Summer Holidays are looming..................

The end of this week heralds the end of the school year here in France.   It is, therefore, the start of two months of purgatory for all parents who have to juggle work and family commitments.   My children range in age from nearly seventeen (emotional age of eight depending on whether he is getting his own way!!) via twins of nearly fourteen (I may as well have triplets!!) to a five year old who thinks she is fifteen!   I can't win and believe me everyday is a battle royal to keep them all on track.

Peace will reign supreme in my house if;

1. Oscar, my eldest is allowed to stay in his room all day, with full Internet access and a regular supply of tea!  
2. I am on hand 24/7 to play with my five year old daughter.
3. I have a bottomless purse with which to pay for countless trips to the cinema, museums, bowling etc... not to mention a limitless fuel tank for driving around Manche.

Unfortunately, for my children, we do not live in such utopia, I work from home and am not fortunate enough to be able to take two months off, I am neither wealthy enough to be able to fund limitless trips (if I was you would find me well ensconced at a very nice Thalasso therapy hotel not too far from here!!) nor inclined to let my eldest vegetate in his pit.   My little girl needs to know that she has a working mum and that I can't be on hand all the time to play.

That said, I will need to compromise on my work/family time to enable my kids to have some fun during the holidays.    When I was their age a bike and a picnic were all I needed, I spent all day out with friends (no mobile phones or computer games in those days!) we played in the woods and fields and if it rained watched old black & white movies on the TV and there were just four channels in those days (and yes I do remember when there were only three!). 

Luckily for us we are close to the beach, so weather permitting, we will be rock pooling and swimming in the sea.   I am sure I will find the Internet a source of invaluable information on how to keep them all entertained.   Failing that I will lock myself in my room with enough rations to last two months and wait out the siege!!!   In reality I will have to implement various methods to keep my sanity intact and their boredom in check.   Watch this space to read what draconian measures (in their eyes!) I have taken to ensure peace in our time!

Who is your Favourite Child?

My reply would have to be "None of your business".   I don't have a favourite child out of my four, whoever is behaving the best and giving me less grief is my favourite and believe me that changes on a minute by minute basis!   I am sure they meet daily, unbeknown to me, to decide on ways to push the boundaries and take me to the edge of hysteria each day.   But that said, I LOVE them all equally, I may not LIKE them all equally, but that is a completely different kettle of fish!!

Unfortunately Buzz Bishop from Vancouver Canada, when blogging about his children expressed his preference for his eldest son over his youngest, this has caused a great deal of consternation and loads of comments, mostly condemning him for his declaration.

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/%E2%80%9Ci-do-not-play-favourites%E2%80%9D-says-dad-criticised-for-naming-favourite-child-on-his-blog.html?bcmt_s=m#ugccmt-container

Whilst I understand his point of view, some things are best left unsaid/unwritten.   Have a favourite child if you wish, but it is your responsibility as a parent to ensure all your children are treated equally.   Mine are always saying "so and so is your favourite" I just agree with them, nipping it in the bud, there is no point arguing with them, in their heads they are always right.   The next day the "so called" favourite will have overstepped the mark and after being told off will claim that his/her sibling is my favourite.   Damned if you do/Damned if you don't!

When they have all grown up and fled the nest I am applying for a peacekeeping job at the United Nations, I think by then I will have the well-honed skills of a diplomat trying to get warring factions to agree to a compromise!!!

My children are on loan to me, it is my job to bring them up to be compassionate, considerate and well-balanced adults, sometimes this entails having to enforce draconian measures (have you ever tried to confiscate a teenagers' Ipod?!!) but I am their Mum not their friend.   They have loads of friends now and will have in the future.   When they are adults out in the big wide scary world, I hope they will look back and acknowledge, if only to themselves, that I have done the best I could and then, maybe, I will be lucky enough to be counted as one of their friends, but until then I will have to come up with more hiding places for the confiscated electronic equipment!!!!!