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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Summer break with the kids - good fun or endurance contest?

32 replies

Earlybird · 06/08/2006 18:28

How are your kids are behaving during the summer holidays? How are you managing the lack of routine/structure, increased freedom, and so much "family time" without the enforced breaks of school ? Are you pleasantly surprised and generally enjoying the time, or gritting your teeth in frustration/anger far too often?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Blossomhill · 06/08/2006 18:29

I am really enjoying the time.

Have invested in an 8 ft trampoline and it's well worth the money!

The only thing that pisses me off is the never ending trail of destruction/mess. It gets to me too much

WideWebWitch · 06/08/2006 18:30

I've got a whole week off with them next week so will let you know then but I'm so looking forward to not charging out of the house to school/nursery with them. Ds was away and only back on Sat but so far the weekend has been lovely.

ScummyMummy · 06/08/2006 18:31

Week 1 was great.
Week 2 they have been at their g'parents
Will let you know in a couple of weeks when I can see how i am weathering the endurance bit.

Jimjams2 · 06/08/2006 18:54

Bloody nightmare, am knackered already, and this is the bit of the holidays I have help.

DS2 is in nursery all day tomorrow, so am trying to think of somewhere a bit further afield to take ds1 and ds3 (with help) but cannot think of anywhere that a) ds1 will get out of the car and b) won't be too busy for him.

I am hoping for grey clouds and drizzle, then we'll go to the beach.

GarfieldsGirl · 06/08/2006 19:24

TBH, I'm very pleasantly surprised. I admit, I was dreading these 6 weeks, but it's actually been OK. Its been made a bit easier, I think, because ds1 (4.10) is going to a different school to his friends so we're off visiting friends several times a week. We have been visiting quite a few places though, and lots more planned, so I'm sure my bank statements will make interesting viewing in September!

mrsbang · 06/08/2006 19:31

I normally really enjoy the summer holidays but it's been tough this year as we're both working and juggling the boys between us and for various reasons it's just been harder this time around.

Tinker · 06/08/2006 19:48

1 week down, 4 1/2 to go and she's already incurred the wrath of 2 different neighbours - 1 knocked to tell me to have a word with her, the other just bollocked her herself. Going well then.

Original poster

Earlybird · 06/08/2006 19:55

I'm finding everything is magnified. Fun times are wonderful and unrushed, hard times seem much worse than usual. Definitely experiencing more intense bad behaviour from dd which may be down to duration of our time together without school to give us botha break from home/each other.

OP posts:

Gobbledigook · 06/08/2006 19:55

I'm trying hard to enjoy it but I'm afraid they are driving me a bit nuts. They are only 5, 3.5 and almost 2 so you can imagine the destruction they cause and they way they wind each other up.

Last week was teh first week of the hols and I tried to take it easy, chill out and not rush about in the morning or make too many plans but they just went bananas with the lack of routine, running riot in the house (weatehr was crapola) and generally winding each other up.

Wehn I did stuff with them it was fine - going to library etc - but I just can't be doing that allll the time.

The rest of the hols should be OK as we have more going on - ds1 and ds2 at a friends tomorrow, Thursday to Sunday at mums in the Lakes, following week ds1 and ds2 have intensive swimming week plus FIL is here to help out, following week we are in Cornwall. So just the final week to go but FIL will be here for half of that.

I so wanted to just relax last week but children this age just don't get that, or appreciate pj days do they?!

jac34 · 06/08/2006 19:57

I normally love spending time with my DSs.I work 3days so really look forward to my days off with them.However, this year,we're two weeks in and they have been a nightmare.I've got all this week off with them and was so looking forward to it,now I think it will be a disaster.
I've put them to bed early tonight to try to,at least have them in a better mood tomorrow.....fingers crossed.

Gobbledigook · 06/08/2006 20:00

I think it's difficult this year because I have ds3 who is not yet 2 and it limits what you can go and do. For example, I'd be swimming lots but the club only allow 2 children to one adult and I'd also do cinema trips - not really a good idea with a 23 month old.

sleepysooz · 06/08/2006 20:40

Everyone sounds really piddled off! What is it with us mum's, if dad's look after the kids's, they say oh everything is fine, but us mum's seem to pull our hair out. Oh I know, its probably because we have other chores to do, and just get frustrated because we can't do them with the kid's round our feet. I tried tidying my bedroom last week and my twin 2 half yr olds were squirting toothpaste at each other in the bathroom whilst my 10 year old plays havoc in the kitchen, so no chores acheived that day but more mayhem! I think I am going to tidy up tonight before I go to bed and I am going to lock the doors tomorrow and we are going to live outside all day, I have pitched the tent in the garden (in case of bad weather) made the pic-nic, it just boils down to effort, hard effort! has anyone got any tips for holiday activities that are free, yes we've done the walks, bike rides, library, park, painting, ah yes we can body paint outside tomorrow, paddling pool awaits!

jalopy · 06/08/2006 20:46

Think of it as an opportunity to:
a) Delouse them
b) De-worm them
c) Correct their diction

Jimjams2 · 06/08/2006 20:47

I find it hard because we are housebound except when we have help in, (eldest is severely autistic), so I always feel trapped. It's not really the dealing with everything, (although sometimes it is), it's the feeling trapped. We've run out of teabags and I know I'm not going to be able to get any until tomorrow evening when mum and dad come in. That's why I hate school holidays.

mummyhill · 06/08/2006 21:28

DD is already asking to go back to school. She hates the lack of routine. She is only 4 and prefers to have a fairly structured day. DS is bearing the brunt of her feelings (poor little man is only 10 months so it's not like he can fight back).

I am getting frustrated as I can't get anything done. It was great when she was at pre school every afternoon I could get stuff done or have a rest before going to work of an evening but at the moment I am on the go from6 in the morning till I get home from work at 1am. I am absolubtly knackered. DH can't have any time off till she goes back to school as everyone else got in and boked their leave early and he missed out this year, so unless my parents decide to whisk the kids off in the caravan I won't be getting any reprieve from them.

sleepysooz · 06/08/2006 22:17

I feel guilty now jimjams! you poor thing, I know what its like to be house bound, as I have twins, and we can't go on a bus, cause the pushchair doesn't fit, don't have the use of a car during the day, but I can get to the shops, although thats a nightmare 2 year old tantrums (double screaming)

you will have to squeeze ya teabags a bit more
chin up

sleepysooz · 06/08/2006 22:24

Jimjams!

Do you not have anybody you can phone to get ya teabags?

I must admit, my problem isn't as severe as yours, but I have a 10 yr ds who is hyparactive, as well as the 2.7 twins, and my family can't manage us, they prefer to visit us, instead of us visiting them, apparently our family are like a tornado arriving, we never get invited anywhere, I don't have any friends that choose to see us unless we phone them to come to us - surely we can't be that disfunctional as a family? it makes me wonder.

We didn't have children for the first 12 years of marriage, we had a dog who was vicious, we didn't get any visitors then, so we should be used to no visitors!

Gosh I'm rambling, tara

Jimjams2 · 06/08/2006 22:39

No they all have the same problem as me- will have to drink green!

Original poster

Earlybird · 07/08/2006 15:18

JimJams - so sorry it's as rough as it is, and magnified by the summer break. Hope you've at least got your tea now to make you feel a tiny bit better.

OP posts:

sleepysooz · 07/08/2006 17:29

jimjam, hows it been last couple of days, are you any better, its rotten when your stuck in?

WideWebWitch · 07/08/2006 18:01

Well tbh now it's nearly the end of today I'm knackered. I've been to the bloody park and pushed on swings (bleurgh), played pooh sticks, went to the shop briefly, helped with painting, turned my back on painting for 5 minutes and therefore spent 25 minutes cleaning the bloody wall and floor (I know, silly me it was like a Pollock painting), made a box of surprises where they had to put their hands in and guess what was in there, made a "guess what the smell" is game where they had to smell things while blindfolded, made finger puppets out of socks, cooked lunch and supper, supervised washing of the car, rescued ariel pouches and Sudocrem mix from utility room where dd was happily mixing them, posted here a bit, talked on the phone twice, and I'm KNACKERED. Working OTH is easy peasy compared imo.

muma3 · 07/08/2006 18:05

much easier this year as we now live in a house and have garden and new friends, they play out and have people round .

still hard though as have 5.1, 8.9 and 1.2 years olds . they all want different entertainment and like gdg said you cant do alot when children diff ages

foxinsocks · 07/08/2006 18:06

I worship at the feet of the Tamagotchi gods at the moment.

Never have I spent £12.99 better (well x2, so £26). I got one for dd as an early b'day pressie and one for ds aswell so they could 'connect' together and they have spent time every day playing with them.

I find the constant mess/winding each other up v annoying.

muma3 · 07/08/2006 18:07

i hate the arguing too . at school they had thier own friends and werent always together so they have been fighting alot too

Tommy · 07/08/2006 18:23

DS1 is driving me crazy
I think he's bored
I have tentatively arranged with another Mum that we will have the other's DS for an afternoon - I could do with a break from him and, to be honest, he could probably so with a break from me too!

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