So what are kids into these days?

HeadAboveWater

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I bet, after the day above, they'll be only too pleased to sleep......

I think after a day like that they'd be happy to play with empty toilet roll tubes!!

Mojisola

Tropez wrote: »

I'm not a paternal person and clearly I'm quite hopeless around kids,

One of my parents' friends (an "aunty" but not blood related) was loved by all the children in the family because she didn't understand kids and so treated them as small adults. We all loved that she spoke to us like adults, asked our opinions about things in the news and so on and generally had a completely different relationship with us to all the other adults in our lives.

Tropez

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

Here's my suggestion for a day's activity:

1. 5.30am wake up - all children want to get a start on the day

2. 5.45am - route march for 6 miles, to help work up an appetite for breakfast

3. 6.45am - cold bath, to ensure cleanliness, godliness and energy for the day ahead

4. 7.15am - family prayers

5. 8am - breakfast

6. 8.30am - tidying, cleaning and putting things away; children like to know they aren't putting their hosts out.

7. 10am - matins

8. 11am - English language revision; children don't want to fall behind over the long summer holiday

9. 1pm - lunch

10. 2pm - maths revision (see above)

11. 4pm - visit to local old church, and detailed explanation about the architecture, and the doctrinal differences between this church and the other one round the corner

12. 5pm - quiet time, for each to do his own thing (quietly)

13. 6pm - dinner

14. 6.30pm - family evening prayers

15. 7 pm - read aloud to the children, from a worthwhile volume such as "Sermons for Children" or something not too exciting, so that they sleep well.

16. 7.30pm - bedtime. I bet, after the day above, they'll be only too pleased to sleep......

Seems reasonable and I presume that gruel is still the favoured meal for young 'uns?

onlyroz

Get yourself down to somewhere like CeX or Game and have a rummage in the pre-owned section for some child-friendly games. Ask the advice of the surly youth on the counter for some opinions if you're feeling brave. A good start might be some of the Lego games, e.g. Lego Star Wars, Lego Indy, Lego Harry Potter. Another hit might be oen of those interactive party type games that you can play as a group.

For the younger ones is there a local park that you can mooch down to together, consume vast amounts of Mr Whippy, and then be spun round at 100 mph on the roundabout?

JimmyTheWig

How long are they staying for?

You could take them to a car boot sale early on in the stay and give them £5 each. Make it into a bit of a competition - the aim is for them to spend their £5s so that they get the most enjoyment out of what they buy while they stay with you.

paulineb_2

I hear flame throwing is quite in this year

How about you get to poundland and buy some cheap crafty bits and pieces

Take them to the swing park, swimming, football, bat and ball, rounders, some old fashioned games such as kerplunk, connect 4. Do you have a console that you can link to your tv and play some games, like keep fit ones for kids?

Soft play centres?

paulineb_2

Also, see what the local gym has to offer, you'll get some gyms that do sessions for kids aged 8 and up. My local swimming pool does free swims for the duration of the summer and theres no time limit as to when the kids need to be out.

Also, Ive seen loads of companies in my local area advertise dance type activities for kids, streetdance and the link, some do half day sessions.

Any decent parks nearby where you can feed ducks and swans etc? Theres a large country park near me, I also have a conservation area near me as well with lots to do (I dont go but I should really). Places you can hire bikes, nature trails, national trust properties near you, take a picnic etc.

I assume kids these days might be harder to please than back in the mists of time when I was a kid, I cant remember ever doing much that cost a lot of dosh, quite happy playing with mates and watching why dont you on the telly.

Might take a bit of planning to see whats available in your area but I bet theres more going on than you would think at first glance.

neverdespairgirl

Local council websites are often very good, with pages of info abotu free / cheap things going on locally for kids.

Tropez

onlyroz wrote: »

Get yourself down to somewhere like CeX or Game and have a rummage in the pre-owned section for some child-friendly games. Ask the advice of the surly youth on the counter for some opinions if you're feeling brave. A good start might be some of the Lego games, e.g. Lego Star Wars, Lego Indy, Lego Harry Potter. Another hit might be oen of those interactive party type games that you can play as a group.

For the younger ones is there a local park that you can mooch down to together, consume vast amounts of Mr Whippy, and then be spun round at 100 mph on the roundabout?

We have a few indie stores locally that sell pre-owned games so I'll check them out soon. I think the local Game closed down, probably because customer service to them was making snorting sounds.

I think those party type games generally require a Wii or a Kinnect, and I own neither but I'll see what there is.

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

How long are they staying for?

You could take them to a car boot sale early on in the stay and give them £5 each. Make it into a bit of a competition - the aim is for them to spend their £5s so that they get the most enjoyment out of what they buy while they stay with you.

They're staying for "about a week" which history has taught me could be anything from six days to several years when my partner uses the phrase. I am going to go out on a limb though and say I expect it might be a 7-10 day thing.

Car boot sale might work, if I can find one.

paulineb wrote: »

I hear flame throwing is quite in this year

How about you get to poundland and buy some cheap crafty bits and pieces

Take them to the swing park, swimming, football, bat and ball, rounders, some old fashioned games such as kerplunk, connect 4. Do you have a console that you can link to your tv and play some games, like keep fit ones for kids?

Soft play centres?

Flame-throwing, eh?

I don't know what a swing park is... I'm going to guess it is a park with swings and not some sort of venue for, well, you know...

Connect 4? Wow that takes me back. I might even have a set of it. Do kids still like Scrabble? I definitely have a set of that.

I don't have a Wii or Kinnect, only the Xbox console. Not sure if there's any non-interactive keep fit games and such on that.

Soft play centres? Is that with the ball pits and things? There's a pub nearby with one of them... might be suitable for the youngest if we went out for a meal there.

Oh while I have everyone's attention, it occurs to me that the sleeping arrangements could be quite difficult.

Will the two girls be okay to sleep in the same room? Logic tells me the eldest girl certainly won't want to share a room with the youngest boy. I can clear out the room upstairs and the two girls could have that (will have to get hold of some beds, mind). I'm thinking temporarily converting the sitting room to a bedroom will be suitable for the boy and then the mother could take the actual spare room we have. Seems feasible in my head, but am I not reckoning with something?

neverdespairgirl

My 8 year old would be fine sharing with me (his mother) or his father, or both.

Why not ask? Send cousin an email, saying, "would little Johnnie prefer to share with his sisters, his Mum, or kip in the sitting room?"