My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Teenagers

boredom during school holidays.....ds14

10 replies

ssd · 12/02/2013 14:08

for some reason he's not seen his friends for days....I dont think theres been a falling out, he's tried arranging things but nothing has come of it....boys dont seem to be as good at organising as girls do they!!!

what does your ds do when he's bored? mine has an x box but isnt into gaming really...its a pity they cant work at 14, I feel he needs a part time job!

OP posts:
Report
yellowbrickrd · 12/02/2013 16:18

There was a similar thread here if it's any consolation it does seem to be a common phase!

My ds is 13 and the same as yours, has given up trying to organise something with friends as they can't be bothered or duck out at the last minute. He is quite happy at the moment being obsessed with Minecraft and stays in touch through facebook. I can imagine it will be more of an issue when the weather is better as I can't stand to see him shut up indoors on a sunny day.

Is there anything your ds could volunteer for? Duke of Edinburgh?

Report
ssd · 12/02/2013 20:46

have read the other thread, dont feel so bad now!

OP posts:
Report
BackforGood · 17/02/2013 14:44

You can do some work from 13 Here.
Mine have both delivered the weekly free paper (earns them money, but without having to get up too early in the mornings Wink).

In itself doesn't ease any boredom factor much, but gives them their own money so they can go and do more stuff.

That said, I think a bit of 'down time' is good. Mine spend a lot of time asleep in school holidays, which is them recharging their batteries.

Report
mum47 · 17/02/2013 14:50

I think it is an age thing.. My DS is 14 later this year. When the weather is nice, he is never in as he skateboards so spends his whole time doing this with lots of friends of different ages.
When the weather is bad he doesn't go out much, and would be on his play station the whole time if he could. He does go to an indoor sports club once a week.
I went through a stage of worrying about him but realised that a lot of them have this kind of routine at this age - they speak a lot on the playstation and Facebook and seem to sleep - and eat - a lot. Roll on the better weather!

Report
Sparklingbrook · 17/02/2013 14:53

Signing in. DS1 (13) is hopeless, he expects social events to just fall into his lap. If he does arrange anything it takes about 500 texts back and forth and still doesn't know what time they are meeting. Hmm

Won't be seen dead with me or DS2. Sad

Report
Emmy02 · 17/02/2013 16:37

My DS is exactly the same, has not been over the door for past week (did have a bad cold). I have to force him to organise going to his friends or going swimming. They seem to prefer chatting on xbox. Glad Im not alone.

Report
ThreeBeeOneGee · 17/02/2013 16:47

DS1 has a couple of friends from school who live locally, but most live too far to walk or cycle. They manage to arrange to meet up and do something about once or twice a year.

In the long school holidays, he usually helps at a local church holiday club for one week, and last summer he went on a sailing course for a week.

He often starts each holiday with great intentions of how he is going to use his time in constructive, self-improving ways, including making himself a very ambitious daily timetable of exercise, study, learning a new skill etc. He sticks to it for maybe half a day.

The rest of the time, he teaches the little ones card games and then beats them mercilessly, plays Minecraft, or if he has to, comes out on an excursion with me & the younger three.

Report
Sparklingbrook · 17/02/2013 16:50

We live in totally the wrong part of town Three. Didn't realise when we bought the house 4 years before we had DS1. Sad

Everything is over the other side of town. He goes to school 12 miles away so schoolfriends meeting up is difficult.

He and DS2 could have a great time together but he's at the stage where 11 year olds seem babyish.

Report
ThreeBeeOneGee · 17/02/2013 16:53

What I do find it hard to get used to is that he doesn't get dressed. In the school holidays he can easily spend 48 hours wearing pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt.

Report
Sparklingbrook · 17/02/2013 16:55

DS wears his onesie. Saves on the washing if he doesn't get dressed mind. Wink

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.