How is/was everyone's half term

[Allthescreens]

Dses 15, 12 & just turned 10. We're on half term this week & wow I am finding it tough! Finding myself thinking back wistfully to the days when they were tiny & I had 3 infant school kids or younger 😭

It's mainly DS1. He's always been delightful. Well-mannered, intelligent conversation & a wide range of interests. Not perfect, but pretty good. All of a sudden though, he is just absolutely awful! So unpleasant to be around. Never happy, or even less than miserable unless he is on his Xbox or playing football. Rude to us & his brothers. Whingeing about everything & so ungrateful. We had a 2-day trip to York, lots of history & trains which he loves (or used to), then theatre in London to see a play all 3 obsessively watch on TV. He scowled & moaned his way through it all. Did make some noises about meeting friends but that's not happening now. Plus we've spent around £2k on 3 school trips for him & he is just moaning about those. It's just so hard to take & heartbreaking, I want old DS back!

I should add he is delightful to everyone else, loved by family, popular with friends & on track for 11 x 7-9 grades at GCSE, which somehow makes it better & worse!

Ds2 & 3 have not been great either, mostly just fighting almost constantly. But otherwise fine. DS2 has SEN so it's never easy.

Also DH has been out of work (redundant) for the whole of February & some of January. So worrying about money, although we are OK for now, but mainly he is just there too much! I so crave my own space. He has been doing up our bathroom, which needed doing as it was mouldy, but somehow taking up the whole house, so I can't get anything done. And he's not picked up any extra childcare or housework, so I'm doing that as well as working. I'm just exhausted.

I'm so tired from it all & glad for work to get away from it!

And he's not picked up any extra childcare or housework, so I'm doing that as well as working.

you need another thread to address your unsupportive and selfish partner

he chose half term to do up the bathroom when he’s been unemployed for weeks?

is he job hunting

No, sorry, that came out wrong. He was doing the bathroom for the couple of weeks before half term. He did it all himself so we could keep it to minimal cost. It needed doing as DS2 has asthma & we have an exchange student coming to stay.

DH has also been looking for jobs a lot, but the bathroom has been taking most of the days. The car is also broken & he has been fixing that too. I just thought I might get help with the housework & kids, but it's sadly not the case!

This week DS13 has left his room for approximately 2 hours to go on an enforced dog walk. And he had a dentist appointment. Other than that he's been festering in his room.

DS13 has been bowling with my parents while I was at work. He went under duress.
He's otherwise been in his room on x box, watching TV or on his VR.
Hasn't even thought about his GCSE options, which have to be in next week.
I REALLY struggle to know what to do with him. So he does nothing.

I feel better that I am not the only one struggling with teenagers (15, 14, 12 and 9), but I think I have been really stressed. I am so tired and pregnant, and even a mention of a walk or something fun they all moan to the point that all the enthusiasm for the original idea evaporates. They just suck all the joy out of it.

What makes it worse is that they moan that they are bored and yet refuse to do anything other than games on ps/xbox/pc. I have two sociable children, and they would like to do something, but surprise surprise - their friends are all on the computer too!

I would love to take them out more, but local walks don’t cut it, and other activities cost a fortune with four (they love going to London and seeing the sights there).

I wish I had enthusiasm and energy, and I wish they would be super excited (like they were when they were small, and would jump for joy to go splashing in puddles). It makes me so sad.

I commend that you still have the energy to take the children out and about with you, much better than spending hours on games that they wont even remember next week.

I have DS1 18 who is supposed to be working for A levels but just playing Xbox, watching football matches and with an hour of homework here and there. He doesn't have a job or go out with friends.

DS2 15 basically playing Fortnite all day apart from doing weight training. I did get him out for a walk the other day which he loved because I give him my phone to do the navigation and it was somewhere we don't know so a bit of an adventure.

DD 15 been doing loads of art catching up, been out with friends, generally quite pleasant.

Can you take your DS1 out 1:1 and I bet he'll be lovely. It always restores my faith in my kids when we go out together! Also, if he's Y9, that's an unpleasant year with a big growth spurt. By Y10 they should be improving. I would also ask DH to take him out, a chat in KFC with your Dad can go a long way, and DH can surely afford hour off DIY.

He is Year 10. Was 15 in December & is 6ft already, so hoping there is not too much more growth spurt in him 😳 He was a bit stroppy last year, but this year is another level!

Oh no. Mine is Y10 too and seems to have turned a corner, though toooooo much energy. The constant rain and nothing to do is tricky. Is your DS stressed by school/ GCSEs? Is there girl or friendship trouble? To be honest, my DS has way more 'drama' than his twin sister. Having said that, my Y10 niece and DDs best friend are currently going through major 'stuff' (being drawn into inappropriate relationships and rebellion to parents) so maybe it's a personality thing. Hope your DS is OK, can't recommend 1:1 time enough.

Half term was tough but nobody's fault really. Dh and I working, with me working ridiculously long hours too. DS1 and DS2 doing gcses and A levels so judt mainly revising. Decided to take over the kitchen diner despite having own bedrooms and spare room with a desk as 'they concentrate better' meaning a bomb site of books and folders everywhere which had to be removed for every meal.

Dd1 at uni and dd2 (14) bored to death. Took her and friend into London with me and they roamed around for the day whilst I was at work, which was really fun for them.

Rest of the time spent moping around and seeing her boyfriend. Most of her friends were away skiing or on holiday. The week ended with me having a bit of a meltdown feeling so exhausted but things are back on track now.

So all in all Feb half term pretty meh here.

Oh thank god it's not just mine. Ds 14 and DD 12. DD is ok to be fair but ds just invisible in room all week. He's really behind with school (Y10) so we had it all planned out for what would be fine which day and I just get endless "it's fine, its fine" when it simply isnt . And it's not a case of no Xbox til work is done. He's being assessed for ASD and hovering around the edges of EBSA so I'm constantly placating and trying not to present cliff edge ultimatums. At various point one or other will suggest a board game but they fall out within moments and it all ends in tears. It's just me here too and they're currently kicking back about going to their dads because it involves actual effort but I'm going cold at the thought of not getting a break.