Return of the Natives

[Daogroupie]

Does anyone else have the experience that your children return to you when you spend a prolonged period of time with them. I feel my dd's seem to put on a protective shell to cope with the secondary school environment but in the holidays they seem to gradually return to their normal selves. It takes a while and a lot of sleep but they emerge as their old selves. Does this ring chords with anyone? DG

[fatbananas]

I have this feeling by about midday every Saturday. My DS are not at secondary school yet, but they are so filled up with school stuff: academic and the interaction with peers (good and bad) that it takes them til about Saturday midday for them/ us to get to 'settle in' to one another again. And then it's lovely. Even arguments are resolved better because, as you say, the 'protective shell' is down and things are properly talked through.

Have to say, it's like that with DH after a hard working week too. But, then, by Sunday night, I resent the week to come because I'll see and talk to them all less.

[copella]

I think they get so use to conversing with friends or teachers it's hard for them to switch at the end of the day. It takes till week 2 of hols ie now for them to stop shouting and shoving and return to being our boys again. I always feel sad when the holidays end as we usually have a calmer more harmonious household which then changes quite quickly into the school term.

[hermanmunster]

- we used find that the kids came out of school sane and grown up having had sensible company all day - took a while before they lost a few years off their age and reverted to type.

[SEP18]

Glad to know that it is just not our household. The boys take at least a week before they settle down. Week 1 was full of petty arguments, teenage strops and me wondering he on earth are we going to get through six weeks

The boys are now getting on fine, chatting and laughing together which puts a great big smile on my face. They have returned from wherever they have been.

[mystery]

Seems to apply to everyone in our household (like Fatbananas said, this includes DH). It's only an annual holiday of 2 weeks that does the trick .......... so maybe it's the rest of the time that's normal and not the holiday feeling. You are just lucky getting the holiday feeling by Sat lunchtime maybe!

[pheasantchick]

Same situation here - first week everyone gets used to the change of routine, being with each other and then, hey presto, all is relatively calm. I think the main arguments concern which olympic sport to watch. Ds 1 (12) has also developed into a teen, and beginning to sleep in late.