Guilty for hating the summer holidays

[schratching]

I feel guilty for hating the summer holidays.

My husband is off to work and it's up to me to organise the day as I feel fit.

I'm trying to relax but after not being able to work for 5 years full time (I have twins) and lockdown. I just don't want to spend anymore time with the kids.

I feel so sad for them but I can't help how I feel.

You are not alone. I used to look forward to the summer holidays, but I am not enjoying this one at all. I keep saying to my husband that the cumulative build up of all the lockdown time has definitely had an impact on my mental health.

My 8 year old daughter is a delight, but my 7 year old son is arguing back about absolutely everything. He’s loud as fuck when he’s happy, and also when he’s fuming.

They seem to be at an age where things like trips to the farm are way too babyish, so our usual fail safe outings are slipping away…😖

Is he off any of the holidays so you can spend time as a family? It's a long slog on your own.

Can you afford any summer school/tennis camps type stuff to give you a few days off? I suppose the flip side is that when they're at school you do have time without them when many mothers don't. Are you planning to return to work now they're both in school? That might be something to start planning to give you a boost.

I have full time work secured. I am really, really looking forward. But it makes me feel so guilty. I can't express this to my mother, she just shrugs. My mother in law says it's nice for the kids to have me off all summer. No one acknowledges/validates the struggle of it all.

I'm finding these holidays hard. It's my first summer holidays with 3 children and not working (on mat leave) and my first summer holidays where the children have been off school/nursery as they both just started last August. The behaviour of the two older ones has been quite difficult.

We have 2 weeks left and I'm determined to try to enjoy it with them. I've stupidly tried to do some stuff in the house - decluttering and moving rooms around etc and that has been stressful. We should have been going to the beach and playing in the garden instead. Also me, eldest DC and baby have all had covid. Again. 😏

Anyway - whinge over! It looks like a beautiful day today, so we'll get out and enjoy it.

Can totally relate. Lockdown also ruined it for me, up until then I had loads of energy and patience to organise activities. Doing those activities non-stop for days on end has kinda taken the shine off! And nowadays everything is tainted by endless risk assessments, and doing mini-isolations to stay well before major events. I am working FT and I think that brings back those awful days of trying to work and provide some kind of entertainment. Also feeling hugely guilty when I hear about parents heading out for the day again, as I can't. DD at that awkward age where she feels too old for holiday clubs, but not old enough to go out on her own and meet up with friends. Not helped by being an only child so if we did send her to holiday club she wouldn't know anyone.

Another one here op. I am hugely peri-menopausal and I think it is my hormones (unable to take HRT) which are affecting me most and I'm trying not to be too hard on myself. Older two dc doing okay able to entertain themselves to some extent or meet friends, it's the youngest who naturally has bundles of energy and wants to keep eating or keep on the go. Lots of guilt on my part. Luckily dh has currently got some time off and is able to keep up with dc which helps enormously.

Keeping it low-key with only a few days out planned currently (and no holiday).
Having said this, the days do seem to be passing pretty quickly (I don't like wishing time away and try to make the most of each day but I can't help looking forward to getting back into more of a routine when school starts again). I agree that lockdown has had a big impact on this and as another poster says doing several of the activities already has taken the shine off things.