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Surviving the summer
By ella | July 17, 2006
There is one week until the summer break and I’m dreading it, incrementally, by the hour. I’m relying on getting together with friends to share the sheer and utter joy that will be Having Our Children At Home All Day. These friends will be chosen carefully for their child-load: parents with at least two preschool boys or three or more preschool girls are on the same level as me in terms of Desperation for Things To Do and also in terms of How Much Energy and Hard Work the Children Are and therefore there will be the unspoken agreement that we will be willing to take on each other for a fun-filled day of noise and tantrums.
The headteacher at my sons’ preschool dreads me asking again whether or not she would consider running a holiday club. I know she won’t because most of the teachers at the school have their own, older, children but I’m grasping at straws. She has that look of a rabbit caught in the headlights when I turn up at the school gate and sometimes I let her relax by asking about something totally unrelated, like my son’s speech therapy sessions or isn’t it politically incorrect to teach my children about Indians rather than Native Americans? before I jump in with my daily request about a holiday club.
So I am preparing to go into survival mode. With not enough in the way of toddler friendly things to do around here I have stocked up on craft items, second hand toys from the preschool’s fundraiser and other such parent approved stuff, but mostly on water guns and chocolate treats to bribe them with when all of my best-laid plans fail. I am praying for continued good weather so the garden will be their home (day and night if I can persuade them that the tent with the cold hard floor is their friend), but also hoping it will be just a little cooler, weather gods if you are reading, because, my God!, it is so fecking hot and the baby is beyond misery: tetchy, itchy, eczematous and heat-rash rashy. I love him dearly but, also my God!, not at the moment.
Meanwhile I am making the most of the two mornings a week when it is just me and the baby to go shopping, to write and, when I am feeling more virtuous, to Get Stuff Done. Sometimes this means chores, less often it is very important things like remembering to register my son for big school. My sleep-deprived-induced-confusion at moments like this makes me say things like What? I Have A Son? And He’s School Age? But, indeed, in September Eldest Son starts big school and Second Son will be going to preschool five days a week. I signed him up for three days a week last Christmas but as his behaviour at home has become increasingly more, um what’s the word I’m looking for? oh yes, HIDEOUS, so his number of days at preschool has been extended.
I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to this. If the summer break is my endurance test then Autumn Term will be my reward.
Now I just need to find a pre-school that will take the six-month-old.
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Categories: Parenting, Too Many Children
Do your local churches have any programs available? Here they have national programs called Mother’s Day Out and MOPS.
LOL! I love the way you write about your kids.
And I know exactly what you mean. We’ve just had two weeks of holidays (mid winter holidays of course) but I was missing kindergarten every day…
I’m dreading the holiday too. If you fancy a trek to London we’ll be filling our time with ice lollies and as many water activities as we can think of.
This is why I’m glad Belle is in a private nursery where most of the parents work full-time. Even if it means that we are paying over the odds - at least it also means that she’s carrying on going for 2 mornings a week all summer. (Good continuity for her, you understand; nothering to do with us and our wishes…) Are girls less Hard Work than boys? Maybe they are. My boy is not quite old enough to notice yet, and when he is he’s just chasing Belle adoringly… But still 3 year old girls can be pretty cling-y and are utterly incapable of doing anything alone - in my experience anyway….. Of course by Autumn your babe will be 9 months and getting to the most gorgeous phase…. and making you feel broody again (hollow laugh)
I don’t know anyone who isn’t dreading the holidays, except those with no children who moan about all the school run cars clogging up the roads in the morning.
Teachers, Lucy. That’s another group who looks forward to the holidays. I know that, because I am one!
Good luck with the holidays, Ella. Do you live close to any parks or playgrounds? We live across the street from our boys’ elementary school, which has a wonderful playground. It has been a lifesaver for us.
I absolutely adored the following!
“I signed him up for three days a week last Christmas but as his behaviour at home has become increasingly more, um what’s the word I’m looking for? oh yes, HIDEOUS, so his number of days at preschool has been extended.”
Again, best of luck!