Post your winter break Ws.

[pandorica]

Omg I hadn't counted how many days my twins would be home for until you pointed it out 😅 17 days is such a long time, now I'm less sure we'll all survive hahah

No wins over here yet.

[osulori]

Both kids are in school (5th and preschool) through tomorrow, break starts Thursday. Kid #1 has a baseball clinic with some school friends Thurs and Fri, then a soccer camp next Weds so just enough to keep him moving. We may throw in some basketball too. He's another one of those kids that can't just chill at home without bugging me to get back on video games, so the more things we do the better.

Kid #2 is going to her babysitter's whatever days they're open-the sitter lives across the street from us which makes it easy, plus it's better for #2 to stay in her routine as much as possible.

[hermione]

Dec 19, 2023 7:30:53 GMT -5 felicity said:

Dec 18, 2023 14:34:22 GMT -5 niq said:

How old are yours?

V is 10 (5th grade) and O is almost 7 (1st grade). If we have an unstructured day, V spends most of it pacing around the house waiting for screen time to start. The only other things that will hold his attention are books and lego sets. I don't really want to go bankrupt buying lego sets lol.

O will do things like fuse beads, draw, or play board games (and sometimes V will play along).

In like a year or two I think he'll be scheduling his own playtime with friends, but we're just not quite there yet.

I think some kids just don't do as well being at home all day. Breaks with our 9 year old go pretty much exactly like with your 10 year old and it's not particularly fun for any of us. He wants constant attention too, so it's just an all day stream of asking for screens, asking to play with me, whining about nothing to do. I'm an introvert, I'm also at home taking care of a toddler all day, and I find it so draining. 

One big win so far is that he is getting over a nasty cold that he caught right before the break, and nobody else has gotten sick yet so hopefully we can still have our Christmas plans with family as scheduled.

It's probably worth noting that I don't care about screen time. I know a lot of people do and have very good reasons for it. We just aren't those people. She's a good student, plays multiple sports, and screen time doesn't seem to change her behavior. Also, I can't bring myself to tell her to get off a screen when I am sitting on the couch watching tv and/or scrolling on my phone. This obviously makes breaks easier for us.

[scm1011]

Dec 19, 2023 7:30:53 GMT -5 felicity said:

Dec 18, 2023 14:34:22 GMT -5 niq said:

How old are yours?

V is 10 (5th grade) and O is almost 7 (1st grade). If we have an unstructured day, V spends most of it pacing around the house waiting for screen time to start. The only other things that will hold his attention are books and lego sets. I don't really want to go bankrupt buying lego sets lol.

O will do things like fuse beads, draw, or play board games (and sometimes V will play along).

In like a year or two I think he'll be scheduling his own playtime with friends, but we're just not quite there yet.

I think some kids just don't do as well being at home all day. Breaks with our 9 year old go pretty much exactly like with your 10 year old and it's not particularly fun for any of us. He wants constant attention too, so it's just an all day stream of asking for screens, asking to play with me, whining about nothing to do. I'm an introvert, I'm also at home taking care of a toddler all day, and I find it so draining. 

One big win so far is that he is getting over a nasty cold that he caught right before the break, and nobody else has gotten sick yet so hopefully we can still have our Christmas plans with family as scheduled.

I think that's true (not for us, but I definitely have friends that lament this) + what niq said about lack of structure.

In our case I think it helps that our kids are close in age (2.5 years apart) and play really well together. They can come up with imaginative games that last for long periods of time that don't involve us. When DS (7) has a playdate/event outside the house and DD (4.5) is home alone she definitely seeks parental attention and doesn't know what to do without DS. 

[meanie]

We don't go on break until Friday, my parents arrive the same day so the kids will be entertained while we work.

Most gifts are purchased and I wrap them all the day or two before Christmas, Santa gifts are usually whatever it a weird shape that I don't want to deal with wrapping.

Still need to get stocking stuffers and some small items but H and I go every year right before Christmas together to do this, it's a fun night out.

I shopped for the class Christmas party tomorrow, I need to gather it all together tonight but I feel so much better having the shopping done finally.

I feel like I will finally be able to relax this Friday night, I can't wait!

[186momx]

DD started break on the 18th and doesn't go back until 1/3. I agree a break is needed and we are busy enough without school in session. DD 12 had dentist appt and PT appointment yesterday, today she has practice at 3, tomorrow has ortho at 8am, Thursday and Friday she has practice, so she has enough to keep her busy.

DD's biggest complaint is that her friends aren't around for break. They are traveling to visit family, divorce parent split stuff and just not around. She wanted to get together and decorate cookies and they couldn't come up with a date that worked so she is bum about that.

[sdlaura]

This is the first winter break since we had our first Christmas with a kid 12 years ago that we haven't had at least one kid too young to go to a camp during the break. DS3 is 3.5 and a couple of camps that take 4-year-olds said he could come with his 6-year-old brother. So it's costing me $$$$, but I'm so excited to have some time to regroup this year! Of the 17 days, we'll have 8 days of camp (Tuesday-Friday each week) for all four kids. Getting to the finish line for work for the year while planning Christmas for four kids is no joke, so I'm soooo excited that I'll get to take a breath this year. Fingers crossed- watch us all get Covid or something

[waverly]

I thought I posted but maybe I forgot. Forgive me if there are 2 similar posts. DS was back to school today. I’m sick but feeling better. DD is last man standing, so fingers crossed she doesn’t fall.

We are talking about going to Milwaukee for a couple of nights just to get away. So if DH is still able to grab the rental he was eying then that should be fun to get away.

We all do better getting out of the house at least once a day. A day here of there at home is fine but overall it’s better for us to have a smidge of structure. Much less than the toddler or early elementary years but we still need some. Even if it’s just to run an errand.

[ny96]

My kids are out this week but the school district offered 3 extension days for kids and because we are leaving for the holidays today and I couldn’t find a 3 day camp, and because extension days are free, I signed them up. My win is that I didn’t back down when my 10 year old called me multiple times every afternoon asking to be picked up early (he used an after school counselors phone 😒) and I stayed in the office which I needed to do. Now it’s all over and I got my work done and we can all relax and have a good break.

[konapoppy]

I haven’t canceled Christmas yet 🤷🏻‍♀️😭😭😭

[ssmjlm]

I don't mind tv screen time or if she's playing the switch, but we try and watch the tablet/computer time unless she's on a call with a friend. She and another friend will call on the tablet and then play mario cart on the switch together.

Since we have passes to busch gardens, DH and E went yesterday, but it was a disaster and I felt so bad. DH said they had almost nothing open, few people working, etc. It wasn't even the cold, it was just lack of staffing (or care?). They waited 45 mins for the swings, which she can usually walk on any other time of the year.