Coping with weekends - single with only child

[newlifeforme]

Just wondering how others cope with only children, especially at weekends, when you're single.

DS7 is very energetic and is literally on the go from 6am to 8pm each day. I arrange activities but still struggle to fill the 14 hours. This weekend was an example - we had such lovely weather and had a great day trip on Saturday. Sunday was a day at home and ds wanted to play in the garden but wants someone to play with and I just find it exhausting.

We played card games, football and charades. He watched TV for some time and played on the computer but I was still struggling to fill the day. When he has friends around he's occupied for hours as he's very social but I can't organise playdates ever weekend...or is that the answer??

I find that by Sunday evening I'm shattered..anyone else find a way to cope. I want to enjoy time with ds but it just feels so full on.

I'm in the same boat. I do have his friends over - it helps if you know other single parents.

Is there a decent park near you? We have one just up the road, and there are usually other children there to play with, meaning I can sit on the grass and MN on my phone relax.

We invite a friend over some weekends, other weekends DS and DH go down the park for a bit. Generally they find someone to play football with. We cycle, walk, go to sports stuff ( 2 cricketers in family) and go to what ever local events ( fetes, coffee mornings, open gardens, village panto) are on.

On days when the weather was anything approaching fine I went to the park with a picnic rug, lots to eat and drink, a frisbee, one of those velcro ball-catcher sets, a football and books to read. Sometimes we stayed all day.

Farm-visit places (they often have good play areas), museums, country parks, the woods, walks in the country, story sessions in the local library, the beach. Any kind of open day - fire station, police etc

Go to fetes - garden, church etc or Highland games if you are in Scotland

Google 'free things to do in the summer holidays'

I had the same issues when dd was around that age, try explaining, having a deal where you spend so much time together and then so much alone . we also had times when I chose an activity and times when she did. I was never very regimented about it, but made sure we spent enough time together doing her favorite things for me to enjoy my time and activities guilt free. I also made it clear that if she didn't want to do my activity then she didn't have to, giving me an out when she wanted me to watch Indiana Jones for the tenth time x (sorry for any mistakes in post, my phone hides the text box with the keyboard )

to be fair, most families I know who have more than one child, the children don't play or interact with each other much.

Is there some kind of sport that your son could get involved with? DD ice skates and a large part of Saturday is spent at the rink having lessons, training with her team, skating for fun. She also practices a lot on her own.

Now that your DS is getting older he can get involved with running the house, cleaning his room, your car, helping with the shopping and cooking with you. Make that a fun activity with the two of you choosing recipes and buying the ingredients together.

Assuming he's a strong swimmer he'll soon be old enough to be in the pool alone, so you could go in with him for half an hour and then get out and leave him to it.

Give him the opportunity to make friends at the playground, pool, wherever whilst you read a book.