What are your teens doing to stay sane?

[Notcontent]

My teen dd appears to be coping ok but I do worry a bit about the long term impact of this, particularly as it’s just the two of us at home.

During the week she has a full day of online lessons and quite a bit of homework. She does occasionally chat to friends between lessons and I try to get her out for some exercise daily. On the weekend she chats to grandparents online and sometimes goes for a walk with a friend. That’s pretty much it really. I think she does feel a bit isolated but there is not much we can do about it.

Has she said she's unhappy? She could add in a socially distanced walk with a friend maybe?

My dd facetimes her friends a lot and they have a WhatsApp group that is very active. We go out roughly every other day for a walk to the shop mainly. We've started watching Modern Family together so a couple of episodes a night takes up an hour. She rearranged room a lot! She does some baking and likes to watch YouTube videos for ideas for baking and ways to make lunches more interesting. So not a lot really but enough to keep the days from getting too boring.

*rearranges her room

Ah just seen that she does walk with a friend! It sounds fine to me. I have friends who have teens who literally never go out.

Thanks @LagneyandCasey - sounds like your dd is similar to mine. Yes, I think getting out of the house is really important! I have made this a non-negotiable part of the day so it’s now part of our routine - it’s for me, as much as for her.

She hasn’t said she is unhappy but I just worry about the isolation. But I guess most people are in the same boat, although it might be easier for larger families (as long as the siblings get on!).

Dd is 14. She rides her horse 3X a week. Meets a friend on t he other day

We are similar (only child DD13) and she is doing similar things, WhatsApp with friends and sometimes a walk or bike ride with one friend at a time, plus walks with us. It's rubbish for them and she's definitely more bored and fed up than last time but, as you say, not much more anyone can do. She bakes sometimes and we have watched tons of films and series on Netflix etc. I'm trying to tell her to take things a week at a time and be proud of herself for getting through each week. I'm hopeful that things will get back to normal soon and this will be a blip in their lives rather than causing any long term harm.

@babyyodaxmas - having a horse must be really amazing for your dd.

I am sure they will spring back but it is quite a long period. I think that realistically things will not be “normal” until closer towards the end of this year, which will mean nearly two years of no school trips, no holidays, no sport competitions, no parties, etc.

Lots of WhatsApping here, reading if a book really catches her eyes.

Luckily her drama/musical production school is working on zoom so she has three session a week and needs to prepare for this inbetween.

DS(16) fills his days with schoolwork, chatting and gaming online with friends, and interminable hours of guitar and drum practice (when you nag your young children to do their music practice, be careful what you wish for )

I insist on a walk at least a couple of times a week (I would prefer more but know I need to quit while I'm ahead) He bakes and occasionally cooks too.

Tomorrow I am taking him to the music shop to get his bass guitar fixed (the only reason we don't currently have bass practice as well) We are going to have a McDonald's while we are out, the sense of anticipation is tangible in the air

This sounds ok tbh, in the circs. Mine hasn't seen anyone since before xmas and last summer didn't see any friends for the whole period march to July. Grim.

14 year old plays his guitar/piano, plays roblox, watches tv, builds Lego

My dd is 17 and gets up about 11 and does a day of college work on and off (a levels). She never leaves the house though. I take ds aged 9 for a long walk everyday and I can’t get Dd to join us. She doesn’t seem at all depressed and I hear her chatting to friends a lot and laughing. She just hates any exercise at all.

Schoolwork (lots!)
Sport, alone and online with friends
Swimming (Friends have a pool and she's permitted to use it twice a week to train.)
Cooking
Piano practice
French with Duolingo
Bullet journalling
Sketching and drawing
Rearranging her room
The Walking Dead (some or other TV series that she's watching with DH)
'Phoning with friends
Mindless surfing the web ...

She's also an only and sometimes it's a struggle to keep her spirits up.

She's 15.

Dd: schoolwork, Netflix, reading, walks, messing around with make up and hairdye and buying vintage clothes online.

Ds is not sane. He goes for days at a time without moving or speaking.

It would be amazing to have access to a pool!

I guess as long as they are doing something other than hiding in their room with their phone or smoking weed in the park, then it’s ok...

Apart from schoolwork (year 11) my dd does online dance classes twice a week
Meets a friend usually on a Sunday and goes for a walk
Meets her boyfriend once a week for a walk
Takes the dog out
Cleans every Friday whilst I’m at work
Chats to friends/boyfriend
Reads
Listens to music or watches tv/videos etc
Bakes (made brownies today)
Endless baths/showers
Make up and hair
Online clothes browsing