jaderbee Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Oh my goodness! The grumping, griping, bickering, tattling, teasing.... The list could just go on! I thought we would have a lovely summer off because we have a lot of ps kids in the neighborhood and that made it difficult to school through the summer last year. But oh my word! All my two older daughters do is yell at their little brother, bicker, tattle. I'm ready to throw them in Summer School somewhere! They do not do well off a schedule. I've planned fun activities for us to do but they are unpleasant while doing those too. I'm seriously considering something regimented-school like too keep them so busy they can't stop to complain. Anyone else in the same boat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 The bickering that happens when we don't have our typical schedule is one of the many reasons I school year round. But we don't have a neighborhood full of kids playing to distract us. Do the neighbor kids sleep in at all? Maybe try to get some school done in the morning just to put a little bit of schedule to your day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I don't have any advice, but we are in the same boat here.....bickering, whining, complaining with each other. Neighbor kids in and out all day. I told dh last night that I was going to find a full time job for the summer and send the kids to day camp, so I wouldn't have to be home all summer. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn&charles Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Oh my goodness! The grumping, griping, bickering, tattling, teasing.... The list could just go on! I thought we would have a lovely summer off because we have a lot of ps kids in the neighborhood and that made it difficult to school through the summer last year. But oh my word! All my two older daughters do is yell at their little brother, bicker, tattle. I'm ready to throw them in Summer School somewhere! They do not do well off a schedule. I've planned fun activities for us to do but they are unpleasant while doing those too. I'm seriously considering something regimented-school like too keep them so busy they can't stop to complain. Anyone else in the same boat? I found that our family did better with year round schooling. When we didn't, the kids' behavior disintegrated, lol... They just were happier when they were kept busy with a regular schedule. It also gave us more flexibility during the year. The one year we took the summer off was a disaster in that it gave the kids an entitled mentality (I should be allowed to sit around and do nothing), was difficult to get back into the routine, they forgot things and there was a lot more of what you are describing. Even now, with just one kid at home since the other two are grown up, it still works better for us to school year round. Otter gets cranky when he is off his schedule. I find it amusing too that my daughter, who is in college, doesn't take the summer off as an adult either. She uses the time to work and study just as much as during the rest of the year, even though she technically could take things a lot easier. She has a great work ethic and learning is just an integral part of life. She spends probably 3 or more hours a day studying Japanese on her own time. I think part of the way she is was developed from how we approached homeschooling. It just never stopped and was part of life. It's still that way for her and she is just happier that way as she was when she was younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama25angels Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Yes, the grumps being made worse by being sick. As soon as we're done with the stickies were back to work if not sooner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Yes, we are having the same problem, and like you, with a neighborhood of ps kids, we have to stick pretty closely to the ps schedule or I would have an all out mutiny on my hands. I just send them outside if they bicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemom Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Boredom is the problem here. PS'd incoming freshman child is busy with sport practices during the morning and baseball games in the evening. Hs'd dd is bored because brother is never home and neither are the other neighborhood kids. Everyone is busy. Unfortunately, she is the kid who we have tried to find what she likes to do and nothing sticks. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 That's why we school year around to some extent. We go a little lighter around church camps, swim lessons, you get the idea, in the summer, but when we are home we do a little school, usually the basics, to keep them calibrated. :thumbup1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mliss Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I have to keep DS consistently engaged or he defaults to bothering his sister. It will be year round school for us forever. However, there are no kids for DS and DD to play with in our area (that we know of) because we live where the houses are very scattered and there are no sidewalks. Makes life easier. My sister lives in a neighborhood with lots of children and during the summers the ps kids were constantly over wanting her children to play - even though they knew morning was chore time at their house. She finally had her children make a sign to hang on the front door letting everyone know if they were available. That helped - as long as the family ignored the eager little girl peeking in their front window :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Yes, and not to mention waaaay too many hours of Minecraft. And we've only been on break for one and a half weeks... We're going to do light school days through the summer, starting on Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazzie Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 It was so terrible in my house yesterday I was ready to send them packing and to forget the whole idea of homeschooling. Last night I posted a schedule and made some plans for their time. Today was much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Do they not settle after a while? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 one of the reasons I school year round. the other reason is because I cannot stand children who say they are bored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I usually don't break more than 2 weeks at a time, summer or not. This year I decided to take June/July off. *I* needed the break!!! I was burned out from moving & chasing a toddler & some other life-stuff. It's not much of a break when the kids are bickering. We needed a reset this year and I's still working on that. So I'm carefully planning to start back again in August. We have lots of activity/traveling until then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I see more bickering and just in general unhappy, bored kids when I don't keep to a predictable routine. Not necessarily school, just a routine. Also sometimes kids need adults to help them with something to do. Get the supplies, resources, or get started on a big activity together that the kids can continue. "Just go play" is a deal breaker in my house. They'll usually find something to do...but it usually involves whining, or destroying something. Also food!!!! I have to keep a constant supply of good snacks and protein going into my children or they get the grumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 This is what housework and yard work are made for. If they are bickering, they aren't working enough. I would keep them working for most of the day (unless you have better things to do that day) so that when they get a couple of hours at night, they are too tired to argue. Sit down and make a list of all the 10,000 things you haven't been able to get done. The more physically laborious and tedious, the better. When was the last time your walls and cabinets were washed? The floor edges scrubbed carefully? The grout cleaned properly? The flower/veg beds weeded? Furniture that needs vacuumed under? Dressers that need to be purged and straightened? Make that list, then start assigning things. Ideally, one inside and one out, or at least opposite ends of the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mliss Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 This is what housework and yard work are made for. If they are bickering, they aren't working enough. I would keep them working for most of the day (unless you have better things to do that day) so that when they get a couple of hours at night, they are too tired to argue. Sit down and make a list of all the 10,000 things you haven't been able to get done. The more physically laborious and tedious, the better. When was the last time your walls and cabinets were washed? The floor edges scrubbed carefully? The grout cleaned properly? The flower/veg beds weeded? Furniture that needs vacuumed under? Dressers that need to be purged and straightened? Wow, that sounds wonderful. Maybe we do need to take some time off this summer :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Yes, and not to mention waaaay too many hours of Minecraft. And we've only been on break for one and a half weeks... We're going to do light school days through the summer, starting on Monday. Minecraft, yes. The bickering has been minimal, although I've noticed after evening VBS last week and staying up later this week, my 7 yo is doing a bit of whining. They're pretty good about not being bored, but I have to admit that I am a bit bored. We cleaned the house decently the first week we were off. I am anxious to start school, as we are doing a "new" school plan. It's too hot to go outside, I was just telling dh last night that we may revert to year-around schooling. We've been off I think 5 weeks? I think I'm good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue daisy Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Mine are on break from PS, but the weeks that we don't have camps or lots of errands to run, I have to keep them busy just to keep the peace. Chores, activities, even "school-type" work just so they have something to do. If we do end up homeschooling at some point, we'll be year round schooling for sure because they can't handle the lack of routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue daisy Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Also, one of my sons struggles with anxiety and he just cannot handle being off a schedule/routine. It totally affects his behavior (for the worse!) So I really try to keep things predictable. Even downtime is "scheduled" (rest time after lunch, then outside time, etc.) He just needs to know what is going to happen or he loses it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsH Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 My kids also do best with a routine. We have the same bedtimes in summer as we do during the year. We continue read aloud time over lunch, followed by rest hour. And they have to do a few things before any screens go on: be dressed and ready for the day, have read for 20 minutes, done a job around the house, and moved their bodies. This seems to mostly hit the balance well for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Maybe I'm just lucky, but we took an eight week break this summer and I've yet to hear the chirping. We had a brief spate of bickering after cousins left for about a day, and then it's been all smiles. Nobody is ready to get back to work yet, but we need to. I've promised to keep it light while more books come in. We have one child who comes over at times in the evening after his folks get home from work. I'm so lucky--this neighbor actually calls me to find out if my kids are available! I appreciate that so much. (My boys are headed over this morning to take them a jar of honey.) Other than that, our options for play with other kids are very limited. We don't have any video games, and we only have the television on for movie night on Wednesdays. They've been involved with the used bookstore reading contest, they have been wrestling with each other every chance they get, going to the pool with their Grandma on Friday, and catching crawdads and small fish in the creek, helping to harvest the honey, learning how to do laundry... I was pleasantly surprised, but I may be in for it when we start back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NASDAQ Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 See, mine don't bicker. Instead they cooperate to come up with new, unwise plans (let's push the one-year-old on the full-size swing! Let's turn the fridge up to the coldest setting and see what happens! Let's line up the Furbies and see if we can get them singing a Furby chorus! Let's put eight types of random kitchen ingredients in a glass, mush them together, and see if we can convince the little one to drink it!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 See, mine don't bicker. Instead they cooperate to come up with new, unwise plans (let's push the one-year-old on the full-size swing! Let's turn the fridge up to the coldest setting and see what happens! Let's line up the Furbies and see if we can get them singing a Furby chorus! Let's put eight types of random kitchen ingredients in a glass, mush them together, and see if we can convince the little one to drink it!) Yes! And my kids just seem to feed off each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 I think this is what most public school parents are complaining about as well, but since homeschooling year round isn't an option they have to find other things to occupy their kids. Mine are both now in ps and our summers seem to incredibly busy but I know it's because otherwise they would be doing the bickering, complaining, whining, etc. I absolutely love having them home but too much time on their hands turns them into someone I don't know. I am ready for the return of school by the end of summer but a week into the school year and I'm ready for them to be home again. :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaya Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 This is what housework and yard work are made for. If they are bickering, they aren't working enough. I would keep them working for most of the day (unless you have better things to do that day) so that when they get a couple of hours at night, they are too tired to argue. Sit down and make a list of all the 10,000 things you haven't been able to get done. The more physically laborious and tedious, the better. When was the last time your walls and cabinets were washed? The floor edges scrubbed carefully? The grout cleaned properly? The flower/veg beds weeded? Furniture that needs vacuumed under? Dressers that need to be purged and straightened? Make that list, then start assigning things. Ideally, one inside and one out, or at least opposite ends of the house. love love love this I'm going to start my list tonight. my cabinets are gross right now and I'm sure theres dust under the sofa. oooh this is going to be fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 That would happen here too, if we didn't have a schedule and lots to do in the summer. Not too much downtime is the trick for us. My kids have swim team practice at 9 and 11, respectively, so we are at the pool all morning most weekdays. By the time we get home, they are tired and finding quiet activities together or separately just seems to be natural. By evening we are outside to play together as a family or with neighbors or gardening. Saturdays we do errands and chores. Sunday we have church and usually have friends over for supper. When the swim team schedule ends, they have two weeks of day camp. When that is done we have some end of summer fun things, about two each week, and still can enjoy the pool. Then we have a week of get ready for school and we jump back in, full speed ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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