theherd123 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Lesley you are such a cool granny! Can i come to yours for two days a week in the holidays too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I think I need to familiarise myself with that section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 Lesley you are such a cool granny! Can i come to yours for two days a week in the holidays too? Not if you call me Granny!!! Lauren told Jake off this afternoon for calling me Granny (he does it as a wind-up) She said I'm not old enough to be a Granny ........and you definitely won't fit in the play-tent in August! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 What do Lauren & Jake call you then? My mum doesnt want to be a 'granny' either she would like to be a 'nanna'. Ok i may not fit into the play tent in August but im sure i can fashion a wrap out of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 I started out as Nanma - but they can both say Grandma now - although they still sometimes use Nanma. My Mum is also Grandma - she said she didn't want to be a Nanny. If I catch her calling any of mine 'kids' ( my pet hate!) then i refer to her as Nanny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lapinou Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Please no one take any offence at this post When we had our children, naming grandparents was really bizarre as my parents are divorced and both remarried. My Dad's family are very upper class (my Grandpa was an Earl) and my step-mother said 'I'm not going to be called Nanna! Can I be Granny?'. DH's parents are kind of the opposite in background to my Dad's family and his mum said 'I'm not going to be called Granny! Far too posh - can I be Nanna?'. My mum and Step-dad were far easier to 'name' - they're just Grandma and Grandad like my maternal grandparents are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 We have a lot of remarriages as well and consequently, a lot of grandparents..... Lauren and Jake have Grandma, Nanny by the Sea, Nanny Ann and Nanny Rose! ..... and fortunately, there are family members who have lost contact, or we'd need to find a lot more names Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 My Mum was only 45 when I had my daughter and she felt too young to be a Nan and so she said she wanted to be called NooNoo, this is 14 years ago now.....I have to admit I did have a bit of a giggle when Tellytubbies started when Becky was about 4 and there was a NooNoo on there too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 We didn't go down the Mummy and Daddy route when we had children they called me Tessa and DH by his christian name. It is the same with our grandchildren, they just call us by our real names. I couldn't bear to be called Granny or anything like that Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Well I feel extremely priveleged to be called Nanna by my step grandchildren We don't have anything organised for the holidays, you all put me to shame! But I'm hoping we will have access to our allotment then so I hope to get them digging and gardening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Lesley If they are 10 & 8 they are bound to love lego. If you don't have any why don't you put a request on freecycle. Also suggest you get them registered at your local library and do a regular visit to the library. Even kids with lots of books enjoy that and there is usually a promotion to get children reading over the summer at the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I want to go and stay at Lesleys house!!! My children call my dad Grandpops and my mum Nanny, and hubbys side Grandad and Gran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 (edited) Lesley If they are 10 & 8 they are bound to love lego. If you don't have any why don't you put a request on freecycle. Also suggest you get them registered at your local library and do a regular visit to the library. Even kids with lots of books enjoy that and there is usually a promotion to get children reading over the summer at the library. Oh, they do love Lego..... - and I got into trouble for teaching them how to bid on Ebay for it ( we started a couple of weeks before the holidays, and then washed it all in the dishwasher, in a net bag, when it arrived) They do go to the library with their parents....... and I used to take them to the mobile library when they were babies. You obviously haven't seen photos of my house? - it groans under the weight of laden bookshelves - and we're well known to local Removals people - they hate helping us to move home I think the reading schemes at the Libraries are brilliant for developing an interest in reading .......... Edited June 25, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 So I will be off most of the school holidays as well - but with a teenager the last thing she will want to do is spend 'quality time' with her mother. It's more a case of driving her and collecting her from the pictures, shopping & going to the outdoor pool or playing up in the woods with friends. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 We don't organise in the holidays at all, the children just loaf about and find their own fun and I help out with any activities that need it. They can make requests for days out etc and we usually go to see relatives who live 150 miles away and camp a couple of times. I'd like ED to get some kind of employment over the summer she is 14 nearly 15. painting and other crafts are always popular here. We have a Granny & Grandad in the woods ( they live in the gardeners cottage in a wood on a stately home estate) & Big Granny & Grandad because my parents are quite small and OH's parents are taller. There is also a Little Grandad who is my 89 year old grandad. These are all names that the children have used and have stuck over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 When I was a nipper,I called my Granded Kitchywaller. His name was Kitch, & the name I came up with stuck for years & years Hubbys family all call grandmothers 'Nanny', which I dislike,so I have 'gently persuaded' my girls to call her Nanna at all times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I had/have a Nanny and Grampy and a Grandma and Grandpa. They chose when their first grandchildren were born and so are called the same to all of us grandchildren. But when my great grandma was alive we all called her by her first name-Mimi, which is better than great grandma. Its the same in our family for our great aunties and uncles we call them auntie... rather than great auntie ...... I have already decided that i don't want to be a Granny or Nanna,I prefer grandma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 My mother's parents were Nonno and Nonna (Italian). I didn't know my other grandma (her name was Eve), and I had a Grandpa Leslie. When Rosie was little, she called my folks Gany and Bubba as she coudln't say the full versions; they are now Granny and Grandpa, although he's still Bubba when she's winding him round her little finger. She doesn't have any contact with her dad's parents, but considers Phil's parents as her other set of grandparents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whittlewitch Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I too love the school holidays, no rushing around to swimming, rugby, dance etc.. I work from home so get up and get the majority of work sorted, let the kids watch television until about 10, when I will finish. If I get my work done in peace then we have a treat in the afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Try not to worry too much about activities - we home educate and don't have nearly such a high rate of activities and the children manage! Anyway, children think up their own stuff soon enough when they get bored and that's really good for them, I think We do: Trips to the park Baking Making books together - even if it's just colouring in pictures, sticking them on pages and then stapling it all together. They love it that they've made a book themselves Watching the chickens now Doing the every-day stuff we need to do Looking at books Looking at more books Looking at more books Watching dvds/tv together Playing on the computer Looking at more books 'Experiments' - really simple things like dying carnations; jumping currants (in a jar of lemonade); making worm worlds (use the empty plastic lemonade bottle!); Baking bread and making the butter to go on it - you can make the bread in all sorts of shapes too. Snap-we home educate too so school holidays are no different for us. Every day is a school holiday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 How easy/difficult is it to home educate? How many hours a day to you educate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 You are very organised Lesley - it's still June! I tend to draw up a list of big trips we want to do and try to do one a week. Then I have a list of local walk-type outings which we can do in an afternoon. And a list of people to meet up with. DD3 and DS will do a Stagecoach Summer workshop for 6 days - it's going to be The Wizard of Oz. It costs a lot of money, but it's 10-4 for 6 days and they love putting on a show. During this week, I aim to get as much of my 'work' done for August. DDs2 + 3 are singing for a week in Salisbury Cathedral with Malcolm Archer. This was by invitation only and I am very proud of them! DD2 (just finished GCSEs) was going for a semi-unsupervised holiday in France staying with DH's uncle. Unfortunately the friend who was going with her has been diagnosed anorexic (I recognised it in January but it's only just been diagnosed!). She is not allowed to go and all other friends are away, so poor DD2 is missing out on this holiday. Mostly, my children enjoy time to be in their home and do all those boxed things that they forget they have during term-time. I like the free and easy life-style of August, but I also find it very hard to manage. Either I spend all day tidying up and cooking or moaning at the children to tidy up and help out a bit. Because they don't surface until about 10am everything gets delayed and then there's no time to go anywhere or do anything. I get tired and very irritable because I need some time to myself. Then I'm disorganised and it gets even worse! Every year I try to make it work but I find it exhausting and lonely and I can't do the things I want to do. Maybe this year will be the one which works . . . and the holidays are too SHORT not too long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Ginette your post made me smile. I got quite depressed reading about all those organised summer holiday activities and then at the end your post, in which started off looking efficient, became a bit more like our school holidays.... I love the school holidays - I just wish I did not have to work as well. But at least, working from home, I can juggle everything so we do get to do things. Just not always on the day we planned. I think L enjoys slouching around at home anyway, doing this and that, whatever takes her fancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I have an image of a yummy mummy who has the whole house organised by 9:30am. She then takes the children out for a marvellously fun time walking in the woods, pond-dipping, picnicking etc. with a delicious packed lunch full of delicious and healthy food and has as much energy as the children. Everyone is smiling and happy. Then they all go home and yummy mummy cooks up a brilliant dinner which everyone enjoys. The washing up is all done and everything looks spotless when Hubby comes home - and she still has enough energy to greet him with a smile. My efforts to have a day like that start off well but no-one gets up. So at 11am I am grumpily clearing away again and telling everyone to get dressed so that we can go out. No-one wants to go, but I insist it will be nice. I make the packed lunch - which everyone will moan about because it's not quite to their taste. Arguments about who sits where in the car. At least one grumpy teenager refuses to come. The journey takes longer than I thought. We get there and I try to keep smiling through the 'What? All the way round there? Do we have to walk that far? Can't we just sit here?' Everyone's keen to have an ice cream though. Then we drive home and they all disappear to watch TV, play computer games or to their rooms. I'm left unpacking the picnic and cooking dinner - which at least one will moan about. By the time cheerful DH gets home 'Did you all have a lovely day?' all he gets is a grunt and a scowl. By the middle of August I am decidedly jaded. I don't actually want to go out. I'm quite happy at home. But they get bored and DS particularly needs to have time outside. Our garden is not big by any standards and a quarter of it is a chicken run! At the end of the holiday at least one of the girls will have asked me why we never do anything or go anywhere and I wonder why I bother at all! I still look forward to August with those rose-tinted specs though and I still keep trying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 LOL Ginette Because we both worked full time I sent my children to a Council playscheme in the long holidays, it was free then They had a much better time there than they would have had with me they went on all sorts of outings to theme parks etc., places where I would never take them. We did take them away for two weeks usually camping in France or Spain, so we were not totally lazy parents. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
