[ajjhmf]

Ok, so summers are hard on our kids which makes them hard on us. How about an 'official' survival thread where we can come and vent, bounce ideas and share the rum.

My J (10) has spent the last 4 days with a horrific attitude because I took 20 minutes of video game time away on Thursday. It got so bad we told him he couldn't come out of his room except to use the bathroom until he could apologized to me and talked to us about what was making him so angry. Tonight he did that only to end up stomping and slamming doors an hour later at bed time. When we were putting him to bed, I found the DS (which we hold in our room unless he has our permission to use it because it's DH's) stuffed amongst the toys on the end of his bed. That along with a game he "lost" on vacation. So, tomorrow I'm stripping his room down to basics until he improves and earns stuff back.

I have 9 weeks until school starts and it looks like it's going to be like last year again. At lease every other week he goes to day camp and I can do fun stuff with the little kids then.

[momraine]

I am right there with you! I have already posted on another thread. Anyway, I am leaving with my dd in the morning for camp, we will see how long dh lasts alone with M!

[Barksum]

Summer Survival for me is much like Winter Survival. We're continuing to homeschool and remodel. We have so many projects to get done on the property while the snow is gone that it isn't even slightly humorous anymore. I can't do 9/10ths of the things that need to be done, so I try to just do as much support stuff for Dh as I can. Dh works odd shifts and is a day sleeper so life is really pretty crazy already.

And, for some reason, Ds3 is regressing or going through a growth spurt or ... dang. I need to go. He's doing his pre-tantrum wind up and/or he's going to get one of the other kids to explode. The poking, or making the same sound over and over until the sibling he's tormenting can't stand it anymore. The run-by swats on the butt, just to annoy.

Ok, that's it. Gotta run.

So...how do we survive this again??

[ajjhmf]

Originally Posted by Barksum

So...how do we survive this again??

Rum. Lots and lots of rum.

The screaming has started and I don't expect it to stop for several hours. Should be a long day, but hopefully we will get through this.

[lucyjoy]

Loud music

[kretzklan]

Why do they treat each other so badly but their friends (who are losers mostly) are treated like kings and queens? When I bring this up, I get blank stares. In the 20 minutes I had to spend with DS2 before swimming today he blantantly disobeyed me 4 times. Once every five minutes. Not great odds. I will say that I have them scheduled to the hilt and although I felt bad for a few days that we wouldn't really have a lot of fun time 'as a family' - I realized that my sanity has a premium cost. They can still drive me nuts in the short times they are home...

[crick]

If you really want the answer to Summer Survival....


YEAR ROUND SCHOOL




Hang in there!!!

[angelkisses0102]

Originally Posted by crick

If you really want the answer to Summer Survival....


YEAR ROUND SCHOOL




Hang in there!!!

Sign me up...err well...my DS anyway! He's working on getting thrown out of summer camp #2 (first one lasted until 4pm on day ONE!) Eight weeks from today...he will be happy...school starts again. YAY! I guess I should have pushed for ESY...but silly me thought some summer fun was in order. I forgot he thrives on routine...

Hang in!

[ajjhmf]

Well, the room cleanout went as planned...and surprisingly enough, he took it pretty well. I explained that Dh adn I would write a list of goals for him that would allow him to eventually earn his stuff back.

It was weird though, he seems almost relieved to have it over with.

[TxMom65]

My daughter has been doing great for so long, but a few weeks into summer she seems to have regressed on behavior. We have gone back to a chore list, must read everyday, etc. She will play outside all day long with the neighborhood kids and never say a word, hardly even stops in to eat.

I think that the lack of routine just doesn't work with her.

[Barksum]

Lack of routine is too much for MANY kids, even 'typical' kids.

Today we tried to have routine. Honest!! But there's just too many things going on and the kids are too distracted to get much from them.

One major distraction today was that this afternoon the hamster was obviously ill, so off to the vet for that. (One hour each way.) At the vet's we found out some good news; it wasn't due to poor care that she's unwell. The bad news is that she is a very elderly hamster. (I didn't know they only live 2 years or so!) She's either got old age induced organ failure or she's got a bacterial infection. The vet said it wouldn't really be worth getting bloodwork to see about her organ function because there's nothing they can do if it is organ failure. However, if the symptoms are from a bacterial infection the antibiotics will help her feel more comfortable in her sunset days (weeks?).

I'm tired. The hamster has me all stressed out!

[ajjhmf]

Ah yes, we've dealt with the trauma of a hamster death. Dh and I knew she was dying for 3 days before the kids...I was on piuns and needles. We ended up having a funeral and everything in the yard.

I can't seem to keep a tight schedule in the sumemr either. When things go well, I like to let them keep going rather tham switch to another activity. I do try though. I know next week when he's at camp will be easier. Not because he is gone, but because he'll know what to expect. Okay, so maybe him being gone will be easier....

[TxMom65]

We had our elderly cat and elderly rabbit die within weeks of each other several months ago. Now we have a little cemetary in the back yard.

[Barksum]

So I'm not a bad mom/hamster owner because I've been pondering what box to use for the coffin??

[TxMom65]

Originally Posted by Barksum

So I'm not a bad mom/hamster owner because I've been pondering what box to use for the coffin??

Not at all. My daughter even bought one of those solar nightlights for the grave.