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ratso
05-30-2006, 10:42 AM
Say your kids are like 10 or 12 up through maybe 16 years of age, and they are out of school. What do you do with them? Do you trust them to stay at home by theirselves, especially if they are too young to get a job? Do you get a babysitter? I know when I was young, things were much different. We'd get on our bikes and go to the lake swimming, play football or baseball, basically any type of outdoor activity. Nowdays kids seem glued to the TV or playing video games... especially if they aren't sports-minded. Are some of you Stay At Home Moms or Dads? Just curious...

Jyruiz
05-30-2006, 10:45 AM
My wife is a teacher and is home when my kids are home, so it works out great. We do put the kids in swimming lessons and day camps all thru summer though to keep them busy. My kids are too young to say home alone, 8, 6, and 1.

RitcheyRch
05-30-2006, 10:48 AM
My daughter is 16 and although I do trust her to stay home alone I dont trust the boys she wants to hang out with.

lalhc
05-30-2006, 11:00 AM
I have two boys 8 and 12, and my wifes a teacher. So I'm lucky she's out when they're out. If my wife had a different job, my boys would probably attend a Park & Recs type deal or Boys & Girls club. They do lot's of fun activities w/the kids in the summer. Well at least in my neck of the woods they do.

Devilman
05-30-2006, 11:20 AM
Daughter is 16, she goes to work..... She has no choice in the matter if she stays home or not. :rollside:

CBadDad
05-30-2006, 11:57 AM
Good question, and I am looking forward to the answers, as I'm not sure what I'm gonna do yet.
The focking courts can't see the forest thru the trees even if you try and show it to them. My firefighter schedule is all over the map and my ex-wife is a nurse that "self schedules" (that's what hey call it???). Anyways for many years she just scheduled her shifts around my schedule and somebody was always with the kids. Well after way too many frustrating hours of trying to explain it all to the courts they threw this 5-5-2-2 schedule at us. The Ex-monster knew it would be a challenge for me and that she could just scheulde herself around it, she was happy. Since I got 50% custody I figured I'd make it work and since I didn't have to pay child support didn't want to ruffle any feathers, so I let it be. Last summer I did some shift trades and took some time off of work as well as having y mom come over and hang out with her grandkids, everything worked out O.K.
This year things are turning out to be a little tuff already and school isn't even out yet. My mom's husband has cancer and he just had his second surgery and things aren't looking to good. But I haven't even bothered her at all about watching the kids for the last couple of months. Initially, I was taking vacation days but that adds up quick when you work 24 hour shifts. My GF complains all of the time that I trade, 'cuz now we don't have as much free time, so she has stepped up and is watching the kids (about one day a week) but is complaining about how hard it is (duh, I know).
Back on topic. Either way I have to come up with something because the GF still works till 5:30 and that'll leave 3 kids ( ages 8, 12 &14) home alone to argue, fight and break furniture.
What to do???

Outnumbered
05-30-2006, 12:00 PM
I don't know but I'm sure gonna miss the nooners for a few months :cry:

Tom Brown
05-30-2006, 12:00 PM
I came into this thread thinking it was about Ratso's dating conquests.

RitcheyRch
05-30-2006, 12:07 PM
Mine works as well and can only hope they give her more hours since she will be out of school beginning on Friday.
Daughter is 16, she goes to work..... She has no choice in the matter if she stays home or not. :rollside:

Devilman
05-30-2006, 12:10 PM
Mine works as well and can only hope they give her more hours since she will be out of school beginning on Friday.
What does she do, if ya don't mind my askin, that is.....

ratso
05-30-2006, 12:55 PM
CBadDad... I feel for you. That last paragraph is a recipe for disaster. I have 2 sisters younger than me, 4 and 5 years, so I was in charge of them after school for awhile until I started working. About the worst thing they ever did was almost burn the house down after starting a fire trying to make french fries. I still laugh about it to this day. They didn't try to put it out... just ran out the front door screaming. :D
Devilman, you're a smart man, and RitcheyRch, you are right on the money there... after all we were that age once... and even the quiet yes sir no sir types can't be be trusted.
Seems the stay at home moms or Teachers have the best deal going.
... oh yeah Tom... ha ha :D

Tom Brown
05-30-2006, 12:59 PM
Ratso, your stories are like gold. This one was a little flat but your average is still way up there. :cool:
It's really cool to see you around again. :)

ratso
05-30-2006, 01:36 PM
Ratso, your stories are like gold. This one was a little flat but your average is still way up there. :cool:
It's really cool to see you around again. :)
Thanks Tom... just not wanting to bore people with the same ole bs...

RitcheyRch
05-30-2006, 03:20 PM
She's a cashier.
What does she do, if ya don't mind my askin, that is.....

a catered life
05-30-2006, 05:40 PM
try this :idea: put all of them in a city day camp program for 4-5 weeks some cities have great programs that keep the kids really busy and they have a great time......or the 16 year old she might have to get a job or at some city colleges she can start some of her general ed for college......dont count out one of those all summer camps i worked one in big bear last year shit these kids had it better up there than at home but there pricey.......i got four my self and have taken all of these options.....this year they might be at home more....
worse case pay for a nanny