Suggestions please, things to do with DD.

[Scramble]

OK DD told me the other night she wants two mummies, I am not enough and I give her pasta too often .

Anyway I asked if she would like to do somthing with Mummy on Monday nights instad of going to granny's when I take DS to his club.

Now I am stuck as to what we can do, in the evening 20mins drive from home. Club is on for 1.5hrs. Swimming pool shut, shops shut. Apart from going to the supermarket I can't think what we can do. She is 8yrs.

What about something girlie - like doing your nails or pampering when you get home. She could have a bubblebath with some "grown up" smellies when you get home and take it from there...?

Cinema (maybe to late at night)

Dinner out together, she can pick the place

Skating rink kind of thing

Take a camera and takes pictures together... then enter them into competitions/ make home made calendars for presents / make a scrap book out of it.

One week pictures of doors
Next week a tree and the same tree as the seasons change
Funny road signs
Graffiti
DS and mates at club
etc

You can take good pics even when it rains.

Keep a diary as you do this... so she knows where her pictures come from etc.

I have an 8 year old girl and I know what you mean! However, we are currently both enoying some of the board games that she got at Christmas - Cluedo Mysteries is the favourite!She also loves Twister (with CD) - both of you can do it and its a great laugh.

Also agree about the girlie stuff - my dd loves all that and likes it when we do nails etc together.

Do treasure trails... If you are in a town centre area... walk around looking for the letters of the alphabet in shop signs etc. Make up things like that... reward is a hot chocolate in cafe at supermarket if it has one.

I am looking for something to do in town, 20 min home and back tto much petrol. Pampering is a good idea but would have to be another night, she is busy most nights at her clubs or with exH. I seem to have no proper time (trying not to say quality) with her its all dinner, homework and get ready for bed or going to and from clubs.

Don't know if we would have enough time for the cinema, I have to drop off and pick up DS, we could go for dinner, but I will have to feed DS. Couldn't eat out regulary, cost too much, but I might do this occasionaly.

She would love to go skating, just tried phoning icerink, no answer, jsut a small place don't know how often they do public skating sessions, but one to try.

lol at the pasta, sorry. Could she do something special with granny? Like something crafty that she only does when she's there? Or baking? I loved baking at that age (now I just love eating cakes... )

Camera idea sounds great. Might need to try that one with DS when he's a bit older.

Oh camera idea sounds good, bit dark jsut now at night, but mine has a flash, she got one for christmas. Could do something with that idea.

Same with treasure hunts and walking etc, will be able to do that in the better weather and lighter nights, good park and beach near DS's club.

So just stuck for things to do during the next few months. I want Monday nights to be regular as its the only night I can get her herself.

This is going to sound a bit wet but I was a teenager, my Mum and I used to get a takeaway kebab roll and sit in the car and listen to our favourite music - we took turns picking a CD and would sing along really loudly!

Ice-skating sounds nice but if money is an issue you really need cheap/free ways to spend quality time together on a weekly basis.

Thanks Susi but I am trying to persude her to spend the evening with me, she loves it at Granny's she wants to live there as she doesn't like her room and it doesn't feel right at home since daddy left. She is at Granny's a lot.

Oh poor you Scramble FWIW i read your other thread and I think you're doing a brilliant job - don't worry if she's taking out her frustration at the separation out on you, hopefully she will get the hang of the new situation soon ( although it's wonderful that you're thinking of ways to cheer her up )

Thats it CashnCarry, I spend a fortune on activites all week, but need to spend more time with DD.
Tue is dance all evening. DS goes swimming with exH
Wed is gymnastics dinner in the car on the way home then Brownies, DS goes to Granny's.
Thur exH comes around and might take them both out.
Fri is Swimming Ds at granny's, dinner at granny's then DS scouts and DD drama.
Sat I normally work so back to Granny's
Sun exH has them for the afternoon.

Saves me a fortune on meals though as some or all of us eat at MIL's most nights . Even on a Sat if I am working she feeds kids and plates mine up.

Is there a coffee shop where you could go together for say, an hour, and then take board games/ card games etc with you?

Does your library stay open late? I find its a rather pleasant time browsing with DS.

Blimey - sounds like you get all the routine stuff and everyone else gets the quality time!

Sounds like your DD is desperate to spend time with you which is kind of at odds with her saying she doesn't want to live with you so I would try not to take that to heart.

Would you have to sit in car? Is there space at DS's club for you? You could play board games together.

Are you at all into sewing? You could make a quilt together.

How about doing a complete careful-with colour and mood boards-plan for her bedroom she doesn't like, for a "makeover" if the endproduct is feasable?

If there is a place you can sit indoors i.e. at the club... buy some beads and earring stuff from internet with long nosed pliers and make earrings... give as gifts or sell.

Does she still like to be read to? Embark on a series of books and read together... e.g. the Rainbow Fairy series.

There is a cafe at the club place, we could take stuff into do, she got a jewelry making set for Christmas, but a bit much stuff to take in. Beads everywhere argh! . I will ask her if she would like to take craft stuff in we could both do. In the past If she did ever come she took her puzzle books ans just got on with them so I would read the paper.

I am not taking it to heart, I know she is mixed up. TBH I would love the company too as its yet another night I spend drinking tea on my own in a crappy cafe. Tue is over 3hours and shops only open for the first hour. Most mums go home for that time. I stay and make sure DD gets her dinner OK but after that I can't be arsed going home to coma all the way back in.

She loves reading, I read to her a bit, she reads mostly to herself. I don't know if I want to read outloud in a cafe for 1.5 hrs

sorry - wasn't totally grasping that you wanted her to yourself . Jewellery making takes up very little room and there's a lot she'll be able to do at her age. It can be pretty inexpensive too.

I suppose I could make the jewelry stuff more portable, the beads are in a huge case. Got the pliers and all that, she has already made earings for granny and BIL's girlfreind. Next she will be making them for exh's GF, sorry I won't start that again .

Any kind of craft will be vastly improved by putting everything in an appropriate sized tool box with the little shelves and compartments inside.

I will try and get something we can put stuff in to take with us if we are going to make it a regular thing.

Go to ASDA if you have one near you... to the hardware aisle.. they have these wonderful plastic boxes with partitions. You have to put them in yourself and I make sure to glue them in. My DD uses them for her beads. She can start making them for Valentine's day and later mother's day and sell them to friends etc for their mums. My DD made £60 that way She sold them at school. Even teachers and office staff bought them. Just check school is ok with this.