Do your teenagers do many things after school and at weekends - or are they not that kind of person?

[chomalungma]

So having a little debate with teenage son about hobbies etc - and thinking about how he'll be able to enhance his personal statement for Uni in a few years time - as really the only thing he does in the evening is play on his computer (apart from doing his school work which he is good at doing.).

He is not convinced that other people his age do much in the evening such as hobbies - but I am.

I suggested that there are many teenagers who do out of school activities - so the suggestion was to ask MN. Although apparently that's going to be biased and not representative of parents in general. Which is probably true

So is your teenager someone who usually does some out of school activities or are they someone who doesn't do much in the way of such things?

Nothing at the moment, obviously, but usually my 14yo would play rugby twice a week and has started bronze D of E which involved volunteering at Cubs once a week.
Other than that, PlayStation, TV, working out at home with weights, music, mates.

My lot play football for teams. Older 2 havent been ones to go out and being rural they always need lifts. Younger one will play in the village 3 mikes away on a Saturday but again, its always a lift so they spend a lot of time at home with the PS.

My 15yo DS plays in a music group once a week and practices sporadically at home. Normally meets his friend on a Saturday or Sunday but that’s about it.

14 yo is in a swimming club and trains 5x a week, also in an archery club.

16yo has done bronze DofE, plays hockey twice a week, football twice a week and is an Explorer Scout.

Pre Covid obvs but my 14 year old went to Scouts plus played fairly high level football 3 - 4 times a week. He has got a nice group of friends that he sees when possible but they’re all at separate schools.

He also spends a lot of time preening and fiddling with his hair.

Mine don’t do anything. Hang out with friends yes, but no hobbies except for sleeping if you can call that a hobby.

Dd1 used to do a lot of music (3 orchestras a week at one point), guides, and was in every school play (never a main part, just in the background). She's not a teenager any more.

Dd2 is not a teenager yet, as she's only 10, but I really think she'll be a very different type. The only extra curricular she does at the minute is guides, and even then she doesn't actually show her face or speak on the zoom calls. She's not interested in music, would HATE to be involved in any sort of performance, doesn't want to join any teams, etc. I think she'll be a home bird as a teenager, and that's ok.

When applying for Uni, DD1 was told it wasn't extra-curricular stuff they would be interested as much as supra-curricular. So grade 5 clarinet and hockey or rugby wouldn't really be as good on their personal statement compared to something actually related to their field of interest. DD didn't like clubs, but wants to work in a history based field, so volunteered at the local museum in holidays and the library at weekends. She also did work experience at the local historical library (St Deiniol's).

DD2 isn't interested in any clubs either. She sees her friends now and again but otherwise talks to them online at home instead.

DS14 plays guitar. But other than that, no. No interest in sports or extracurricular activities.
DS13 does a weightlifting club twice a week.
Many of their friends don't do anything. To be fair we live rurally and there isn't a lot to do. When I was a teen it was the same, we lived in the middle of nowhere but I'm not sure clubs were such a thing then either.

Mine do nothing at the moment except homework but just before lockdown, they were at scouts and explorer scouts, played football, bike rides and volunteered.

Other than sports mine are definitely home birds.

That's interesting about what they are looking for in a personal statement.

I hope he finds something that he can volunteer into.

DD1 volunteers once a week at a kids charity - thank god she does as it's all she has for her personal statement, she does feck all else, no sports, no music, no hobbies except snapchat and netflix

My eldest did loads - helped out at Rainbows, did Army Cadets, volunteered for a mental health charity. My youngest does football. Outside of that she doesn't socialise at all or do any hobbies. We've got a few years yet but I think she'll need a nudge shortly!

DS1 is nearly 15 and plays football for the school and badminton, he will also meet his mates once a week in town.

Other than that, not much. We live very rurally so too far away to do anything much really

He spends lots of time chatting to mates online as does DS2 who is 10

DD1 is 16 and plays two intruments, one is classical and one is trad and she does dancing also. Classical instrument involves 1:1 lesson, Symphonic Wind Band and a musicianship class. Trad instrument involves group lesson, group ensemble and group orchestra. Dance training is twice weekly and multiple rehearsals around show time. She enjoys these activities very much but she does not excel at them. Her social life revolves around her after school activities. At school she volunteers with a charity for older people (visitation and fund-raising). She puts her hand up for opportunities that arise at school and is aware that these might look good on a CV in the future, perhaps sparking a conversation topic in an interview situation. During these Covid times many of these activities are curtailed or take place over Zoom or similar platforms. I am in awe of her energy. I "overheard" part of an interview she did for a student leader position in her school and I was so impressed. We are in Ireland so university offers are more about academic results than interview, she seems to be ready for post university job interviews!

Football and he's missing it a lot. It's his only real interest apart from the Xbox..

Before COVID Dd1 was doing gymnastics twice a week and plays piano twice a week too.
Dd2 swimming once a week
Dd3 gymnastics twice a week

Not masses - but school is quite heavy (5.5 days a week, long days and lots of homework.) pre Covid he did sports 2-4 sessions a week outside school.

In normal times, DD15 plays in an orchestra and goes to a youth group once a week. She did bronze D of E so for that volunteered in a library for six months and did a cookery course.

DS13 played in a football team from late primary to early secondary but gave up. We told him he needed to take up something else but he won't (and due to anxiety problems there's only so far we can push him). So he plays games online, reads and goes on walks or bike-rides with us. Like you, I worry that there's nothing for a personal statement.

But agree with a PP that supracurricular is even better - but I do think that most teenagers don't feel passionate about any academic subject so hard to get them to do something related to it, though maybe as they mature it might happen.

I'm not sure why things are so different to in my day though when you just had to fill in a box talking a bit about your hobbies or any jobs you'd had, rather than this full-blown personal statement?

DD does gymnastics, taekwondo, Air Cadets and Astronomy. DS did Air Cadets and was in the Cadet Band, he also did a lot of online gaming 😁.

We live rurally so there is literally nowhere from teens to hang out (no buses), 😆, Almost all of DDs friends do something, in our area they do scouts, Cadets and sports probably for a lot longer than in some areas because there is not much to do else.

We live

Ds17 rugby ( used to do football too) ds 15 rugby , football and goes to gym with friends , obvioulsly all prior to lockdown
But all kids are different mine did e every after school sports club going but wouldn't entertain scouts or music lessons

I feel we have let down DD a bit by not pushing her more into extracurricular stuff when she was young. (v laidback parents) she still does guitar lessons but that is pushed by us, she’s really good but def not into joining a band etc. She is 12, so not quite teen but some of her peers are 13 already, most seem either to do nothing or have several activities on the go and it does seem a little, although not entirely, class-based, middle-class kids more likely to have more activities. It makes me sad that a lot of clubs at this age seem to expect you to excel, swimming, tennis etc, rather than just do the activity for the love of it as you can more as an adult, maybe that’s just my view looking at it as an adult with a kid who won’t be an Olympian and had slightly missed out on an early start on some activities due to our relaxed attitude!

Just anecdotal but I think your lad might be right that even keen extracurricular students might have given up many activities by 15/16 due to the focus on excellence rather than enjoyment and a heavy workload from school!!

Dd16 does an art class, volunteers at a rainbows group and goes to maths and science tutors. So not really hobbies except the art.

Ds13 just has drum lessons.

Neither are sporty and I think most hobbies tend to be sports based.

DD - out of lockdown singing lessons, air cadets, Duke of Edinburgh, running every day, youth club, maths challenges.

DS - Nothing apart from looking after 3 silkie chickens and indoor rabbit, ipad and TV, maths challenges. Will do things in summer holidays but otherwise not much.