Summer Holidays mostly on my own with 6yr old & 9mth old. Please help!

[EverythingsRosie]

Normally I really look forward to spending time with eldest dd during the school holidays.

However, this year we have the new addition

It's going to be hard, I think.

Baby is walking already so not keen on pushchair, but is very unstable so can't really get out outdoors either.

She is also a rubbish sleeper both day and night. She still really needs 2 daytime naps and is miserable without them, but she will only sleep in the house. I have never managed to get her to sleep when out & about.

How am I going to do this on my own with both of them for most of the 6 weeks?!?!?!?!?

I feel your pain. Last year I had a 5yo and dts who were 7 mo. I was dreading the hols as I felt trapped in the house. Tbh it wasn't all that bad, especially if you take it literally a day at a time. I made sure I got out of the house when I could, even if just to the library to get eldest dd a new book every week. This year, I have made sure I've booked dd1 into a holiday club for 2 days a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays so that at least I know if we have a bad day at home she will be getting out the next day). Looking back at last year it was the anticipation that was worst. Actually getting through each day felt like I was achieving something and not just 'waiting' for the dreaded hols to begin iyswim.

I have a 6yo and 9mo too

Swimming is great with both of them, dd1 has armbands and dd2 sits in one of those baby float things

Feeding the ducks

Playground

I think sometimes you will just have to persuade the baby into the pushchair and get out, you'll go bonkers otherwise. It doesn't have to be at her nap times. Hopefully in the next two or three weeks she'll be steadier and you'll be able

While the baby is napping at home I do things with dd1 that aren't really baby friendly - crafty things or baking

DVD's great too to occupy the older one while you're entertaining the baby.

DD1 will play with dd2 quite nicely for a while too which is nice, means I get to go for a wee in peace

Hope you have a great summer

Gosh Tigerfeet - swimming with both of them!!! I am aghast. How do you manage the shower and change fiasco afterwards?????

Really nice to hear from someone else who has 2 girls with the same age gap though. It is not a very common age gap, I find. All the mums I met when having 1st dd had their 2nd babies a few years ago and are just starting to get their lives back now.

Nice to hear that you survived the summer doing this with baby twins too, twinsuffucient [very impressed face].

I get the idea of just doing little trips out of the house like park, ducks, library etc.... But I just feel that eldest dd is getting a bit of a raw deal there. There's so much else that she is 'old enough' for now.

I know what you mean about the eldest getting the raw deal. I do feel like that sometimes but at the end of the day the little trips are all I can manage for now. I just concentrate on doing my best now and then think of all the lovely things we can all do in a few years time when they're older. No child ever died of boredom I don't think!

"No child ever died of boredom" I'll have to remember that! The amount of time I spend feeling guilty that I don't entertain my DCs enough.....
I have a 12yo, 3yo and 23mo so I'm REALLY worrying about the summer hols. I've already written a list of all the places we can go to, friends to see etc but there is always a strong bias towards the little uns. Its very hard. Maybe I should just give into the idea that my DS1 would quite happily spend hours on the xbox,itouch,computer etc and not feel guilty about it!

have you checked out your local council gym? ours has a programme during the summer for 5+year olds (it's also free). - you could maybe do a couple of sessions a week for older DD, as long as you can take DD2 along to watch?

can you try and have an activity planned for morning and afternoon that focuses on DD1, for half an hour or so, so she gets your main attention, then can either carry on with it herself, or do something else herself? - at a time when DD2 is either sleeping, or nto due a nap at all and not needing too much attention?

Easier said than done, but can you try and plan activities around DD1, and just fit DD21 in with them, rather than the other way around? - tricky with the fact that LO is walking already I know. Don't know if oyu have any spare cash, or can buy 2nd hand, but we got DD one of those bikes with safety guard and parent handle at 10months, - i was struggling to get out in the garden with DS (2 year age gap) and realised he was having to fit in around what I could do with DD. That made things a lot easier, she would glide aorund in it like a princess, whilst I played with him.

Does DD1 have any friends living nearby who you could invite round to play? I often find that DD plus friend takes less looking after than DD on her own, because they entertain each other.