Need help with ds1 (5). Horrific 4 day holiday. Feel shocking

[popsycal]

Will type more later. I am about to flip

[popsycal]

valnben- not butlins but butlins-type-place.
We;re having fun inthe tIGER CLIB.

tiger ckub my arse

excuse tyoping
wine helpping

[roisin]

We had a hideous holiday when ds1 was almost 5 - it was just awful and I hated every minute of it. We never even speak of that fortnight as it was so dreadful - and that was over 5 years ago!

But every holiday since then has been fabulous - it does get easier, I promise!

[popsycal]

Glad t is not just me. Me and boys were sharing a caravan with my mum. Sisters and nieces next door. They really had their eyes opened.

Feel like a shit mum

[Othersideofthechannel]

I know this isn't very 'how to talk' and I should be letting you know your feelings are valid but
NO YOU ARE NOT

[ValnBen]

Thought so ? too many things to do and see (all at once), too many people, too much noise, too many late nights, too far distant from the normal ?home? experience?and in my DS?s case not enough to drink (usually)- he get?s really fractious if his water intake drops too far ? a few BIG drinks of water usually resumes normal services, but by then getting him to drink is a battle????.quite the opposite to me when it comes to wine time funnily enough

[ValnBen]

Oy ? you are definitely NOT a shit mum??you are the mum of a delightful challenging 5 year old ? if you were a shit mum he wouldn?t be challenging at all ? ?tis your very skilful management of him that allows him to display his personality and test the boundaries (IMO)

[popsycal]

He is 'exuberant' according to his school report.

[ValnBen]

and would you rather it read ?shy? or ?withdrawn????? Think not, somehow.

The best day I?ve had with DS during the hols was yesterday?

Because he went to his dads today for a week then back at school the week after, yesterday was the last day of the hols with him for me?so I decided it was going to be a special day ? he got to be in charge?
As long as we stayed local (too nice a day to spend in the car) live at the seaside anyway, he got to choose what and where did things and mummy is not allowed to say no.

Ground rules: anything that is normally considered unacceptable behaviour still is unacceptable ? anything I wouldn?t normally allow him to do cos its dangerous ? still not allowed, but other than that?..anything goes.

And do you know, it was the least stressful day I?ve had with him this whole summer?

Besides, there are loads of ways of saying no without actually saying THE word

[popsycal]

I know what you mean. I asked ds1 what the best part of the holiday was. He said: going swimming with just mummy when ds2 stayed with grandma and getting out phot taken at the pool and buying it. And reading the far away tree with mummy every night without ds2.

Thinking there may be a bit of an attention thing there even though I try as best I can to give them both individual atteniton.....

[coppertop]

IME when they're having their tired 'Damien' moments there really isn't anything you can do other than pray that they fall asleep very very soon. Once they get to that point they're beyond all reason. If it's any consolation I had something similar with ds2 (4) yesterday. By the time it was over I'd been kicked, punched, had a football thrown in my face and he'd tried to stab me with one of his toys. Minutes later he was snoring on the floor. Today he's been almost angelic.

Keep drinking the wine and repeat the mantra "I am not a shit mum". And then have another drink.

[ValnBen]

Ah, well- there I?m at a disadvantage ? I only have the one (phew) ? so can?t put any of DS?s erm, demands (demon(d)s) down to attention seeking???He has me all to his self.
Really don?t know how people cope with more than one under 15?..
Hats off to you all!!!!

[popsycal]

Oh coppertop - thank goodness. I m not the only one. Ds1 is a boy of routines and although he has had the time of his life and LOVED it all, he has needed to get back to normal.

He made me laugh today. ds2 was so tired in the car - wanting to have a feed (yes, he is 2 and a half and want to feed when tired....). Must have been having some sccess with 'How to talk....' as he said: 'Imagine mummy's boobies stretched rigght as far as Central America (wtf?!??!!) and you could have it every minute of every day and you didn't have to wait while mum was doing a BIG BORING DRIVE behind a BIG BORING COM-BINE-HAR-VEST-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!'

[Othersideofthechannel]

LOL

[collision]

Ooh Popsy we are reading the Faraway Tree atm too.

DS1 is 5 and absolutely LOVES it! He cannot wait to go to bed as we have a quiet time and read together.

Where are you up to?

5 yr olds can be hard work and we have a younger one too (of 2.9) who really winds ds1 up. Tomorrow ds1 and dh are going to the park so that they can have some fun and not have the shouting of ds2.

spitting is out of order though.

hope you are ok

[rantinghousewife]

Popsycal, if it makes you feel any better, my ds was an absolute nightmare at that age, very strong willed and when tired impossible to reason with. He's a teen now and he's absolutely lovely!! Take heart, you'll look back one day and laugh.

[bozza]

So he is taking notice of you popsycal. Fantastic story about the car journey. It can be difficult in a caravan IME because you are all close together. When DS napped on holiday either he or DD went in our bed - couldn't see them napping in the same room.

[popsycal]

I plan to wake him at 5am regularly when he is a teen as pay back for his hideious early morinings

Collision - Faraway tree. It is the firts bok in the series so might actually be the enchanted wood. We have just read the Chapeter where the grils go to the house of the 3 bears. We have the old versions with FANNY in. QUite amusing
DS1 LOVES the book. I love 'quiet time' which is usuallu 6:30-6:45 in our house. Bath done, TV off, dinner cleared away, pyjamas on.
ahhhhhh

[rantinghousewife]

Lol, at you trying to wake a teen!! Chances are you won't want to go anywhere near his room!!
Hadn't thought of that tho'.

[popsycal]

Ok. Plan B. WIll buy several massive alarm clocks set at 2 minute intervals between 5am and 7am. And I will sleep.

You kno what.

I ught to be celebrating.
DS2 SLEPT THROUGH LAST NIGHT. first proper sleeping throgh EVR!!!!


crikey the wine is showing

[collision]

those are the times you have to remember and not the bad ones.

ds1 was bought a box of wooden spoon puppets from ELC that he had to make himself and he decided to make Silky, Moonface, Saucepan and Wotziname out of them. When we read the stories out come the puppets!! so sweet

[popsycal]

ds1 is still asleep. He slept in until around 7:30-8:30 on holiday but that is as late as he has ever slept. Glad that he is having a good sleep now. Not heard a squeak from him all night. Onwards and upwards!

[popsycal]

He is up and happy and wants to go to the beach . Bless him - he said 'Mum you should go for a run. It's a lovely morning and you will get half an hour of peace'.

Hoping it was just a sleep/e number induced blip.....

[Dinosaur]

My DS2 was a demon child the whole of last Sunday (he's just turned six). I think it was tiredness-induced as he'd stayed with my aunt the previous night and hadn't slept very well.

[popsycal]

Well, after his 13 hour sleep last night, he has been gorgeous today.

Thank the Lord

[coppertop]