What will your 9-10 year old be doing this weekend?

[parrotonmyshoulder]

Mine is stuck in a bit of a rut really. Older sister sleeps in later now, has homework, will do some baking, reading and writing.
DH is working. I need to do weekend chores (both work full time - 50 hours+).
We’ll probably go out altogether tomorrow - beach or picnic.

I find DS really tricky at the weekends as he struggles to know what to ‘do’ unless we’re going out. So there is a lot of ‘what are we going to do?’,’When are we…?’. I know the common response is ‘children need to be bored’ but what if they always are? It’s not like I’ve spent the last 10 years entertaining him.

I think he needs a lot more adult time than he gets. We play games together most evenings and at least once at the weekend. Or we’ll watch something together.

We can’t do weekend clubs or activities as doing that previously nearly destroyed us all. There needs to be down time and fewer plans at the weekends.

Anyway, back to the point. What are other 9-10 year olds getting up to today?

My ds is almost 10. He had a sleepover at a friends last night. He’s at swimming lessons this morning then has a bday party this afternoon. Then we’ll go and see in laws. Tomorrow he will be at his football tournament. Any free time after that he’ll probably choose to play on his switch or watch you tube on his iPad

Not too much today. Just Xbox and down park
Off to the local comic con tomorrow.

Mine is 8 .5 y old. He can engage himself. He enjoy going anywhere if we could take him, other wise his time goes very fast. If your child haven't have a hobby, it's time leave him on his own with idle time.eventually he discover on his own as long as no distractions like electronic media.

Playing Roblox, watching YouTube, doing homework, having a stroll if its nice and that's about it.

Swimming lesson, watching tv, playing a game and FaceTimeing her friend. Has been invited round to friend's house this afternoon. Piano lesson. Tomorrow, Father's Day lunch and tidying room, changing bedsheets then whatever else. We probably let her watch too much tv really.

9YO and I went out for breakfast this morning. She then played out for a bit and she has dance 12.30-4. Tonight we have friends coming over. She will probably Lego / play out / do some sewing before we eat with friends similar aged DD.
We’re going for a day city break tomorrow for Father’s Day.

Visited cousins then played a soccer match last night.
Football training this morning. Now reading before he goes to a friends party this afternoon.
We're going to the beach tomorrow so he'll get to play with cousins and see grandparents and aunties and uncles there.
As with PP, he loves f1 and will stay up to watch the qualifying (its on at 9pm this week!) And he tries to catch some of the practice sessions too the weekends when its on.

My almost 9 year old is at soft play with young sibling this week. But I feel your pain. We both work ft and I changed swimming etc to not be during weekend as like tou ut nearly killed us! No planned activities at weekends for us. So we often do park, playground etc but sometine stuck in rut too. Pouring here and dh out all day so I booked softplay. But I feel you- I should be at home doing all the stuff in the house......

Mine is 10. He just been to the park with a friend, and this afternoon has Stagecoach which he loves. In the middle it's a bit of homework and 11+ prep, chats about stuff and pursuing his interests (designing things, Lego, reading, listening to an audiobook, whatever). We often walk down to a cafe for lunch and chat on the way.

Tomorrow he will probably bake something (baking was his lockdown thing), potter about a bit and we'll go for a walk in the countryside somewhere in the afternoon. At this age I think they're much more self-sustaining but might need some guidance and some structured 'hanging out' time with parents.

(We used to avoid weekend activities like the plague but as they get older it gets tougher. J make sure that when they're at activities, that's when I'm doing my chores/admin/whatever so it's not dead time. In the season he has football matches on a Saturday, so they have become busy - he gets a lot out of it and I make sure I use that time to hang out with other chores, etc.)

Got dragged along to her brother’s sailing competition. Then long train journey to family birthday party. Tomorrow maybe round to a friend’s house. Usually a couple of swims. Nothing very exciting!

Ds 11 and dd 9 have been to their swimming lesson this morning, then dh took them out for lunch after. They will now moan and play up until they are allowed their computers, which is all they are bothered about! They will do homework, then Saturday night is always pizza and film night. Eldest also wants to squeeze in a board game. Sundays have been a bit rubbish lately as we have a dog training class right in the middle of the day so we can't fit a lot round it at the moment, so kids just play on computers mainly! We also have a 6 year old so it's hard to do something without at least one of them moaning!

Mines is playing a football match till 2, bit if lunch then he likes to play on his switch and chill watching you tube gamers, might walk the dog

Sunday he usually has a friend over or go to their house. And just a nice chill day

Or I have friends over bbq, dinner or whatever

Homework and swimming lessons on Saturday morning. Messing around in the garden this afternoon, drawing and a bit of PlayStation later. Helping sort out her room. Tomorrow we're having Fathers' Day brunch in town together. Then a bike ride and watching a film with her sisters.

My 9.5 year old has a quiet weekend, today it's homework, screen time, help cook dinner, cycle ride with dad, general playing. Tomorrow he has a couple of hours volunteering with cubs - cubs is a good one for having optional weekend activities at least 1 weekend in 4. Then some family time (maybe a movie?) before a meal out with extended family.

That's a quiet weekend for us because we are often busy but we don't have any regular weekend commitments.

Friday night swimming lesson. Saturday morning football. Today we went shopping for Father’s Day tomorrow. Sunday is a free day / visiting family, day trip or chill at home.

Have you got a junior parkrun nearby? That’s Sunday mornings 9am if you’re in England and Wales or 9:30 Scotland and Northern Ireland. You must register and turn up and it’s free so you don’t have to commit to going like most organised activities.

Or at 9 he could probably manage 5k parkrun with you on Saturdays www.parkrun.org.uk/events/events/#geo=5.01/55.05/-2.95

My 10 year old will play sports, sports & more sports. As will his 2 siblings!

I love that they are so active & sporty but it's at a quite serious level & takes up all my time. I am reading enviously the posts about cinema, reading & relaxing.

In truth I'm not great at these myself. Any occasional down time we have, we all tend to waste it being grumpy. Activity seems to suit us!

It's probably not helpful to you OP - as these are just what my DC are interested in & therefore that's what we spend our time doing.

9yo DS here. For context does football and cricket practice during the week.

Today - drama lesson (am)
Popped to supermarket on our way home.
Currently reading a football magazine and doing the activities in it. (Solo activity)
Will do a bit of homework ((semi supervised)
Will probably call for a friend and they will play football in the field behind our house.
Saturday night- he gets to stay up late (5 yo sister goes to bed) and we watch something like Masked Singer/Michael Macintyre

Maybe the key is encouraging him to do something he's interested in? Ie if it's football, does be have a football activity book or something?

Also... DS learnt very early that if he ever uttere the words "I'm bored" there will immediately be some washing up that needs doing, potatoes that need peeling, floors that need sweeping etc!

DS learnt very early that if he ever uttere the words "I'm bored" there will immediately be some washing up that needs doing, potatoes that need peeling, floors that need sweeping etc!

Love this 😂

Library and coding club then swimming.
Now playing in the garden. 'Meeting' a friend online for minecraft in a bit. Then a film with the rest of the family later.

I have 9 & 10 year old boys (and two younger ones).

We got up, went into town for haircuts, went and got an ice cream, they had a ten min run on beach but it was a bit too windy, came home and they've played on computers and chilled since. This evening we are going to out to a bar for a drink and there's like a kids disco/entertainment.

Tomorrow will be a bit of homework, probably a drive out to go for a walk and some chill time.

Turns out he’s been poorly all day so he’s been in bed!

Thanks for all your ideas on this thread. Sounds like our 9-10 year olds all have a lot in common, while also all being so different.

My 9yr old has helped me with a few chores this morning - he has a Go Henry account and I’ve set him a task list so he gets pocket money for each job he does, which motivates him.

He’s also played with Lego (all the time!), watched his iPad in his room (we have a full on routine in the week so don’t mind him freedom at weekends), he’s been scribbling in a notebook on and off all day - Harry Potter potion spells.

Theres a great app called Stopmotion where you can make animation really easily - my DS will have a little go then lose interest, but maybe something like that would capture your DS’s imagination?