Lone parents and summer holidays

[MaxwellCat]

Any tips for lone parents and the summer holidays? I’m fully alone with my children their father won’t be having them at all and they don’t go to his house or stay overnight, my family also don’t help out. Not going to lie when I say I am dreading the summer holidays. I’m not working as dd has a disability and I’m her carer so holiday clubs etc are not an option. Any tips from other single parents? (Ideally those that don’t share the holidays etc) how do you cope with the 6 weeks without having any break at all? We don’t live in an area where kids play out and my older two both have asd and don’t meet up with friends in the holidays. Due to dds disability days out are challenging.

I'm not a single parent, but oh use to work abroad, and I remember how long those holidays felt, particularly with a child with additional needs.

Are you other children registered as young carers? My other son really enjoyed the young carers trips out in the summer, it varies from area to area, but worth enquiring?

Do you belong to any support groups for being a carer? Some of our local ones have activities over the summer.

The thing I found helped the most, was making a massive wall calendar, so the children could see the plans/routine and trying to have 1 thing a week that was a special/planned day- even if the activity was home based like pj and movie day.

Also has your disabled child had a RAS assessment for respite support/care?

Keep it short. Better off going to legoland for example. If you don't live in Windsor!! I did that, flew in, stayed in a budget hotel, they loved legoland, we managed to eat out, wagamamas I think, we flew home. It was nice. We saw the changing of the guards by chance. Kids enjoyed it. I didn't lose my sanity.

My kids are 17 and 20 now and holidays are still a strange one for me. Who do I go Way with? I went to visit school friend's recently, leaving my dc alone for 48 hours for the first time ever.

If you can get away for one night to visit a friend once in a while, you are doing well.

My goal is to walk camino next year, kids can fend for themselves.

I divide my wages into 14 so I have money for Christmas and Summer.

Make packed lunches in the morning for the evening meal.

Depends where you live, your envirnoment, your children's ages etc. We also don't really do kids meet ups due to middle kid's social issues. We have a national forest pass we make use of, I try and take them out at least every other day. A new park, a walk, a wood, the beach (we're super luck we're not too far away, though now they're older they wake too late to make the parking so we don't often have time before 8.30am to find any free spots), then gaming, just chuck them out in the garden, cooking days, urgh. I give up sometimes.
With three kids and the fact many places now charge money just for spectators it's a fight to try and take them to stuff to entertain that won't cost heaps of cash.

I think a routine really helps, with downtime (for everyone) built in.

I find getting up and out early really helpful. It doesn't need to be far or particularly exciting if that's not possible, the park, a different park, trip to the supermarket, library, local activity, cinema etc.

Seek adult company where possible, arrange things with other parents/your friends or family/go somewhere there will be other kids and adults to chat to.

A period of quiet time/independent play/a movie/screen time or whatever gives you a break after lunch. If this is a solid routine everyday even the most clingy/naggy of children will come to accept it. That's your downtime and they need to respect that.

Have an activity planned for the afternoon, again doesn't need to be big or exciting, drawing/craft/baking/playing with Duplo/a board game etc. Maybe give your DD a choice of three (that you don't mind doing) and let her pick.