the dishwasher.

Stare, stunned, at TV.

Find the Missing Wetshoe (actually they loved this, as it meant they could rummage around in the garage getting filthy).

Invent own tunes on recorder that has mysteriously reappeared after a term's absence. Aaaarrgghhhh.

I'm hiding in bedroom working from home today.

They have now dressed the baby up as a superhero 'MuslinMan' using a muslin as a cape and a matching woolly winter hat. they are flying him around the room. They are all loving it but I reckon he'll be sick any moment.

Give them time just to relax before organising stuff.

Update: I bought about 3000 mini muffins, packets of crisps, fruit shoots and some token sandwiches at the Co-op, put it all in a basket, and sent them off with random friends to rampage around the field at the back of the house. It's been quiet for an hour now. This is more like it.