Tell me about your weekends

[daffodilandtulip]

Single parent to two teens. I work 50 hours, weekdays. One teen is at school and one at college. They do activities three evenings a week.

Pre covid, primary school age, we used to be out every weekend - trips to the countryside, beach, NT, meals out, cinema etc.

I don't know whether to blame covid, puberty, exams, teenage brains ... but now all they want to do is stay home, sleep, rest, game, read, watch YouTube. Part of me is quite enjoying the slower life - walking the dog, drinking a nice coffee, reading a book before they even emerge. Part of me feels guilty, that I'm being a lazy parent, that in years to come they will resent me not bothering and regret not using these weekends before they are burdened with their own jobs and families.

What do you all do? Should I be making more of an effort?

2 (late) teens here. They both have a pt job at the weekend so it's hard to fit in any days out there now with them both.

DD2 works 9-3.30 on Sat so I sometimes take DD1 out to the shops or for a walk while she works.
They both work on Sunday 10-5 so not much doing there, but I make sure we have a sit-down dinner at the table together when they are back from work.

Yes unless they are at parties or something, we have a proper meal on a Saturday night then watch crappy tv, then a tv meal (pizza, nachos, burgers) on Sunday watching a film. So we do see each other at some point 😂

Same here... only see my 15 and 14 yr old now for food, money, Xbox live etc
They had an inset day on Friday and we went out for the day, all really enjoyed it as we just don't do it as often now.
Both kids will appear to watch films/tv/ sports with us a points over the weekend though.

We still try and get ours (15 and 13) to come out for a walk on a Sunday. I'll try and do a game or something with the younger one (he has SN) older one watches tv or games. He plays rugby on Saturday.

My only advice is if they chose to be with you just embrace it. But enjoy a bit of time to yourself as well!

Dd16 does a few hours work on Sat morning and is usually revising for a few hours in the afternoon or sometimes goes out with friends for a few hours (into town or for a coffee, sometimes a walk, ocasionally cinema). DD14 likes a huge lie-in on weekends so isn't up until 11am ish and then wants to chill out/read books/paint nails/be alone!

Sundays are mostly lazing about days, sometimes maybe a half hour walk locally, roast dinner, reading/films/pottering/bake something.

So all in all quite chilled out. Maybe once every couple of months I take one of them into town for clothes shopping or to a bookstore and cake.

@hopeishere so true! Last night I was heading to bed at 11, DS shouted to come and see something and then asked me to come and watch with him. Inwardly, I just wanted to be in bed and my eyes were stinging ... but my heart was full as he actually asked me to stay with him!

Enjoying being at home and comfortable is a good thing, not a bad one.

Sounds fairly normal to me; we do instigate doing something they would be interested in like meals out or the cinema when money allows and DD will be up for that

For the last 2 months we've done nothing at weekends. I'm in hibernation mode. We're about to go see my dad then take the dog a walk, then we'll watch something on tv & do some very minor housework as we're all slatterns & there is no time for anything during the week.

Currently need the weekend to recharge. When the weather & my mood improves we'll go to the seaside more.

You're all making me feel like a better parent!

DS is 17, works a few hours each weekday so the weekend is clear. I try to make sure we all eat together at least twice over the weekend- this will vary according to schedules. Do we ate dinner together on Friday and have just had lunch together.

Some weekends we’ll plan something irresistible so we know he’ll want to join in. FA cup tickets for his team with his Dad yesterday. But mainly we just potter around. I’m batch cooking chilli today, DS is studying now and DH and DDog are snoozing.

I learned to be more content at home during Covid, I’m less restless than I was. It’s nice to be here: comfortable and relaxed.

I feel a strange combination of enjoying being at home but feeling guilty that I'm not doing more.

I felt like that for most of the summer holidays! But they were happy doing their low-maintenance thing, and I enjoyed not haemorrhaging money constantly to keep them entertained.