OMG - now I have BOTH ds at home for holidays I just can't cope!

[Legacy]

Sounds pathetic I know, but DS2 just started school this year, and prior to this was in nursery, so this is the first time we've really had them both (7 & 4) at home on school holidays for any length of time.

They are driving me mad!!!

How on earth do you cope? The dynamic is just so different with both of them...

Weekends aren't the same as we normally have stuff scheduled. But the last few days I've been trying to get stuff done for Christmas and they've literally been bouncing off the walls and furniture... both constantly annoying each other... neither will do anything separately in their rooms... whenever they are in the same room it ends up in a wrestle within minutes... constant requests to do stuff which requires my input (games, complex construction etc)... constant asking 'what can I do?'... even when we've been out to the park etc they're back to the 'indoor niggling at each other' within minutes!

I can't be out with them ALL the time, but they really are doing my head in! How on earth do you cope???

We try to stick to limited amounts of time for TV/ computer games etc, so I don't want that to be the solution.

Advice please....is there a secret to managing this??

RubberDuck - You're probably right - they were both worn out by the end of term!

I feel as if I need a parenting equivalent of 'FlyLady' - someone just to tell me what to do each day with them....

Ah - in that case you might find these useful:

I'm bored

I'm bored again

I quite often dip into them for ideas - most are of the "I should have thought of that" variety, but still handy to have around for moments of inertia and uninspiredness (is that a word?!)

If mine do my nut in tomorrow, I'll be ignoring the cold, wrapping them up and setting them off on the trampoline for a couple of hours! I can watch from the kitchen window with a mug of malted choc horlicks

Agree about girls generally - SIL has girls and it's an entirely different scenario in her house.

I can't use the run around out doors/ dog walk fail safe as we have one ear infection and one case of chicken pox so I'm afraid it is filthy house for Christmas loads of tv and and crafts/stories and a quiet time all round.(and after ds's first term at school it's what we all need and is in some ways a blessing, could do with some sleep and no in-laws visiting though......)

It isn't just boys unfortunately. My two girls are just the same (5 year olds) . If they don't get outside for a good run they are almost unmanageable, leaping about the place with so much energy.
I wish I had half of it, even a quarter, just a smidging would do

I think they leech the energy out of us. Thats why they have so much and we have so little. There must be some way of harnessing children's bounciness to help solve the energy crisis.

alex - what a great idea - sort of child-powered wind things!

or big hamster wheels?

This has really cheered me up! DD (2) has been up since 5am & after clearing up DS (4) room for second time today at 8.30am have finally snapped/ gone shouty & retreated to computer.

Its not always that bad though. My two fortunately do like to play imaginary games together and I've found if I spend about 20 mins getting them started on "vets", "polar expedition" or the like I can sneak off to "go to the loo" & churn through a few tonnes of washing/ washing up.

Big hit of the week so far has also been video of Tom & Jerry which has had them in hysterics.