12 year old boys

[hopeishere]

What does your 12 year old boy do at the weekend?

Generally DS does school sports on Saturday morning and sometimes sees friends in the afternoon. But there is an awful lot of Xbox

He doesn't want to;
Read
Play games
Bake / cook
Make anything - lego or mecanno

He can't seem to amuse himself. He needs my help to entertain him.

@lljkk oh yes, Mr Beast is a regular sound in this house. Along with pewdiepie, flamingo and lazer. They all have annoying voices and scream alot.

I dont fight this screen obsession. I have a 15 year old and know it's a losing battle. As long as he goes out once a day at least, eats his veg, does his homework then I am fine. He turned 12 in April,and this only started after that whicbalso coincides with the pandemic.

Pre Covid he'd be out with friends all day but that can't happen now

But that is the appropriate activity for a 12 year old.

He can still meet one other friend, and that's the realistic option here, it's what is appropriate and healthy for a child.

I have a nearly 12 year old DS. I used to be really strict about screen time but now I don't bother. He's actually very good about limiting Xbox time (he gets stressed easily) but would watch tv for hours.

We're living through a global pandemic, so I think we need to go easy on ourselves and on our tweens. My rule at the moment is that he must participate willingly in family activities (walking / baking / board games etc) but the rest of time he can amuse himself how he sees fit. (Before lockdown I was very strict but quickly realised I was fighting a losing battle!)

Football on a Saturday morning, out for a hot chocolate / lunch afterwards then home to the Playstation. Usually do family film night on a Sat with popcorn etc.

Rugby on a Sunday morning, maybe the club afterwards in normal times, home to change them out for a long dog walk / pub lunch. Then home to the Playstation.

He does read before bed and will play a family board game if we’re all taking part but I think this is pretty standard 12yo boy behaviour. We get him involved in as much organised sports stuff as possible to get him out and about being productive but his down time is his own, it’s what he enjoys at the end of the day. I love an antisocial scroll through my phone too so that’s probably just as bad.

And a million times yes to Flamingo’s incessant screaming. Why the need?!

Hes awful isn't he?!? It's an improvement on the English one with the dark curly hair that DS used to watch doing videos on minecraft. His laugh used to make my ears bleed.

As long as he goes out once a day at least, eats his veg, does his homework then I am fine.

Yep, that's the approach that I am taking. As long as he ticks those boxes, he can sort his own entertainment out. He's extremely sociable, and spends a lot of time out with friends / having friends over. We keep an eye on what he's watching / doing online, and a lot of it makes my brain hurt as it looks so mindless but that's what he likes.

@Sara2000 I think you might mean StampyCat? I was when they moved on from him - but he was very child friendly at least.

That's the one, Stampycat. The most God awful laugh ever.

Homework, watches tv or YouTube, plays on his Switch or Xbox, reads, will come to the shops with us or come out with us if we're having a day out. Now and again he'll go to the park with friends.