Teenagers by the sea. what do they like doing?

[Dangit]

We are considering a move to the coast, and while i don't really want to live in a town I can see that for teenagers the ability to get to one easily would be great for their independence. Or are they all off having swallows and amazons adventures?
My kids are still young and outdoorsy but I fear once they are older all this won't appeal to them.

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

It depends largely on the type of coastal town. Some are unfortunately a mecca for drug and alcohol abuse OP...many coastal towns in the UK struggle economically which has a knock-on effect on the teens as there aren't many jobs for them....seasonal work is always possible in tourist areas though.

My experience is my SIL lives in one of the nicer Cornish villages. Her DD is 14 and does a lot of drama and dance.

She walks and surfs too.

[Dangit]

we are thinking a surfy place indeed. I am imagining that once they are older career wise they will fly off and do whatever they are into, just like i did being in the middle of the country. Seems to me that hospitality/tourism jobs would be ideal for teenagers to earn some decent pocket money. Is that naive?

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

Not naive...if the place you're thinking of is thriving, there are jobs for teens in hotels and pubs as well as shops.

As you say, most do bugger off to London but that's all good isn't it!

I hope you find somewhere you love.

[Teaonthelawn]

We live in a Cornish coastal town. My teenagers play rugby, surf, swim and ride horses. So for us the move (which we made 12 years ago) has been great. Part time jobs tend to be seasonal - cafe's, campsites etc. The town (like many coastal towns) has some problems with drugs, alcohol, unemployment. However we are glad we made the move.

[Dangit]

Thanks for your replies.
tea Do your kids find it easy to socialise with other kids in the evenings etc? Do teenagers even do this? It is all foreign ground to me. I remember pulling my hair out with bored fustration watching generation game with my parents at the weekend. Is there much for them to do in the town?

[Figrollsnotfatrolls]

We have a boxing club for teens!! Lots of football clubs, youth club , amusements, lots of water sport clubs, golf course, bowling, cinema, lots of eating places! Horse riding!

[MycatsaPirate]

We moved from a city in Scotland to a small village in Dorset 5 years ago and it was the best move I could have made in terms of opportunities for my dc.

DD1 was 13 and she started volunteering at the local youth club (for year 5's) and although her high school was miles away and all her friends widespread, she still managed to maintain those friendships through parent lifts or buses. She also joined sea rangers (for girls only, but there are also sea scouts here which is for boys and girls). She learned to kayak and sail. She also learned first aid and loved it so much is now at uni studying to be a paramedic.

DD2 was six and so scared of water when we moved I could barely get her in the shower! She is now a very active rookie lifeguard, loves being in the water, loves the sea and swims like a fish. She also body boards and I hope to get her surfing soon. She also does first aid through lifeguards and was at sea rangers too. She kayaks, sails and does stand up paddleboarding.

Where we live is brilliant for the kids, they are free to walk to each others houses and it's very safe. The town is a few miles away but mostly the activities the kids here seem to do are based at school or at the local sports centre or at the beach.

We, as a family, spend an awful lot of time at the beach in the spring and summer.

[Dangit]

Wow mycat that all sounds fab. I’d love my kids to do those things. Are there surfable beaches in Dorset? What gave you the final push to make the move?

[BinkyandBunty]

We live by the water and my teen has disappointingly decided he hates swimming and the beach. This seems to be tied to some (unjustified) embarrassment about puberty and his body so I'm hoping it will pass. He does sailing though.

But as you say there are plenty of opportunities for seasonal and hospitality work and generally I have find life on the coast more active and outdoorsy than other places I've lived. There's something about the air, it smells so good and invites you out into it.

[PinkBuffalo]

Agree with PP, depends on where you're looking. I'm still where I grew up, deprived coastal community, and drugs galore for teens and upwards. Not much to do round here and job prospects slim to none.

[PinkBuffalo]

Although everyone else's communities sound very nice!

[Dangit]

thanks for being honest pink buffalo I hope there are some nice times too.
I’m hoping with some effort put in by us, there will be enough for them to do

[longtallwalker]

We moved to near the sea when the kids were late primary. Back to an area I grew up. I wouldn't say they are partic outdoorsy but it was a good move. Our London friend wailed 'what will the children do?!'
Well, they were fine. Now at uni and enjoy bringing friends back.
We always planned to retire here and it's brilliant that we have e a head start and have good friends we've made through the children,
Yes they surfed a bit. Yes we got a dog. But teens are the same everywhere.
Do it!

[MycatsaPirate]

dangit I'm from this area and it was time to 'come home' so to speak. I wanted a better place for my dc to grow up. I doubt DD1 would have taken driving lessons when we lived in the city but she's been driving for a year now and so confident.

Not really great surf places here but some days are perfect for it. Depends on the weather but mostly in the winter. Cornwall is a 4-5 hour drive from here and we do head down there sometimes.

We really have embraced the whole beach life thing. We have a camper van (which is always full of sand) and regularly go to the beach after school in the summer months.

I do think it's really essential to push the dc into doing things though, not overly pushy but encouragement to try things out and not just leave them to their own devices. All teens can get up to mischief wherever they live if they are bored.