first week, only 5 to go

meritaten

I remember it well! sunny days when they could go outside to play - no prob! rainy days and you get plagued by 'I'm bored!
I have a strategy in place for the grandkids (I know I haven't got them 24/7 but you are welcome to use some or all of my ideas).
Rainy Day Activities
Workbooks - for some strange reason both 5 year grandson and 9year old granddaughter LOVE doing workbooks! I have a supply of different ones at different age levels in.
Salt dough - ALL the grandkids love to cook OR mess about with salt dough! sometimes they just want to roll it and cut out and then re-roll it for another day - others they like it baked then to paint it for decorations for their room. I have a tub of weird shaped cutters for them to use.
Microwave popcorn - not for them to eat - but to make bird necklaces. using fairly blunt darning needles and crochet cotton or wool. (use plain popcorn - the sweet or salted is not very good for the birds). or you can use cheerios instead. er - the birds don't wear them - the kids like to throw them at the trees!
Baking - they all love to make goodies to eat - the 5yr olds can do scones, fairy cakes and banana bread, muffins etc.
the older ones love to make pancakes - with vigilante supervision they can toss the pancakes too! the best bit they think!
shop and office games - they play 'video shops' with my DVDs and old debit cards and a toy till I keep for them. I also have a supply of 'forms' I have picked up in various places.
I also have a fisher price dolls house - even the grandson loves it! tho his games with it consist of throwing the dolls out of the window! then transporting them to 'hospital' in a toy ambulance.

Bennifred

I'm a bit surprised that so many parents seem to resent their own parents for not taking on childcare, or only "on their own terms".
I didn't realise it was a grandparent's obligation rather than a possible choice.

balletshoes

LondonDiva wrote: »

Without meaning to be rude, this bit of your post had me slightly perplexed.

If that week the kids are having swimming lessons in the morning, isn't that the 'treat' or 'thing for the week? Why would you then need to come up with additional activities to 'fill the afternoons'?

Surely having been occupied and busy in the morning they should have time to rest / chill / veg out / entertain themselves for a few hours after an active morning?

Lunch with a parent used to be a highlight all its own rather than something added to a crammed itinerary to fill every hour for the kids.

Yes, thats what I/my sister/my mum do when we're entertaining the kids during the summer school holidays.

So we'll plan something to do each day, but that something might just be taking the kids to the park, or taking them for lunch, or taking them swimming etc. We spread out the treats so we're not spending a fortune, and to be honest, kids shouldn't feel the need to be entertained by others every minute of the day.

My kid is 12 now, one niece is 13, one is 4. They've just spent the last 4 days and nights together, doing something every day to get them out of the house. But one of those somethings, for example, was taking a friend's dog for a long walk in the neighbourhood, with friend and friend's mum. It was a novelty for all of them, as none of them own a dog.

valk_scot

raq wrote: »

I have just finished 3 hours of ironing, .

THREE HOURS???

See, that's your problem, you're so exhausted from ironing that you're finding it difficult to get up the energy to do anything else. Take my advice, dump the ironing and put your feet up or play with the kids instead. I don't do three hours of ironing in a year and I assure you I'm a much happier woman for it.

balletshoes

valk_scot wrote: »

THREE HOURS???

See, that's your problem, you're so exhausted from ironing that you're finding it difficult to get up the energy to do anything else. Take my advice, dump the ironing and put your feet up or play with the kids instead. I don't do three hours of ironing in a year and I assure you I'm a much happier woman for it.

I agree - but I think thats a whole other thread :rotfl:.

raq

Bennifred wrote: »

I'm a bit surprised that so many parents seem to resent their own parents for not taking on childcare, or only "on their own terms".
I didn't realise it was a grandparent's obligation rather than a possible choice.

It isn,t so much with that. I have always done so much for my parents,unlike my brothers and I am just shocked that she doesn,t really bother. If we happen to talk about friends or their parents she gets uptight and moans. Stating the other day she never sees my other niece who is 3 years old. Myself and husband do not ask to babysit for us to go for a special anniversary treat because as soon as we have ask they,ll come out with, "Unsure what where doing", " what time will you be home" , and so forth.

So when you get hit with these questions it just isn,t worth asking.

raq

valk_scot wrote: »

THREE HOURS???



See, that's your problem, you're so exhausted from ironing that you're finding it difficult to get up the energy to do anything else. Take my advice, dump the ironing and put your feet up or play with the kids instead. I don't do three hours of ironing in a year and I assure you I'm a much happier woman for it.

thanks, but believe me it did need doing as the kids was running out of items.

Annisele

raq wrote: »

thanks, but believe me it did need doing as the kids was running out of items.

I'll let you into a secret - you can wear clothes that haven't been ironed.

valk_scot

raq wrote: »

thanks, but believe me it did need doing as the kids was running out of items.

I did actually have a serious point here. If you're trying to keep to your normal housework routine while the kids are at home and wanting attention you're bound to end up stressed. Holidays are a time to relax your routines a bit and only do the necessary chores (and get them to help with these of course) because you need to spend more time with the kids. If you try to do both you'll end up run ragged.

Ask yourself, do you need to iron playclothes? I can (just about) understand that your OH might need five work shirts ironed per week but there really is nothing else that needs ironed, certainly not anything like kids' pants or t-shirts or shorts which is more or less what my kids wear all holiday when the weather is good. Actually I don't iron kids's clothes at all, their school uniform is all drip dry so just gets hung up on hangers, even the shirts and blouses and pleated skirts come out just fine. My OH wears polo shirts to work, last time I ironed him a dress shirt was for a funeral.

Now I know someone is going to chip in here about wrinkles and creases and standards. Yes, that's fine, I agree that ironed clothes look better. But not that much better tbh and anyway, if someone is struggling to cope with multiple demands of kids, illness, extra childcare, difficult elderly parents and exhaustion then they should be looking at which standards are the most important overall and cutting the others accordingly.

If you've got time then yes, iron away to your heart's content. If you don't though then sod the ironing, or hoovering, or making the gourmet meals, just stick to the basics. Eat cold picnic meals, ignore the dust, take the kids out to the park, sit out with your OH in the garden in the evening and have a glass of wine. Read a book for half an hour, paint your toenails, watch a DVD with the kids, go for a run, do your knitting. These will all do you (and the kids and your family) a lot more good than ironing their clothes,

mcja

As usual Valk_Scot, well said!! My house goes to rack and ruin over the holidays with the first day back a massive cleaning day (having said that the tutors coming later so I best put the Hoover round!!).

My kids stuff only gets ironed if they have stuffed it in a drawer when tidying their rooms, and its unwearable and they need it now..otherwise I have better things to do, like get out the house!!