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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

What do you do with your kids at the weekend?

21 replies

missmoopy · 17/01/2010 09:55

I must have been a catholic in a former life as I seem to feel guilty a lot! At weekends my hubby often works on saturday so me and dd (5) do things like supermarket run, library, park (shitty weather permitting), watch tv, internet, games etc (not all in one day obv!!) and then on Sunday we try to do something family focused - days out, going to park etc. Money is tight so sometimes Sunday is very similar to Saturday only daddy is there. I also try to get the cleaning, laundry etc into the weekend so expect dd to amuse herself some of the time.

My friends seem to spend their weekend jam packing activities and expensive trips out into their weekend. I worry I don't do enough with her at weekends?

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2010aQuintessentialOdyssey · 17/01/2010 10:06

A bit of both really. Yesterday I took the kids into town to buy fresh prawns in the market square, and check out the Ice cinema they have built outdoors. My youngest is going there with his preschool next week, and I wanted to check it out. I need to send him in with a sheepskin to sit on, as the seats are also made from ice blocks. There is an igloo with refreshments, and a big cinemascreen in ice. It will be really cool.
Then we went for dinner (prawns) at my parents, and after we went home and built shelving and tidied the kids bedrooms.

Today dh has taken the kids on a walk up a mountain, they are going to slide down. Later we will go up to the alpine skiing slopes. Our youngest (4) is currently learning, and our 7 is very competent. This means I will sit in the coffee shop and read a book, as I am not really a downhill skiier.

I think you have the balance right. The weekends are not for entertaining the kids only, but for the family to take part together as life unfolds. Be it chores, shopping, and a bit of fun in between, such as park and library.

Tee2072 · 17/01/2010 10:09

'It will be really cool.'

We do a bit of shopping, a bit of playing, a bit of walking around.

I don't think it matters so much what you are doing so long as you are doing it as a family.

Personally, having a bazillion scheduled activities on the weekend would make me batty!

2010aQuintessentialOdyssey · 17/01/2010 10:11

lol, I was wondering when I was reading it back just now, if someone would pick up on that.

bonkerz · 17/01/2010 10:23

it depends on money really! sometimes we will go out for lunch if DH is off or we will visit MIL. We always have one day at the weekend which we spend in our PJs which gives me a chance to do housework and catch up with washing (today is one of those days)
sometimes we go soft play or swimming, we generally just decide based on the DCs behaviour during the week!

cory · 17/01/2010 13:04

We've had a ghastly run of low level ill health over the last few years, so weekends are often the times when we collapse on settee or try to get the housework done. Sometimes go on outings. Very rarely eat out.

lovecheese · 17/01/2010 21:14

A balance of chores, DH working (teacher), chill out in PJs time, playing with friends, thats the kids not us, homework, cinema/shopping/library, lunch out; not all in one weekend but weekends are precious and we try to make the most of them.

ruddynorah · 17/01/2010 21:18

saturday we go to see family, either my in laws or my gran's. this is after my lie in then sunday we stay at home in jim jams all morning, then dd and dh go swimming, then we usually go out for a meal.

sowhatitsonlysnow · 17/01/2010 21:20

Saturday - dog walking. library etc
Sunday morning - Tag Rugby, great as wears him out for 2 hrs.

JustMoon · 17/01/2010 21:21

The only activity at the weekend is swimming lesson.

My boys are not fussed about activities, if we do something then great but if we just hang out at home then they are quite happy too. I always wonder about people who feel they have to fill their time, it's almost as though the are worried about just relaxing with the children. I also think children need to learn to entertain themselves too or they soon get bored.

If your children are happy then you are probably striking the right balance.

SixtyFootDoll · 17/01/2010 21:21

A mixture
My DS's both play rugby so Sat morning is training, Sat afternoon they usually play with their frinds.
Sun they have matches in the mroning, in teh afternnon we watch a film, or if nice go out fora walk/ bike ride.
Dont do a lot, but weekends for me are a chance to unwind!

AlpenCrazy · 17/01/2010 21:41

agree with justmoon

comparisons are odious. i do get fed up with this monday am boast at sch who did the most exciting adventurous and culturally enhancing things with the kids at the weekend?

do what u and your kids like. and chill. its the weekend

MrsMalcolmTucker · 17/01/2010 21:49

My dd just started school this year, and I'm finding that she needs some space at the weekend just to recharge. I think we need some time just to potter.

So this weekend we did swimming and lunch out on Saturday, but then spent Saturday afternoon just at home. We go to church on Sunday mornings, then a bit of faffing around at home, reading the paper, calling my family for my weekly catch up and then to MIL for dinner. A nice balance of things I think.

UniS · 17/01/2010 21:51

bit of house work, bit of cooking ( DH likes cooking but only gets time at weekend) , bit of watching DVDs or playing computer games. A bit of going to church, a bit of shopping. if its dry we may get out for a walk ( we live in sticks with big hills on door step). Some weekends we are away seeing family or friends, some weekends we have a sports event to go to participate in or a training session. a right mix.

I don't yet commit DS to any regular activities at weekend as I don't want to HAVE to get out of bed or have DS miss things I've paid for because DH and I have a competition/ training/ social thing to go to for our sport. Once hes bit older DS will be encouraged to train and play our sport. at present he enjoys the social side of it.

Portofino · 17/01/2010 22:00

Yesterday dd went to her dancing lesson then had her friend round for a couple of hours. Today we have done nothing much. She did a bit of painting, played on the Wii, watched a DVD.

It was a nice day, so normally we would have gone out somewhere, the park, a walk etc. But I'm on a trip this week and had loads to do to get ready....

Original poster

missmoopy · 17/01/2010 22:30

Thats good then , i feel so much less of a crap mummy!
dd started school this year too and i also think weekends are her only real down time. it is nice to have a balance.
i also agree that it would be awful to spend all weekend busy, busy, busy...thats what work is for!
i also agree that children enjoy just "being" and spending time in their home with their parents.
my friends who have cracy busy weekends have both complained to me in the past that they get bored all day at home with their kids so maybe their weekends say more about how comfortable they are being parents than anything else.
so tahnks MN'ers, i can always rely on you for honesty and reassurance (or downright ridicule if appropriate!!)

OP posts:

lucyellensmumagain · 17/01/2010 22:45

quint!! ice cinima??? And all you can call it is cool!!!! how fecking fantastic is that!!!

hmc · 18/01/2010 00:01

This weekend - Dh took ds (5) to football (10.15 - 12.00) whilst I largely ignored dd (7)and got on with essential chores.

She did a bit of 'paint by numbers' (Christmas present) and then tv. After ds and dh returned, they both resorted to a combination of tv and Wii - pretty much until bed time.

Felt horribly guilty - but it seems that I have two choices; exhaust myself as Butlins Red Coat laying on activity after activity to lure then away from passive stimuli like tv or expect them to entertain themselves some of the time (but alas when left to own devices, they invariably resort to tv / Wii despite having more toys than Hamleys).

Sunday - Dh took dd to her rock climbing class whilst (as per Saturday) I largely ignored remaining child - this time ds. After he has slain quite a few storm troopers on the Sky Wars Wii game (I felt growing misgivings about raising potential future psycho) I suggested he did his dinosaurs sand art (Christmas present). Was required to assist him with this and it was a joy and a privilege (got shouted at by ds for doing it 'wrong'). Dh and dd returned around lunch time - and this afternoon we went out for a dog walk; taking the children's bikes ...for about an hour.

It was unmitigated hell - both kids moaning and belly aching that they didn't want to cycle after all (this was when we were already half a mile away from where the car was parked) Dh ended up carrying dd's bike. Returned home defeated, and left them to own devices (yep, more tv and wii) and I retired to bedroom for half an hour (around 5pm) with momentary depression because both dc's have been utter shites today.

Muchos guilt that we haven't practiced reading aloud (especially since dd is dyslexic and needs the practice), or piano lessons for dd or done anything particularly 'quality' with them. But for one thing they have been singularily unpleasant lately so not much incentive...and for the other, life cannot revolve around them...

Phew! - sorry for long answer

Takver · 18/01/2010 10:50

God, they do 'stuff' all week at school, surely weekends are for doing nothing?

Having said that dd does go to art class on Saturday am, but only because it is 2 minutes round the corner & no trouble to get her to.

Apart from that - walk the dog, hang out, play a board game all together sometimes, go round & see a friend (or dd might see one of her friends), whatever.

We do go swimming quite often on a Sunday morning - but it's not expensive & I enjoy it.

Romanarama · 18/01/2010 20:52

We quite like going to do something though. DH took 2 of the boys to a car show yesterday and they had a really fantastic time. It wasn't even that expensive as dh pretended he was going to buy a sports car of some kind (hope he was pretending ) and so they were invited to the VIP lounge for lunch. DS1 is nearly 8 though, so maybe more demanding for engaging activities.

At 5 I'd say supermarket, library, park was pretty good, with maybe the odd special treat too. When I was 5 and more I lived for the times my mum took me to a ballet matinee at Covent Garden. I can't believe it was more than every 6 months, but they were the best days of my childhood.

Lizzysbusy · 19/01/2010 15:41

Usually we go swimming (a keen favorite) or to the park. Also shopping and chores. I don't think it matters too much what you do as long as you're interacting together.

2010aQuintessentialOdyssey · 19/01/2010 21:51

LEM I have a feeling I may be cursing the ice cinema tomorrow night! DS2 is going to watch a movie there with his preschool class. The very idea of my 4 year old sitting outside in the cold watching a feature lenght moving, starting at 9 am, is making me shiver!

I need to send him in with a sheep skin to sit on, and a wool blanket, though the teacher said it was "not at all necessary"! yeah right.

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