School holidays just got a whole lot harder.
Does anyone else find the Winter school holidays hard?
It’s cold.
It’s a stay inside kind of season.
Traditionally we do the kinds of things that keep us warm and dry.
Movies.
Bowling.
Cooking.
Craft.
Today we wanted to do something, get out of the house.
Anyone who has been reading for a year, might remember when we attempted the movies last year. It ended in a whole lot of pain when a snotty teen told me that by bringing the babies, I had ruined the movie for everyone. The result was me using a word I am unaccustomed to using.
It started with F and rhymed with truck.
I was so ashamed that I had uttered that word in front of the kids but emotional accusations called for emotion felt words and that is what popped out.
The comeuppance of the experience was that we don’t do the movies anymore as a family. The big kids hang out for their grandparents to take them or a chance to go with friends comes up.
Movies with toddlers is way worse than taking two babies, as would be bowling, ice skating, or anything that allows older kid participation but not the younger set.
I break into a sweat at the thought of it.
Can you imagine?
Big kids on the ice, two toddlers running around everywhere, or strapped into their stroller, to prevent the running around but screeching at the top of their lungs because their idea of a good time does not involve belts and prams in any way shape or form.
It just doesn’t work.
For me.
Stress levels too high. Head likely to explode.
Besides that, it is totallyuncool for pre teens to be seen with their mother.
Totally
and I am not prepared to let them go on their own yet.
Ok, it might be different for others and I pass no judgement on that but for me (with my various issues) it’s not right.
Today, I tried to work out what we could all do together and I’m here to tell you, it was hard.
The big kids are too big for play centres. Not that I would be able to take the I - girl there without picking up something nasty requiring a week in hospital, anyway but have you seen my girls lately? They are like willow trees.
The thought of them trying to weave their way through the climbing equipment makes me cringe with thoughts of the fire department having to be called with the jaws of life to extract the gangly pre teen, arms and legs knotted up, like the pit of my stomach.
Even though the toddlers would think a play centre was the ants pants, the pre teens would sneer and sloth down into the bottom of the cafe chairs and claim absolute boredom, or worse still, ask for a coffee because they’re all “growned (groaned) up”, you know. Lily would be torn between being a ‘cool’ pre teen and playing like a ten year old should and Mal, well, he would just be Mal.
Only a few of you out there have been privy to Mal’s obscene dancing skills but I’m sure, if it were a play centre we chose to spend the day, with Hi - 5 or Wiggles music booming through the stereo system, anyone who entered it’s realm, would have their eyes burnt with the sight of his moves.
Cute as I find them.
Other patronage might disagree.
So play centres are out.
Movies, ice skating, bowling out. At least until I have the wonderhusband to even out the numbers - toddlers 2: parents 2 sounds more manageable to me.
I love the idea of parks and beaches in the Summer but in the Winter time, there is just not enough sunshine for me, or anyone else for that matter. That idea was vetoed by everyone, including Mum, who was on the other end of the phone when these discussions were taking place.
So home bound we remain.
We have decided on a DVD afternoon (after the babies have had their ’sleep off their 5am start’ nap), with popcorn, snacks and I can feel a choc top making session coming on too.
That will have to do.
The chasm between the pre teens and the toddlers has never seemed so vast as it has today.
“Besides that, it is totallyuncool for pre teens to be seen with their mother.”
I SO hear you sister!
I read this post out loud to the husband (much laughter here at the HennHouse) and he thinks that toddlers and pre-teens (we have both as well) are alike in their ability to throw fits. Temper for the younger set. “Oh Mother” for the older set.
He recommends an arcade, aquarium, zoo, library, art museum, or a concert (although, in retrospect, the toddler here did NOT enjoy the symphony).
We read a great book together the other day called “God’s Paintbrush” and then had about 30 minutes planned for watercolor painting. They all ended up painting for two hours. It was lots of fun.
Don’t I know it! During the winter, we’ve got NOTHING.
Break out the old board games and make up new rules
Pretend that the whole lot of you are in another country on holiday and have to speak in that country’s native tongue - borrow a language dictionary for that one
If the older kids think it’s silly, tell them off in another language…then they’ll have to look it up to see what you’re saying and will then, naturally, look up how to reply in that language
Yep, toddlers and teens are the same when it comes to wangling them to join in lol
I am sure you had heard it before, but a girlfriend of mine said that teenagers and toddlers in the same house is the definition of hell.
I sure hope your afternoon theatre was a success.
Oh I do not envy you one bit! Hope you manage to find things to amuse everyone these school holidays. When in doubt we do the zoo, but then I only have one toddler!
I HEAR you!! Having the 8 year gap here, I know there’s not alot we can do to involve both happily! I have to say I too am stumped and we are rugging up for a quick trip to the park, alot more manageable with only two, but still not ideal. Can’t say I’ve come up with anything else as yet…… xoxo
Arrgh! How difficult. Because mine are older, they do the ‘movies with friends’ thing now. Which is fine - but if family or friends are coming over, they are required to be home and participate as family members.
Sorry I can’t help you with activities to suit everyone
Urrgghh - I can’t imagine trying to cater for toddlers AND teens!!!
The teens next door often come over to entertain my toddlers, but I’m sure it’s novel for them. Their latest obsession is dropping mentos in bottles of diet coke - messy but oh so kewl!
Hope you’re still having fun today
Wow, that’s a tough one, Tiff. Yet another reason that you are my mommy hero
I have yet to achieve mastery of the management of one five-year-old and one two-year-old — and I’m thinkin’ it will probably never happen!
Raymond Terrace Cinemas has a ‘crying room’ for mums and bubs (toddlers?). It’s kind of a compromise…
Or do what my clients do…go ‘down the club’, put the kids in the indoor playground and play the pokies all day!
Watercolour painting
Playdough modelling
Scrabble
DVD’s and popcorn (older kids)
Littlies DVD’s and jelly snakes
Baking Biscuits brownies etc
Glue and Glitter day
Wet weather-everyone in old clothes and rain gear, outside in the puddles,
followed by hot cocoa and crumpets.
Older kids have friends over for “dress-up” (lipstick, nail polish….)
Little kids have friends over for toybox playdate (this one is tiring for mums)
Include mums who can stay for coffee with you.
Hairdressing day with spray on wash out colours, braids, ribbons.
You did a better job of working something out than I would have!
….and then they fought over which movie, right?
Winter school holidays suck!
Oy, that sounds pretty sucky
In our house, everybody had their own Nerf weapons. Nerf Guns and Nerf Bows and Arrows gave everybody the opportunity, at one time or another, to ambush anybody else in the house. And I was GOOD. And it kept the kids busy. If you knew where they were, you could avoid them, and they’d hide for long periods of time, waiting. And being very quiet.
Blissful.
I feel your pain. Finding something both the girls and the tween-ish boy would like it do is just about impossible!! Winter does the same thing to me. I hope the movies-at-home works out for you!! IT sounds like you’ve got big ideas for it
I’d love a DVD afternoon!
Adopt me?