this is going to be a long summer

**Dancing Lotus** · 06-21-2011, 02:42 PM

So it's only the third week of summer break and I'm ready for the kids to go back to school. Everything I suggest they do is immediately shot down and if they do choose to do it, it lasts about 15 minutes. Kids ringing the door bell all day, they start to fight and go home. An hour later they are back again. One kid is determined to eat everything I have. Dh cut her off this weekend and told her she is only allowed one snack per visit/ per day.

Dd has asked 50 times to go to the zoo. First, it's the worst time of the year to go to the zoo, it's too hot. It's uncomfortable for people and animals, the animals just sleep and you don't see half of them anyway. Second our pass expired and I don't want to pay for a new one.

It's been a long day and I don't want to do chores, I don't want to watch TV and I don't want to play games with the children. Who ever said being a stay at home mom wasn't work is an idiot.

oh a dh just called, he is going to be late. Great I was looking forward to running to walmart alone.. without kids. You know, while he watched them. Not happening now.

**Libby** · 06-21-2011, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by AnnK

Who ever said being a stay at home mom wasn't work is an idiot.

Though I don't officially have 'child(ren)' myself, I can so relate with your position right now. My 80 yr old is A LOT to handle at times.

**MissSeetonFan** · 06-21-2011, 03:10 PM

There was one day this last week that we literally forced the kids outside because they had been inside creating havoc for the previous few days. They didn't want to play outside and stood out there crying and crying until we relented.

After a few hours, they decided to play school and after a "lesson" or two, immediately called "recess" and ran outside for about an hour.

Good luck to you.

**krbshappy71** · 06-21-2011, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by AnnK

So it's only the third week of summer break and I'm ready for the kids to go back to school. Everything I suggest they do is immediately shot down and if they do choose to do it, it lasts about 15 minutes. Kids ringing the door bell all day, they start to fight and go home. An hour later they are back again. One kid is determined to eat everything I have. Dh cut her off this weekend and told her she is only allowed one snack per visit/ per day.

Dd has asked 50 times to go to the zoo. First, it's the worst time of the year to go to the zoo, it's too hot. It's uncomfortable for people and animals, the animals just sleep and you don't see half of them anyway. Second our pass expired and I don't want to pay for a new one.

It's been a long day and I don't want to do chores, I don't want to watch TV and I don't want to play games with the children. Who ever said being a stay at home mom wasn't work is an idiot.

oh a dh just called, he is going to be late. Great I was looking forward to running to walmart alone.. without kids. You know, while he watched them. Not happening now.

I used to tell the girls if they couldn't find something to do I would find them something to do. Then I listed off chores I was putting off. They scattered like cockroaches in a cheap motel.

It worked when I was a kid and I'm tellin' you it worked on my kids. The girls usually ended up reading in their rooms.

Another thing I would do is tell them "I'm going to do this, want to help?" they always declined but would sometimes sit with me to talk. Or I would ask if they would read aloud to me while I did a boring task. They really liked doing that, it was another thing my mom did with me.

Dishes and weeding yards is a lot more enjoyable with a few chapters of a child's book. It opens up good conversation too.

Just a thought. As you can tell I'm rapidly approaching empty nesting. It all seems so nostalgic now.

**craftypam** · 06-21-2011, 04:20 PM

Who ever said being a stay at home mom wasn't work is an idiot.

I was a stay at home mom and I said if you go to work at least you get to deal with (in most cases) reasonable human beings.

**TigerGirl1226** · 06-21-2011, 04:25 PM

DD has been out of school since 5/19 and I am 32 weeks preggo and it has been at least 95 here everyday!

Let's just say she has been watching much more TV than she really should!

**Dancing Lotus** · 06-21-2011, 04:30 PM

Yes they have been watching more tv then normal. I got a free month of Netflicks. Was hoping that would keep em for most the summer, nope they are already over it.

I'm really loving the idea of having them read to me while i do my chores.

**Sophiasmama** · 06-21-2011, 04:52 PM

Amen!

Kevin works away so it's just Sophie and myself...but there are days when I fantasize being single LOL.

**Michelle** · 06-21-2011, 05:55 PM

My daughter's last day of school was yesterday. She told me she was bored 5 hrs after coming home.

I feel your pain

If you do decide to go to the zoo, maybe your library has free or discounted passes?

**lisaflex** · 06-21-2011, 06:05 PM

dd goes to camp M - F from 9 - 3. by 4pm she is asking what are we going to do? can i have a playdate? i am hungry.

well, at least she is in camp part of the day! lol

**Lynnwantstosave$$** · 06-21-2011, 06:47 PM

Is it hot enough outside for them to play in water? My daughter and her friends were just throwing buckets of water on each other. It is 95 at least here today. I have the opposite problem, my girl never wants to come in. I too heard the I'm bored about 2 hrs after school was out from my son. But, he is busy with summer school now.

**Imarachne** · 06-21-2011, 07:18 PM

My daughter and I watch kids and they are always bored and have nothing to play with. We have activities both outside and in and a big tub of indoor toys and 10 ride on stuff in the yard !! They are never satisfied !

**Dancing Lotus** · 06-21-2011, 07:27 PM

We bought them a pool, for the first two days they wouldn't get out of it. Now the charm has warn off I guess.

**pollypurebred39** · 06-21-2011, 07:30 PM

Water! that's what I was thinking. A slip and slide, a lawn sprinkler, a wading pool, super soakers, water balloons anything with water.

Bubbles, sidewalk chalk are good too.

I've homeschooled for years and I've had my youngest home since the middle of kindergarten. He's now 17. My oldest was also homeschooled for 3 years. I did a lot of entertaing over the years, in fact I still do.

I used to let my boys loose in the kitchen with recipes to make pops, or mickey mouse pancakes and the like. That kept them entertained, for awhile.

When it was just too hot outside I'd give my youngest bathtub toys and a bathtub full of bubbles. He'd entertain himself for at least an hour. I made drawing soap so he could write on the tiled walls.

Or you could just tell them what my Grandmother always told us kids, "Go air yourself out"

**pollypurebred39** · 06-21-2011, 07:33 PM

Just read that about your pool. Well you could always tell them they were not allowed in the pool. Maybe if they thought you'd didn't want them to do something it would suddenly become inviting?

I used to tell my boys, no, no, I don't want you to do that. And magically they'd want to do it more then anything. *grins*