commander

Yea, i could understand that totally.

Grace O Malley

Wiggles ha ha, i saw an ad for that and did laugh thinking to myself, thank god I don't have a nipper. The thought of sitting through that is not a good thought at all.

littlejimmy

Of course kids should be able to entertain themselves and shouldn't be brought up to think that going to shows and zoos and stuff is the norm...these are special occasions. On the other hand, there are fewer opportunities for kids these days with over-protective parenting and the weather in places like Dubai make it even worse. When I were a lad during my summer holidays or at weekends I was allowed to go out and "play" until it was tea time.

Grace O Malley

over protective parenting, I believe is actually what is lacking here. I know plenty of parents here who really let their kids do what they want and behave as they want. There is plenty of unacceptable behaviour going on out here amongst the teenage population that even when parents know what is going on they turn a blind eye.

Another new fad is them having a credit card, I mean for gods sake a credit card at 17 or 18.........

commander

from 8am until darkness with a wee break for lunch and dinner.

every day.

littlejimmy

Indeed. I was always within earshot of home, though, so I could hear my mother's shrill voice shouting my name from the balcony.

Millsyisland

Exactly - the issue here is that it's too damn hot for the kids to go outside (at least for prolonged periods) during the day, so it's good to go back to their home country where it's presumably cooler (definitely is in Blighty).

Anyone with kids here during the Summer will know that by the end of being pent up inside all day, they're manic, whereas kids in cooler countries have at least had the opportunity to run off some of that energy outside during the day.

TGFKASE

and, with darkness falling around 9.30 - 10pm during the summer, we used to have monstrously long footie games..

Jumpers for goalposts...

commander

exactly...come home, bath, grub, bed shattered. Every parents dream really..

Karlos The Jackal

Jumpers for goal posts, 35 a side, home for Sunday Dinner and out 'til dusk!

Happy, happy days....................

commander

exactly, which going back to the original point, is why loads of people depart with their kids for the summer, cause you just cannot do that here. period.

Unless you are satisfied with your kid developing into fat diabetes ticking timebomb of a playstation playing lazy twat...hey but as long as they dont interrupt your expat lifestyle

Millsyisland

I used to hate getting home and finding my bed shattered.....

Certainly wasn't my parents' dream as they'd have to buy me another one.

commander

very drole..

TGFKASE

I've corrected that for you...

Sieg Heil..!!!

Madam Medusa

was laughing with some friends who are moving back to scotland...they are paying £35 a day for the kids to do summer camp (as a way of meeting local kids), but some of the activities include stuff like "trips to the river" and "making treehouses" etc...which, as my friend said, is something we used to do for free, not as an organised activity...

do think parents here in particular don't let their kids have enough time to find their own amusement...some parents i know literally have the kid involved in activities in every spare waking minute...

MM, xx