Mum's of teens... Have yours not wanted to anything this holidays?!

[IslandGals]

I've 3 teens and a 12yr year old.

I managed to get them to the zoo, the cinema twice, bowling, pizza hut.

That's all we've done all holidays.

They just refuse to do anything.

Swimming, museums, visits to free events like Pet shop animal handling, Parks, walks, (basically anything cheap or free 😂)

I just feel like they've sat about all holidays (but they're happy with it) 🙄

2 of them have had friends out and gone out with friends on bikes and stuff but 2 refused.

How old are they?

Mine has been really busy all summer - with her PT job, meeting friends, parties etc. She has been away on a couple of mini trips with friends. Went to a gig. Various activities with friends such as bowling, laserquest, boating, cinema, fruit picking etc. Just hanging out with her boyfriend. However, she is 17 so perhaps a bit older than yours?

12, 13, 16, 17

All boys and totally unsociable.

I guess it isn't really an issue if they're happy with what they've done and don't feel that they're missing out in any way. Everyone relaxes and recharges in different ways. What do they do when they're at home?

Are they happy? It sounds like you have got them out a bit. I have similar aged DC and they are quite happy at home. It is their downtime.

Isn't that what teens do?

It's been really hard here, 15 & 13.

To be fair, my 13yr old has MH issues which makes it tricky. My 15yr old has done some parkrun and we did Go Ape. He's met friends a few times too. We had one day in london.

Quite a rubbish summer tbh.

17, 15 and 14.

17year old is organising her own very busy social life for the first time - pandemic took its toll but she has got it together finally now.

15 and 14 year old complain and whinge non stop about going out, they resist it until we get there but they usually enjoy it once we are there. Although not always, and when they don't it is quite insufferable.

We have done paddle boarding, tennis, festivals, cinema and sleepovers/get togethers and baking/cooking. They go shopping, to wagas and to London with friends more willingly.

I have admittedly put my foot down. Everyone is dressed, beds made and doing stuff by 09.30am and they are expected to do some chores, exercise and cook their own breakfasts/lunches every day. I have made it clear that unless they organise things for themselves, then I will do it for them.

Yes we have had days of lazing around and netflix and screen time. I am not a one woman Butlins team, but they are expected to have more to life than dark rooms and gaming which would be their first choice most of the time. The easiest thing in the world is to give up and give in, and at this point in the holidays I am really knackered driving them around and the volume of laundry/cooking and tidying is really getting to me even with their input. But we are nearly there and the summer is almost over. It is not too late to book a theme park (always a hit) or drop into a festival late summer op

My DS has been busy playing online with friends... isn't that what teenagers do?
We did manage to squeeze in a weeks holiday where he discovered open water swimming. Was great while it lasted, now back to basics of gaming!

My 13 year old has done nothing all holiday. I think he's managed about 10-12 hours of xbox each day. He won't come out with us. I asked him to arrange something face to face and preferably outside with a friend but he's refused.
He's happy as a pig in muck and did really well in school last year so I'm choosing not to fight this battle.

Totally normals for teens, days of family days out ended when mine to left primary, they just weren’t interested anymore. Happy to be at home on their computers etc.

DD17 was taken hostage for 2 weeks holiday and like pp got into some outdoor swimming. But since then - late mornings and PC all the way with occasional food breaks. I've started thinking about next summer's holiday but dd would be happier just left on her PC indefinitely. I so miss the younger years when just about anything you took them out to do was greeted with enthusiasm instead of the look that says 'do I really have to...?'.

Mine works. 17 yo DS. He came away with us for a week's holiday to in-laws. Has worked roughly 5 days a week the rest of the time. Meets up with mates/plays on Xbox if free. He was sociable and polite whilst at Granny's. Has not wanted to go out with us for the day the rest of the time. Perfectly normal.

My 13 year old loves cricket and has spent all summer doing that...three matches a week, training, additional days of cricket camp. He had football camp some days, had friends over, visited friends, sleepover at his cousins, he has a pass for a local theme park so he's been there a lot. So he's been very busy, just not doing stuff with me..I have just been a chauffeur! My other two sons are younger so have been out with me more. We're all on holiday at a European campsite now and they're all enjoying the sports on offer. I find with boys that hobbies are all...football and cricket give them structure as well as large friendship groups. They do game a lot too!

My 16 year old came for a long weekend away with me and my friends and their younger children which she loved, we went to a local music festival together with friends, and spent a day shopping together and had a nice lunch out (probably her favourite day as I spent a fortune on her! She needed clothes for college). Aside from that she has done her own thing, a good mix of lazy Netflix days and days out with her friends going to the funfair, the beach, the park and friends’ houses. She did try to get a job and had a few interviews but unfortunately wasn’t successful.

This is a major improvement for her as she has mental health difficulties and has struggled with friendships in the past and has often gone weeks without leaving the house, so I am delighted that she has been out and about so much.

I’m so glad I’m not the only one ! I feel guilty my kids haven’t done anything but if I take them out they moan and whinge the whole time ! Neither wants to do anything. Well the older one will go swimming with his mates but me and his sister aren’t aloud to come ( to embarrassing lol ).
I gave up with activities and days out in this country and just save up and have two holidays abroad each year. No screens aloud !

16 here.
She met 2 friends once in town, and 2 other friends one other time. Each for about 1-2 hours.

She has spent the summer either doing hockey training (with the province all summer, and also back to school and club training for the past 3 weeks, as well as a 1 week intensive camp overseas), doing her own S&C programme in the garden/house, going to the gym now she's realised she can go (over 16s), and throwing balls at a net in the garden for at least 30 minutes every sodding night.

And when she hasn't been doing something physical like that, she has been sitting in the sitting room watching any and all sports (especially US College sports, athletics, and team sports), and bingeing on "Below Decks" (to have something to talk to the girls at school about). While the phone never leaves her hand.

That was meant to be 16 here.

13 year old DS has been to beach with friends, spent hours playing football on playing fields and local sports village, trampoline park, football training, cinema visit. All things that cost little and he has enjoyed. Other then that he's played Fifa online with friends and had a few friends sleep over.

To be honest I've let him get on with it. He's happy and I wanted to spend as little as possible. Youngest DS is still an age where parks and beaches make him happiest.

Almost 17 here and like a previous poster she's been making the very most of being able to organise her own social life and she's been BUSY!
She's met her boyfriend and friends, had sleepovers, stayed in a caravan with a bunch of pals on the beach, travelled, picnics in the park, come away with us and a pal for a few nights. She literally has not stopped and we've barely seen her apart from refueling / laundry / catching up on sleep!

My 15 year old DS has been hanging out with friends at the park to play football, swimming in the sea, many 'meal deals' and macdonalds! They have been to Central London shopping and the British museum, taking ironic photos or ones that are arty. They have been to a couple of house parties. Sometimes Fifa in the evening. On a whole nothing with me and his younger sister unless it involved food. We have just come back froom Amsterdam and so he had no choice but to hang out with us, he enjoyed taking photos with his camera and the food but I think the lack of private time as sharing hotel rooms with his Dad and me with his sister was a bit claustrophobic, that said, he is good company and we had some interesting conversations in the places we visited and about his friends, school etc. He is very funny, a natural comedian with dry wit so we get on well.

Of course teenagers don't want to go to the zoo etc 😂 They're not 8

DD has been out and about non stop.

DS has been content to mooch about at home most of the time unless seeing cousins and various family members

I wouldn't expect a 16 and 17 year old to want to do much with a parent. I certainly only did stuff with my son at that age if it involved me driving him somewhere! Maybe out to dinner on occasion, but mostly he spent summer with his girlfriend or working (got a job as soon as he turned 16).
My daughter (17) is not social at all snd has quite a lot of A level and epq work this summer, plus took a week long course to do with her degree interest. We did a two night trip and have just come back from four days away with my son. I occasionally drag her out for a dog walk but that's about it.