Where have all the teenagers gone?

[Aridane]

Since lockdown, I have been out daily for exercise (and food shopping), taking different routes for variety.

And during this time, I have not spotted a single teenager.

Where have they all gone?!? It’s like a plague has wiped them out.

Pre lockdown - even in school holidays - there were plenty of teenagers around (you couldn’t miss them).

Are they now indoors, online? (I know my nephew was).

Is this dearth of teenagers unique to my area (south east London)?

Other age groups are reasonably well represented

Mine have video lessons to attend from their school Monday - Friday but the rest of the time they mostly play Xbox and eat.

Mine is working in a supermarket from 6-12 five mornings a week, which is great apart from the fact he's earning enough money to make going back to college in September and finishing A levels seem pointless. Any motivation he might have had for studying has long gone and it's going to be really hard to crank him up again. He also works three evenings in our local shop so with nothing to spend any money on, he's raking it in! Other current activities include eating and gaming. He's really missing football though.

DD is fine, loving not being at school but is actually doing all the work being set. Twelve year old DS is happily gaming away and not remotely bothered about not going back to school until September.

It's a bit like having babies again, feed every four hours, and put back in their bedrooms.

Mine met a friend for a socially distant walk today. He came back exhausted from the excitement. He’s now back to shouting at other friends through the Xbox.
During the week he works from 9.30-5pm (yr10), then walks or uses a rowing machine or does an online training class. Eats lots and games until 10.30. Definitely suits his body clock.

Wow this thread has put my mind at rest mine have gone completely nocturnal and I was getting really stressed about it.

Doing school work.
Being dragged out on family walks and runs so they're allowed gaming time.
Playing computer games.

I'm relieved that this is normal too. Mine is nocturnal and fairly antisocial, refuses to go out for exercise and seems to be loving the isolation. She does have 3 hour FaceTime sessions with her BFF but otherwise reads, games, watches telly on her phone and we only see her at mealtimes or when she wants us to order something on Amazon for her. I think the shift back to normal life will be excruciating.

I might be naive in asking this, but is there anything you can do to get them to join the land of the living?

My two are still primary aged - I can't imagine allowing them to sleep in all day and then stay awake all night when they get older. A few one offs maybe but all the time? It can't be good.
Or will I not have any control over them by then?

Mine don't really want to go out much! One walk a week is the best I get. They aren't nocturnal and they go in the garden and do exercise at home so I'm not too worried. DD15 went for a walk with a friend today in the park (2m distance) and it has perked her up so I'm glad we are now allowed to meet one person outside.

It is reassuring to hear others' teens are living the same lifestyle!

Angel ordinarily I wouldn't allow it.

But these aren't ordinary times.

I'm letting it slide because the world has turned upside down, everything he knew in his few short years on the planet have changed.

We may have difficulties getting back to normal but I'll tackle that in time. He reads the news on his phone and occasionally asks me when lockdown will end.

I'm not going to make things harder for him, just because they're kids doesn't mean they can't worry too.

I've an 18yo ds and 16yo dd. They've both just left school as exams cancelled so no schoolwork any more.

Ds plays computer games from 6pm to 4 am, sleeps till about 1 and then spends the afternoon eating noodles and watching a film with his old mum, or takes me shopping a couple of times a week (I can't drive, he recently passed his test). Some days he walks the dog.

Dd2 gets up about 9 and spends hours at hair and makeup (she's about to start her HND in beauty therapies so is "practice" apparantly. She spends half the day on FaceTime with her boyfriend and the other half with her girlfriends. She walks the dog.

They're both in lots. It's actually good company. I'm disabled and home alone a lot of the time. Now there's usually someone to have a cuppa with.

Oh they all emerge as adults on the other side. And are fully capable of functioning at a human level in normal times (the 18yo 3pm riser is a head lifeguard on his gap year and starts work at 6.30am when the pool is, you know, open...) Why would you make life harder for yourself by setting pointless ‘rules’ about getting up times for a teenager when it doesn’t actually matter?
It’s quite nice for them to be able to settle into their own rhythms and not be governed by societal expectations that have no relevance right now, no?
Life will be back to normal and expectations will pop up soon enough.
I can’t imagine why I would want to get them out of bed earlier. To do what? Both dh and I are working from home. And they aren’t allowed out, soooooo....
They are essentially adults - they can spot bullshit. If I told them they needed to get up at 8am, they’d ask ‘why?’
As it is, we finish work about 6pm and can then encourage chat over dinner and catch up. It’s probably more sociable now than in regular times, as everyone would be out.

One of mine is now nocturnal. When school goes back she will have jetlag.

The other is practicing his sport by himself in the woods or possibly not by himself

I know DS will adjust back to normal schedule with no problems. During Xmas and Easter break he sleeps late and it’s never a problem when he goes back to school.

Having read this and previous threads on the same topic I’m beginning to wonder if we should just leave teens to their own devices between the ages of 13 and 18 and see what emerges at the end of it. they all seem very happy to be nocturnal fridge raiding gamers. Our house has never been as peaceful

When school did their "well fair" check I told them DD was living her best life I didn't mention this was taking place between 3pm and 3am

Can't see the point of leaving the house for the sake of a socially distanced walk.
So are getting up late and spending most time on various electronic devices.
I've started mine on Vit D supplements as worried about the lack of sun they are getting.

The school gave them last week off as a respite and catch up time for anyone struggling. He'll be back to more structure next week:

Schoolwork
School set programme to watch & report on
Exercise (weights, cardio, bike ride)
Reading
Teaching himself Japanese
Torture Play the keyboard

Free time in the evening, bed by 11pm latest.

JMAngel1

Parenting teens is very different to parenting younger children. There’s no point insisting they’re up at 7am with us when their friends are sleeping until the afternoon. It’s really important they still feel connected to their friends at the moment. My kids eat dinner with us, although it’s more like breakfast for them. 🙄 They spend some time with us in the evening and chat about how they’re feeling. It’s not about having control. Trying to control teens never ends up going well. Obviously, when they were at school they were in bed my 11pm ish, there just seems little point now when their body clock doesn’t seem to work that way and their friends are the same.

I would like 14yo dd not to be nocturnal. I've always said if they can hold a good debate and convince me of their opinion I will consider it. I told her she had to get up ion the day. Her argument to do what. No idea there is nothing to do, she is doing well at all her school work and is actually turning round a bit now. But where is the harm. School will be back and they will have to get up again. 16yo dd (asd) is thriving, she gets up works out does exercise and just loves no social expectations.

Fair point. I think half of me is horrified and the other is secretly jealous as my two are usually bouncing around like Tigger by 6.30am!

Mine went nocturnal. Didn’t want to go out on their own! Or with me obvs because how tragic To be seen with their mum . They’re now going out and meeting a friend at a time. Not rocket science is it

Half - yep, more long range air support than helicoptering parents for teens

Mine would love to go nocturnal but school makes them register - they have to log on by 9am or parents get an email asking what’s going on?

They're in lockdown like the rest of us. Your percentage chance of running into them has just decreased.

Glad to see others saying theirs are nocturnal. I despair for mine sometimes. Though only one is technically still a teen, they all behave like they all are. They get up between 12 and 2, go to sleep god knows when (3 or 4 am?) Apart from rare moments of enforced work from school or uni, they are ensconced in their rooms on laptops or phones. I make them eat a family meal once a day and they wash up. Other than that, I can go whole days without seeing them.