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School Holiday's suck!

12/07/2011

Comments: 7 readers have left a comment

Unless you're a teacher enjoying a bloody well earnt break, school holidays suck.

They suck even for those without school-aged kids, who take on extra duties while their colleagues take leave to look after their kids during the holidays.

It especially sucks for the parents themselves.  Or, rather, the mothers.  Because it's usually the mother who is expected to take her valuable annual leave over school holidays, to enjoy spending every freaking moment with her offspring.

Every. Freaking. Moment.

It makes me weep.  Seriously, today I wept a little bit.  It was right when the twins were eating playdoh, and Miss5 was eating lip gloss.

I was quite sure they were all going to require individual calls to the Poisons Information Line, on their ingested poison of choice.

This was directly following the lurvely wall mural they crafted while I was in the loo.  With permanent marker.

It is day bloody TWO of school holidays.  How in the hell am I supposed to survive two whole weeks of this stuff?

I even let them loose in the cold, damp sandpit as a last resort.  I figured that, should they get colds, I could at least dull their senses/fighting spirit with medication.

What?  I never professed to being a good parent.

Yesterday, the twins went to daycare.  God I love Monday's.  Even more so now that Daycare got a coffee machine.  For $2 I can grab a flat white as I make a mad dash for freedom and the exit, before the twins realised I've unceremoniously dumped them at daycare again.

So while they were at daycare yesterday, Miss5 and I ran errands.  Fruit of my loins, she is a born shopper - so even the mundane grocery shopping gets her tick of approval.

We hit The Galleria with gusto.  We walked the whole mega shopping complex.  And it was only after 4hrs of this, that I realise she had her jeans on backwards, and was sporting an inappropriate amount of stomach, and butt-crack.

Again...what?  I never professed to being a good parent.

So today - day TWO of school holidays - I had to pull out my emergency supplies : Kinder Egg's and fresh, shiny, new, debris-free playdoh.

The stuff that was intended only for emergencies.  The stuff that was supposed to last the full two WEEKS of school holidays, not just two DAYS.

I am screwed.

Send help.

Or, at the very least, vodka.


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Reader Comments

Prof Minerva

14/07/2011 at 11:21

Dearest Freaking-Out Mum, I sympathise. Truly. And thanks for saying that we teachers deserve the break. In the last few weeks of term, we've had a wailer. No, I don't mean the humpbacks and Southern Rights ... A wailing child. Well, one nearly as tall as my none-too-short 170 cm! Who refuses to go to class and sits in the playground and wails! None of us can figure out why (has friends, says there hasn't been any bullying and our version of Prof Snape retired a few years ago).
AFAIK, this child is quite capable, survived the first term, parents are supportive of the school and are happily married! So most of us teachers at Hogwarsh (and other similar schools) are enjoying a well-deserved break from wailers and similar. Funny, I've been to school at least twice this week and saw a long list of other teachers who have to sign in at the 'front desk' as we're technically 'not there'. Haven't heard of other workers who voluntarily 'drop in' when they're on annual leave. : D

Parental Parody

14/07/2011 at 11:59

Dear Prof Minerva,
I'm guessing the little darling was just devestated at the onset of school holidays, because it meant no more school for 2 weeks. Really, that's what I'm going with.
Thanks for your comment. I'm a confirmed admirer of teachers - my sister can wrangle a class of 30 5-6yr olds without raising her voice. I am in awe. And she claims she doesn't know how she does it. I think she just doesn't want to share her secrets.
I hope you enjoy your remaining week...after that, I will be the first parent in the queue to send mine back to the classroom!
With much admiration,
Parental Parody

Only 1 more week

15/07/2011 at 19:32

With grown up children I can sympathise with you - things that work are:
outside - mud puddles in the rain, sandpit tea parties, and working with sand. So what if it rains - they get through the school day with 1000's of bugs and don't get sick - so therefore they should be able to be outside all day and not get sick!
inside - playdough, cookie dough, bread dough - the last 2 you can eat, especially if you ignore all the other stuff that came off slightly dirty hands - but I believe that heat kills all the really bad stuff anyway.
all shopping centres and libraries have something on - take children to each and everyone of them - sit aside and drink coffee whilst someone else entertains them, and if all else fails - TV is the ultimate babysitter.
Remember you have got through one week - there is only one left. Best wishes

Deb

19/07/2011 at 17:33

i loathe school holidays - spending my time on the precipice - kids are playing - they play hard, waiting for something or someone to be broken - this anxiety is usually dispelled with the inevitable fight including a few choice derogatory remarks and all the he said, she saids flying. Wait some quiet, yes the tv is on but no, here they go again.

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