Anyone else dreading the summer holidays?!

[RubySlippers77]

My twin boys are only 2.9 so not at proper school yet, only preschool, but the thought of six weeks off with them is filling me with dread..... usually they go two mornings a week and MIL & FIL have them one morning, so at least I can use that time to do cleaning/ go shopping/ run errands, but preschool finishes this week and MIL is going into hospital for an op which will rule her out of childcare for six weeks too

I literally have no-one else to look after them, DP will be at work and I will be stuck with squabbling DC the whole time. They are so awful to each other at the moment that I can't turn my back for five minutes. We spend a good chunk of the day outside (otherwise they start climbing the walls with suppressed energy!) but I'm just bored, and lonely, and fed up that it seems like my friends with single DC are having a great time when frankly I'm not. I'm aware that this probably isn't the case but my life would be much, much easier if I only had one DC to look after!

Oh, and we don't have much money at the moment either so my entertainment options are mainly limited to parks/ walks/ sandpit. Which are all fine in themselves, but for 5 days per week plus extra at the weekend if DP is being a lazy arse and refusing to help, doesn't help with the boredom.....

Sorry, this is just one long rant, I needed to get it out!! I'm hoping to return to work in January when we finally get our free childcare hours - I'm a SAHM out of necessity, can't earn enough to pay childcare! - and still looking at options for that too. If anyone has any suggestions to help though other than buying lots of gin and prosecco to see me through that would be much appreciated!

I remember these feelings of dread well. My girls are going into year one in September (and turning 6 in Sept too) so old enough for summer clubs. I went back to work when they started reception so they will have to spend 4 weeks in clubs thank god and we are going on holiday for the other two weeks so it's not too bad.

Things that got us through when they were little...visiting alot of different parks and having picnics there to drag out time. National Trust visits, most definitely worth the £10 a month. I paid a one off summer fee to use our local hotels pool. Much nicer than the leisure centre, nicer showers and change rooms, hot tub, not carting towels to swimming as they provide them. Plus the twins were free as under 5, really worth the £80 for 6 weeks pool use. We wlukd go swimming 2 or 3 times a week which they loved. Kids shows at the cinema in the morning are £2 per ticket. Local libraries do crafts some days of the week, meet at friends houses for our kids to play together.

Good luck op! It is such a difficult month.

Thank you for the tips never - I'm just not looking forward to the relentless trips to the park etc - especially when it seems like my friends with single DC have it much easier and can do much more fun things I'm looking into swimming, they'd enjoy that - our local leisure centre came under new ownership recently and they've put the prices up - plus the parking isn't great if you have small DC as you have to cross a busy road from the car park. Unfortunately all the gymnastics clubs have shut down too for the summer, a shame as DTS1 would love that.

The local library does do a story time for toddlers but I have a feeling mine would rather run round shrieking than sit and listen to it!!

I've tried a few local holiday clubs too but they are only for school age kids, it's not like I wouldn't stay too, but it's not an option.

Oh well, I shall buy plenty of duck food and also stock up on prosecco for the more difficult days.....!

Hi Ruby,

I feel exactly the same and feel so guilty for feeling like this. My twins are nearly 3 and I have two other children (5 & 10) so it's hard to find something to entertain them all.

I'm also struggling financially due to nursery fees! I've found that a lot of play places do summer passes that work out cheaper, eg 10 sessions for £40, I also try to go to free places like the beach / Forrest's where I can let them run free.

My plan for the summer was the paddling pool as they all love that but the hosepipe ban might scupper those plans!

Don't think I've been much help but I do share your pain

DaisyChops Remember that you only need a couple of inches of water in the paddling pool for it to be fun and cooling, and you're allowed to use a bucket at the tap. Then just put it on your plants which you'd have had to do anyway.

Plus you have four helpers to carry the bucket!

Look on the local library web site for summer holiday stuff - usually free. And local arts centre, council. Our woodland trust does a toddlers discover session that’s free.
Cut down their sugar if that’s a problem. Can the other set of grandparents help?

Thanks again all! I've made as good a list as I can of cheap/ free events to go to over the hols, but a lot of the stuff in our area is for over 5s, the Children's Centres and libraries aren't running a lot of their groups plus some things (like messy play) I just find too difficult to take two to!

Day 1 of Operation Stay Sane over the School Holidays is going ok apart from both DTs falling over and scraping knees... I've made a list of hopefully!) fun activities to try, with the plan being to tire them out in the mornings, set up an activity during nap time and then tire them out again after that - trip to the park/ swimming/ woods etc. However please send as I will still probably need it soon!

Why isn't DP taking some holiday over these 6 weeks
I would propose that to him and book yourself a couple of weekends away
Have you got mates? Childcare in company takes a bit of the pain out of it and breaks up the week.

My babies are only 5 months but I just want to say there are benefits with multiples - dont forget that. When your friends are thinking about having another baby and doing it all again!

DP's taking a week off Wind but he's self employed, which also makes things tricky! I do have friends with similar aged DC but DTS1 is such an utter pain with other kids at the moment that I have to watch him like a hawk, otherwise he'll get overly aggressive he's been diagnosed with glue ear now but we have to wait a few months to see if it clears on its own - hopefully with that plus his speech therapy things will start to improve.

I do occasionally- see the benefits with twins Newbabies, but honestly, mine are just relentless at the moment - DTS1 didn't nap today either which almost broke me! I literally get nap time plus maybe an hour in the evening to myself, and in that I have to do all the cooking/ cleaning/ tidying/ admin needed, because I don't get a chance when they're awake. If I had family nearby or a more helpful DP then things would be different but sadly not!

Ruby, I share your pain, my DH commented the only day how often I use the word relentless and that sums my DTS's up perfectly!!!

I agree, it's almost not much help meeting people as you still have to watch your own DT's constantly where as other mums can seem to relax a bit more and they just don't get it!

Other people find my DT's hilarious but it's not that funny when they have done that so called hilarious act for the 40th time before 10am 🙈

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I have a friend with twins who are exactly a year older than mine Daisy, they will be 4 in October. She said she feels like they are (finally) coming out the other side of the toddler years and life is getting easier!! She also has a DD who's 9 and has struggled giving her as much attention - she said her DD was a very easy baby and therefore it hit her even harder having twins

We're going to a toddler event tomorrow and I'm already about going even though I know they'll enjoy it - I think I get a bit insular over the hols as it's just too much ruddy hard work to meet up with other mums and try to have a conversation whilst they run round screeching and demanding attention. I just tell myself we can always leave early.....

Funnily enough I was thinking earlier that one day I might really miss these times, just me and them when they're little, no pressures for big days out etc. Then one DTS will bite the other, the hair pulling will start and I think hmmm, maybe not!

Left toddler event early as DTS1 got massively overexcited and worked up would NOT calm down or settle down to play with anything, just wanted to run round screeching, and as there were tiny babies there too I couldn't let him. I took him aside to change his nappy but he was bright red and sweaty - once he finally calmed down a little bit he kept saying "home" - so we went

A couple of the mums came to talk to me as they could see I was on the verge of tears - said there was no way they could cope with twins and I was doing fine - certainly doesn't feel like it today though!

Other mums are always saying 'I don't know how you do it with two' and I say 'you don't get a choice'. Because it's true, we didn't put in a request for two. It's what we got and now we have to manage!

One mum in a class said to me "Oh I couldn't have coped with twins" - I was at how unhelpful she was! I stopped going to that one as all the other mums seemed similarly smug.....

We had IVF and some days (like today!) I almost wish I hadn't bothered

Hi Ruby
Not much to add really - I have a 12 year old, 4.5 year old and a baby.

It has definitely got easier for me in relation to dd1 - in fact she is a great help with her younger pre-school sister. Plus, she can wander off to her friends (in the village) and sort herself out a bit more; more portable etc. etc. It is my pre-schooler that I struggle with when older dc isn't around. She constantly seems to demand snacks and has lots of energy, constantly creating a mess wherever she goes and seems to need constant stimulation (although she will play by herself for a bit) and unfortunately, because I am having such bad sleep with baby my patience is sometimes stretched. I can see how my older dd benefits from the summer hols but it feels like it is too long without structure for my four year old (starts school in September) and for me whilst looking after baby and coping with the heat! Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying bits of it (DH takes one day off a week and takes us out other than that we have no other family) but I am also missing the headspace that pre-school provided.

I used to stay in a lot with dd2 as a toddler (again dd1 and dd2 different characters) - dd2 would always find 'the thing' that she wasn't meant to/have no fear/be hyper and chats with other parents were often non-existent. It really is tricky and not looking forward to the toddler stage all over again with dd3 as a result. dd2 has only just recently turned a corner in terms of her behaviour etc. but I still don't rush to take her out anywhere on my own sadly - maybe another year or two will do it!