Family doing nothing.

[BlastedPimples]

All of them just lying around in bed. Refusing to get up. Do anything. It's like this every single holiday from school. Aged 17, 15, 13 and 10.

I hate it. It brings me down so much when they just do nothing and refuse to do anything.

I try to get them up and out. Nothing. Like millstones.

I can't see any positive future for them. Zero movement. Zero energy. And I get sucked into the vortex of inertia and doing nothing.

Does that apply to the school refusing too?

I think balance is key.
We have done loads of activities and been out lots last week and all over Christmas. However, since Tuesday we haven't left the house other than to walk the dog. Kids have been in their pjs (fresh ones each day) and have been playing with their new games and consoles whilst I have not really had to do much (other than cooking all the Christmas party food).

I'm usually like you and love to be doing stuff. However, it's been lovely getting up, mooching about in peace, having an afternoon nap etc.

Meant to add, don't ask them what they want to do. Just make plans and then pop it into the family calendar. Everyone puts their plans in (incase they want to go out with friends etc or DH wants to do something).

Why would you do that ? And why do they need to be outside?

It's their holiday and downtime ffs. Leave them be.

Yup why the torture of hunting them out of the house? Why can’t they relax in their own home? It’s busy enough in term time!

go out yourself if you re restless!

"Yup why the torture of hunting them out of the house? Why can’t they relax in their own home? It’s busy enough in term time!
go out yourself if you re restless!"

Completely agree!

Because as goofnuh says below, you want a balance.

I don't want my teens growing up thinking holidays automatically means "lounge in bed". It may do for part of it but not for all of it. And there is the health aspect of it. Personally, I don't think holidays are refreshing if they are spent lying about indoors, you get more benefit from them if you do a few other interesting things in between. I am not talking about army boot camp here fhs! Just a reasonable balance of activities.

I don't want my teens growing up thinking holidays automatically means "lounge in bed".

Why not?

Personally, I don't think holidays are refreshing if they are spent lying about indoors, you get more benefit from them if you do a few other interesting things in between.

And you are perfectly entitled to think that, but you should be aware that other people think differently. How do you know the teens aren't doing anything interesting anyway? There is a myriad of things they might be doing on their phones.

I would make a statement, lecture if you like, that time in life is short wasting much of it being sucked in online is a waste but they are young adults or growing into and you can't force them to do anything but you will not be blamed if in later life their friends and peers get qualifications, travel, earn whilst they remain addicted to circling the drain.

Their lives are more online so if that is what they want to do then at least look at making it worthwhile. Meaning learn games design, coding, they will be competing with other peers that are prepared to put in time and effort and you are a long time adult you can't fund them forever.

And then fully repeat you will not be blamed.

Not much else you can do.

@frozendaisy Bit of a stretch from wanting to spend a holiday lounging about to their life being a waste.

My DS is doing an Open University degree. It's entirely online. And sometimes he even does his course reading in bed :) There are so many things you can do virtually now - reading a book/watching a film/ socialising with friends/ taking courses/learning languages ... we have no actual idea what OP's teens are doing with their time other than not leaving the house. I also find it somewhat ironic that one thing she would be happy for them to do would be go to the cinema. Why is that "better" than watching a film on your phone whilst sitting in bed?

Leave them to it and do your own thing.
Go out, get some fresh air.
Have a coffee and a leisurely wander/window shopping.
Don't let their inactivity drag you down.

Go out yourself if you want? No use in dragging people out who don't want to be out.