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Summer Holidays Stress Thread

46 replies

marthamoo · 25/07/2005 10:10

Thought it might be helpful to have one thread where we can all come and have a little rant, as and when.

10.10am on Day 1 proper and my stress levels are low. Have already had a brief "he hit me...gerroff...he's got my book..." fracas but atm they are playing nicely together on the X-Box.

Long may it last...

OP posts:
troutpout · 25/07/2005 18:52

I've had a mixed day today with my 2...but its been such bloody hard work ..and i fear i have already used up a weeks worth of patience .

We have (good mummy points)

Made and whizzed paper helicopters down the stairs
Playdoughed
Made camps
Read umpteen books
Watered plants and feet in the garden

I have also (bad mommy points)

Yelled at them for winding each other up.
Told ds rather vicously to keep away from dd coz it 'all ends in tears' (can't believe i use that phrase)...bless him -he was only going to play with her
Nagged and basically tantrummed around the front room coz they'd turned it into a tip in the space of 10 mins while i had a shower this morning 'For God's sake i can't even have shower!!'

oh dear!

marthamoo · 27/07/2005 09:33

OK, this is how well today is going...

"For goodness' sake, can't the two of you be left alone for more than five seconds without someone getting hurt? You two have so many things you could do - you have a houseful of toys, books, DVDs, computer games, art materials...but no, no chance of you doing any of those things. Oh no...instead you run around like lunatics screeching at each other til someone ends up in tears because they're hurt. We may as well live in a barn in the midle of nowhere, with no toys, no books, no nothing [bad grammar but I was seriously ranting by this stage] because all you want to do is run round being silly and trying to damage each other. I have had ENOUGH!"

Yesterday wasn't bad, btw

OP posts:
marthamoo · 27/07/2005 09:34

Troutpout, I was trying to have a shower too - shall we resign ourselves to joining the great unwashed for the next 6 weeks?

OP posts:
singersgirl · 27/07/2005 23:56

Can I join the thread? We saw friends on Monday afternoon, were out all day at friends' yesterday and today went swimming and to the library. So why do they just screech at each other after five minutes and why is DS2 (nearly 4) almost permanently in tears?
Was cooking lamb casserole for supper with music on and heard lots of bumping. Went upstairs to discover DS1 (all but 7) had filled up a plastic storage crate with water from the bathroom - bathroom flooded, crate on sodden carpet in bedroom, toy cars in water in crate, me in towering rage, DS1 in fury, DS2 in tears again.....
Only 5 and a half weeks to go!

Skribble · 28/07/2005 00:24

In scotland we are well into holidays already. DD at dance summer school so a fairly peacfull week. In 2 weeks DS has a week of NTS activites.

Earlybird · 28/07/2005 01:06

DD had organised activities every morning last week, and will have the same next week. The routine/structure seemed to work well, and presumably will again next week.

However, this week I am left to my own devices, and feel fed up. DD is in an extremely bossy phase, can't seem to accept no for an answer without major tears/attitude/rudeness, asks "why" about absolutely everything to a completely exhausting degree, talks constantly, seems temporarily incapable of occupying herself for any length of time, and has the attention span of a gnat for any activities I set up for her. She wants to be wherever I am, and often wants to be in my lap. She even wants to sleep with me (we're in an unfamiliar house in a different country for the summer).

She also is a gold medal whinger at the moment. We went shopping this afternoon, and instead of being happy with the one "treat" I got her (ground rules laid out prior to shopping trip), she whinged about the things I said no to.

Don't know if she feels destabilised by the lack of routine/familiarity, or if this is a particularly demanding phase. Whatever it is, I love her dearly, but find myself completely drained, impatient, and flat. Fingers crossed that the rest of this week is better.

ThePrisoner · 28/07/2005 01:09

As a Very Busy Childminder (think this is my official job title), I'm not sure whether the word "holidays" should even be tagged onto the word "summer"!!!

I enjoy not having the school/nursery runs, but entertaining seven or more children aged 5 months to 10 years involves enormous creativity! We have only completed three days, but my house has seen more glue, paint and baby rice than I thought possible. (I enjoy it really, and we really do have a laugh!).

Earlybird · 28/07/2005 13:46

How's everyone doing today? We're in America at the moment, so at not quite 8 AM, things are fine today . We're due to go swimming in a few hours, and then to a birthday party late afternoon, so there are some activities on the horizon that should keep dd well occupied. Here's hoping that it's a pleasant day instead of a patience shredding endurance contest....

Gobbledigook · 28/07/2005 13:48

Ok today - JoolsToo is here this morning while I work and this afternoon we are round at friends for play and tea.

Good job too as it's lashing it down - would be tearing my hair out if in alone.

troutpout · 28/07/2005 19:19

Well it would have had a seriously crap day...it started off so bad and had already completely lost it once with ds by about 9.30am
But...
Went to Marthamoos house for lunch...thankyou thankyou and her 2 and mine actually played without killing each other. Then we all went for a walk (p**ing down and got soaked but what the heck)
It was (dare i say it)...deffo brill

emmatmg · 28/07/2005 19:31

OMG......martha.....seriously I think your boys must be absolute carbon copies of my ds1+2.

I swear on my life that your post is exactly what I say/think all the time.

I look around at all the toys and stuff they've got and think "what a bloody waste of money"

All I can say ATM in I can't wait for the 6th september.

happymerryberries · 28/07/2005 19:34

We have friends round for the day and dd and friend pulled the towel rail off the wall.....And that was before 9! God help me, I was as patient as I could be

Tanzie · 28/07/2005 21:06

We have 9 weeks of school holidays to get through here.

Hoorah for holiday clubs where they can do anything and everything from sport to sewing.

troutpout · 28/07/2005 21:11

singersgirl
Bet you felt like weeping when you came upstairs to find that.
My ds does similar bathroom 'experiments'...drives me nuts

marthamoo · 28/07/2005 23:15

I think half a day off school a year (Christmas) should be enough for any child.

This morning was pants but, as troutpout has already said the afternoon was better (though it was her idea to go and feed the ducks in the torrential rain - even the ducks thought we were mad).

emmatmg - it's scary isn't it? I sound like my mother.

OP posts:
rickman · 02/08/2005 12:56

Message withdrawn

peaceandlight · 02/08/2005 23:37

cracking up here too
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

bobs · 03/08/2005 00:03

My kids aren't the problem - DH is! He seems to resent the fact that we have nothing to do and he has to go to work - good smiley that!!!
Plus we're going away in a couple of days and has suddenly realised he has to get some proper work done - dunno what he does normally

rickman · 11/08/2005 13:46

Message withdrawn

lucy5 · 11/08/2005 14:09

Its not dd its dh who is getting on my nerves. He comes home from work grumpy because its so hot, feels hes entitled to a siesta, so takes one, often wakes dd up as shes going down for siesta by coming home early or turns on the bloody cricket.

lucy5 · 11/08/2005 14:16

and while i'm thinking about it, it's too bloody hot and we cant leave the house except before 10 in the morning, cant do that am too tired or after 5 ish which means dd has a siesta and then doesnt go to bed til 12 at night. All the activities are in the evenings because of the heat. So if bloody dh has disturbed dds siesta, she doesnt sleep and then still doesnt go to bed till midnight, aaarrggghh! Sorry rant over.

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