Teenagers and school holidays

debjay

whodathunkit wrote: »

They probably won't even be up by the time you're back!

Just what I was going to say :rotfl:

rachiibell

Me and my sister used to love spending the summer holidays together but we were very close and got on well so that helped. We loved making our own lunch (even though it was just sandwiches) and would hang out in the garden on sunny days. At first our grandma used to pop in to visit us for an hour or so to make sure we were ok but by the end it was us going to see her to check she was ok! If you're worried about them not doing much set a few tasks like someone above said our mum would sometimes get us to start tea eg wash and chop veg, put potatoes in the oven, ect.

I wouldn't worry about how they'll cope they'll be just fine

ciderwithrosie_2

I think at their ages, they're old enough to understand that if they want a comfortable existence then both parents usually have to work and the whole family has to pull together to allow this to happen. You're teaching them a valuable lesson. They need to be responsible for their own entertainment and not squabbling with each other. Also useful life skills.


Mine never used to surface much before lunchtime anyway, and probably only then because they were getting hungry.

YORKSHIRELASS

newgirly wrote: »

I started work a few months ago and this half term was the first one I have left the kids alone, mine are older at 13/13/16 but I still feel bad. So I have spent the last few days going into work at 4am so I can be home at lunchtime! The first day I came home to find one of my 13 yr old boys washing up :eek: it might just be the making of them so try not to feel too bad

I should add that I won't be doing this long term it's too exhausting

Ah, so I am not on my own then!!! But seriously, with this new job I have to be in the office 9am to 1pm and there is no flexibility - which I think is probably a good thing because we will all just have to get on with it.

And yes, it will probably do the boys good. And they will probably squabble less than if there are parents around.

Oh and my kids will lay in until lunchtime, unless its the holidays then they want to get up and do stuff. That may change in the summer hols though.

You have all been helpful though so thank you.

easy

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

I suppose my worry is that they will get fed up and bored at home then just argue the whole time.

You do realise that teenage siblings don't argue when parents aren't there?

Some of the arguments you see and hear are precisely BECAUSE you are there, they compete for your attention -subconciously, I'm not suggesting it's deliberate.
When I was about 14, my parents went away for a weekend, and left my older sister and I for the first time.
That was when we actually became friends.

Really, you have no reason to worry, especially as you'll be back by lunchtime every day.

apesxx

At that age I probably wouldn't have been long out of bed by the time you get home at 1.30 :-)


we were left to our own devices during the holidays from about 12. We could quite capably make our own dinner and if we wanted something different we would walk the 2 miles to the butty shop where my mum worked for a sausage butty and a cake and then walk home again :-)


and as a PP has said we loved being in the house on our own without our parents being there.

springdreams

I work full time, and have always done so. I am a single parent, and have been since my DS was 5.

My DS has recently turned 13.

He doesn't see his father, so I get no help with holiday or any other child care from that source.

I used to send him to holiday clubs, enrol him in sports clubs and activities at the local leisure centre etc. when he was still in primary school. Since going to senior school he has not wanted to do the planned activities, as he wants to plan his own day, and he and his friends sometimes make their own plans. This Friday they are going to the movies.

Also, the holiday clubs etc. tend to be full of primary school aged children, and my DS does not want to go to the clubs that don't have children his own age.

He usually only surfaces around 12ish, then spends a fair bit of time on the xbox with his friends. I give him a chore to do each day so that he is not spending all of his time on the xbox - sometimes it gets done, sometimes it doesn't. If it doesn't get done he has to do it the next day with the chore for that day too, and gets banned from all games consoles from the time I get home until he wakes the next day.

Seanymph

https://www.yhasummercamps.co.uk/camps2014.php

50% off if you get free school meals - and they are awesome weeks away.

Mine did several when they were younger.

FBaby

My kids love to be at home and finally do nothing! They have a busy life with many activities after school, work hard on their homework, chores etc... They enjoy being together (they too get along very well) and just don't do much.

I try not to make it a whole week as much as I can and we are going away for a long week-end so they had this to look forward to. Yesterday, my eldest wasn't well and I can tell my youngest liked the responsibility to look after her.

During the summer, I try to arrange the weeks so that they are never home more than 3 days home alone in a row (ideally no more than 2 days) by arranging for them to stay with friends for one day, or organise a day out, seeing family etc..

red_devil

Id be scared leaving kids alone i would be scared they might put on facebook that they are alone and come home and find the house trashed. Sorry but you hear some horrible things today.