Happy to see them go?

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@Kandae11 (55161)
August 7, 2018 9:28am CST
Here in the Caribbean many schools will reopen for the Christmas term in early September. Which means that there is a month left for summer fun with the kids. However some parents will be quite happy to see the end of the long summer holiday. A friend of mine who has four kids - two pre-teens and two teenagers, says that her grocery bill triples during the summer months. "They eat and drink all the time and I must feed their friends too", she laments. Do you find that you spend more on food during the summer? and are you looking forward to your kids return to school? How did you spend your holidays when you were a pre-teen or teenager?
28 people like this
30 responses
• United States
7 Aug 18
My grandchildren will be going back to school the last week in August. I know this summer flew by and having the kids home is an added expense not only with food but activities to keep them busy.
5 people like this
@Kandae11 (55161)
7 Aug 18
Yes, that would be a task - keeping them busy.
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
7 Aug 18
I Home school as you know so it's the same amount always but I am never happy to see my children go anywhere unless it's enjoyable for them. And even then it's hard for me when my kids walk out the door. God help me when they leave the nest!! =(
4 people like this
@Kandae11 (55161)
7 Aug 18
I understand how you feel.
2 people like this
@allknowing (137791)
• India
8 Aug 18
I feel more hungry during winter. May be there is demand for fruit juices in summer and that I make myself.
2 people like this
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
Okay.
@DianneN (247184)
• United States
7 Aug 18
I went to camp and later on to the beach with my friends. We spend the same on food year round. My kids are out on there own now, thank goodness. LOL! They cost a fortune to raise.
2 people like this
@DianneN (247184)
• United States
7 Aug 18
@Kandae11 I wasn't one for lakes, but it was fun. I loved the campfires the most. Of course my camp was nothing like the camps my grandkids go to. lol
2 people like this
@Kandae11 (55161)
7 Aug 18
Money well spent. I have never gone camping in my life.
2 people like this
@just4him (317238)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
7 Aug 18
I can't say my grocery bill was any higher than usual. Though, as they got older, the grocery bill got higher. My summer vacation as a kid was more work than play, though I did make it to the pool every day. However, there was the family garden that needed weeding and harvesting. We also went on vacation for two weeks every August. I don't miss any of that.
3 people like this
@just4him (317238)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
7 Aug 18
@Kandae11 I'm going to say around 6. My dad taught me and then I had swim lessons at the pool every year.
2 people like this
@Kandae11 (55161)
7 Aug 18
So you were put to work during the holidays. Seems like you have always loved the pool. At what age did you learn to swim?
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342110)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug 18
It was nice to have the kids home for holidays but I also felt a bit relieved when they returned after the break. As a child I lived on a farm and holidays were cherished as I had lots of pets to play with and a pony to ride.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342110)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug 18
@Kandae11 If I ever told Mum I was bored I was sent out to sweep the verandahs so I only ever did that once!
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
That must have been fun. The outdoor activity is best, and I am sure you were never bored.
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
8 Aug 18
Yes, that is so true. Whenever our daughter is at home on her school summer vacations, we would really be always buying groceries, because she's always eating !
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
9 Aug 18
@Kandae11 I think all parents feel the same way when their children are just at home during the summer vacation or even during the Christmas holidays.
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
You feel it too.
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
8 Aug 18
I like the school holidays at it means less kids piling on the buses to get to and from school. I enjoyed the free time and the family holidays that we had every Summer
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
8 Aug 18
@Kandae11 it is an aspect of the season I love
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
Oh yes, definitely less early morning traffic jams. That must have been relaxing and a real treat.
1 person likes this
@marlina (154130)
• Canada
7 Aug 18
Yes, we did spend a lot more for groceries during the summer when our 2 sons were young.
2 people like this
@Kandae11 (55161)
7 Aug 18
I can imagine.
2 people like this
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
8 Aug 18
There have been quite a few school holidays here over the winter and most kids are bored and want to walk around malls because there is not much to do outside. I can imagine that is very expensive for parents.
1 person likes this
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
11 Aug 18
@Kandae11 here that is expensive too. We pay a lot for wifi and data in South Africa.
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
Some may spend a lot of time on the internet.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
8 Aug 18
There is less free time for mothers during school holidays. And more expenses to keep them occupied. And parents tend to worry the children will get lazy and laidback. During my teenage times, I had to do with some games and worrying about school reopening! siva
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
8 Aug 18
@Kandae11 It is not advisable to leave a teenager alone; they are impressionable at that age - siva
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
@Shiva49 Only a very responsible one could possibly be left in charge. Some others may go off and leave the younger ones alone.
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
Especially if both parents work , there will be concern about what is happening at home while they are out. Sometimes a helper is left in charge or an older teenager.
1 person likes this
@dya80dya (36769)
7 Aug 18
I went to my grandparents when I was a pre-teen. They made me feel loved.
2 people like this
@Kandae11 (55161)
7 Aug 18
I too spent time at my grandparents.
@porwest (92624)
• United States
9 Aug 18
Well, the wife and I do not have kids, so we don't have to be excited or not about school reopening. But as for spending more on food, I think in the summer we do just because we tend to do more grilling, and since meat is expensive, we can stretch meat a bit more with soups and casseroles during the winter.
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55161)
9 Aug 18
When the kids do come along I know you'll make it work - being a money expert.
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55161)
12 Aug 18
@porwest Not really. It all depends on what you want.
1 person likes this
@porwest (92624)
• United States
12 Aug 18
@Kandae11 I think we are past the kids thing. Getting too old.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87854)
• Bangalore, India
28 Aug 18
I can relate to it. Holidays means more playing and more outdoor activities and so more hunger and craving for food.
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55161)
28 Aug 18
The more active they are, the hungrier they get.
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55161)
28 Aug 18
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87854)
• Bangalore, India
28 Aug 18
@Kandae11 Searching for new interesting recipes for evening snacks becomes an added task for me.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
8 Aug 18
When my boys were pre-teen, teenage, they spent several weeks of the summer away at various camps-Boy Scout Camp, sailing camp, science camp, so they weren't eating our food, but the price of the camps ate up whatever grocery savings we might have enjoyed.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
8 Aug 18
@Kandae11 Yes, they learned important skills in team work and leadership that have served them both well so far in their adult lives.
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
Even though still a bit costly, those were good activities for them. They learned while having fun.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472060)
• Switzerland
7 Aug 18
As we have no children, we never had this kind of problems.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472060)
• Switzerland
8 Aug 18
@Kandae11 When I was a kid, I went to spend one month at the farmhouse of our grandmother and another month at the beach with my parents. We stayed at a hotel on the beach on the Mediterranean sea.
@Kandae11 (55161)
7 Aug 18
So how did you spend your holidays as a kid - indoors, outdoors?
1 person likes this
• Eugene, Oregon
10 Aug 18
I only had the one child, a daughter, and she did some camps and spent time with friends in summer. It was always fun to buy pizza or fix pasta when she had friends over.
1 person likes this
@db20747 (43440)
• Washington, District Of Columbia
5 Sep 18
Of course it was fun 2 do family summer outings like fishing and carnivals!!!
1 person likes this
@Lucky15 (37374)
• Philippines
8 Aug 18
My brother would always whine about their expenses with the groceries when the kids are on vacation, lol
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
Yes, it does happen.Holiday time means fun time which includes eating more.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
8 Aug 18
we did not have summer camps as kids before, but we had some vacations in our relatives' homes.
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55161)
8 Aug 18
I had those too. I never went to a camp.
1 person likes this
@kritis (628)
• India
7 Aug 18
universities also started....
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (55161)
7 Aug 18
You don't seem happy about it.
1 person likes this