Anyone else anxious about summer hols with teen?

[Knackeredwithteen]

Ds is 16, sibling has left home. I’m insanely anxious and guilty about the summer. It seems so long and he’ll be on his own for lots of it.
what do you do with your single teens?

Could he get a job or volunteer? I had a summer job at 16 and worked all the hours that could be given to me (and spent most of it on CDs and clothes🫣)

im confused

where is he living? how on earth is he supporting himself?

oh sorry i misunderstood

at 16 doesn’t be make his own entertainment? see friends etc?

Get a job. That will pass the time.

Indeed and friends will follow. A lot of jobs 16 years can get some with a similar aged group of employees.

Thanks, he lives at home with me . Just feel horribly responsible as he seems bored, doesn’t seem to hang out with mates.
dont know why I feel so anxious!

Job depends a lot on the area, ours is flodded with the 18+ college students we have locally and most work all year round and just up their hours.

If he is sporty, are there any clubs running Summer holiday clubs and look for volunteers or paid assistance? He would need a criminal background check though.

DD normally went a week away with the Scouts/Explorers and then 2 weeks with us. Plus the last week was always sorting out school stuff so it wasn't actually that long she was on her own.

Plus her really great school always gave them pre-reading homework, that would keep her occupied also a lot.

We also gave her some money in exchange for chores at home, car cleaning, garden, deep cleaning the kitchen cupboards, loft, guest bedroom.

Being bored is a rite of passage at that age. Tell him to read a book or get a hobby (or a job!)

Surely at 16 he can amuse himself?

Also we seem to have forgotten a bit of boredom is not a bad thing for young people.

Are there any neighbours with younger children he could offer to look after/entertain for some pocket money

At 16, mine was working in a local cafe and hanging out with friends. I think he should be old enough to sort himself out?

id tell him to get a part time job and leave him to it really. At 16 he can sort out his own social life and part time job

You're not responsible for a 16 year olds entertainment. By all means, have a few days out doing something he might enjoy but otherwise leave him to it. If he doesn't arrange to see friends then he'll have to amuse himself at home.

You could look into if there are any sports or clubs/camps he can do for a few days. There's the NCS a lot of school leavers do.
Volunteer or get a job if you have options locally.
Apart from a week or 2 family holiday or some outings most 16 year olds are left to it.
My DD was working a part time job and just messing about at home or having the odd friend meet up.

At 16? He should be seeing to himself with maybe a few nice family things arranged too. Do a day at the cinema and a meal or go bowling or whatever he enjoys.

Otherwise he could have a summer job or be meeting up with friends to do fun things. At 15 and 16 I worked part time at various jobs and nearly every penny went on gig tickets. The rest of the time was hanging out with friends, out on bikes, going swimming, getting the bus into town to mooch around.

Thanks. Two week holiday! That would be lovely, DH can’t take two weeks, so it would be a few days and everything seems so expensive. We are very stressed atm, and I think that’s stopping us think straight.

DS might have a day or so work experience early august, but that means we can’t book a holiday.

really? seems overkill for the sake of the possibility of a day of work experience

I’m so tired! DH says he’s too stressed to discuss, then finds fault with everything and now of course everything is booked up and massively expensive. Help! I need a cheap o hol super quick!

I have to take two weeks in a row once a year, regulatory requirement for my sector. So most parents do it over the summer holidays.

Can you not just book a few days away and work around it? Doesn't have to be abroad, do a long weekend in the UK, just make sure there's something your son wants to do while you're there.
To be fair, if you want a holiday in August it's pretty much a no brainer you book it months in advance.

OP could your DS jump on a coach or train to spend a couple of days with his sibling?

If your DS is planning to go to Uni in a couple of years' time why not book a couple of days off and do some mini breaks in Uni towns? There are still a few official open days going on and many offer self-guided tours.

Last year we went away for a week with DD(17), she spent a week rowing (new sport for her, but she wanted to give it a go), a week on a school hockey tour, a week at a residential cookery school (for DofE), a long weekend with half her year group down at Boardmasters... She and her friends are pretty independent so have no hesitation on all jumping on a train down to the coast on a hot sunny day or to a nearby town. I think they also visited a games cafe and climbing wall a few times and had a few picnics up in nearby fields.

She's currently off to Snowdonia for DofE expedition. In a fortnight's time the sports centre is paying for her to get a lifeguard qualification (so hoping to get some work lined up with them after). If she doesn't get enough time on the rota I'm trying to persuade her to do some cleaning/reception work at the local Uni (conference season). I notice a few sleepovers and parties are creeping into the diary.

We are away for a week as extended family, plus a couple of days in London.

We left booking a holiday late too op, dh self employed and weren't sure if he'd be able to get any time off, or how much we could afford due to lots of outgoings in recent months. Last week we booked a nice house by the coast a couple of hours away. Found it on a posh looking site then searched and found it cheaper on Airbnb. Would love to go abroad but we can't afford it atm and would need to find a dog sitter or boarding, who all get booked up for the summer and we're never able to book dates a year or 6 months + in advance.

Could you book something for even a few nights through Airbnb or similar?

Sorry I can't advise on 16 year old boys, could he get a pt job or earn some money doing chores / babysitting for family, friends, neighbours?

Dd is 13 and I'm also worrying about the long 7 week break, her two best friends are going back to their parents home countries for the entire holidays and she'd normally arrange to go out and do things with them or go round their houses or have them here. Another friend is only around for the first week as then on holiday for 2 weeks and after that staying away with grandparents for childcare. Her cousins are slightly younger and if not away on holiday then booked into activity camps or for childcare. Last summer she was still more in touch with a couple of primary school friends, but now they've drifted apart and dd says it would feel awkward getting in touch and meeting up again.

I'll do what I can with her but also feel anxious where she's an only child that she's going to be lacking spending time with her friends and kids her own age. They're always messaging and often FaceTiming each other, but it's not the same through a screen, especially as it's not leaving the house and actually doing things together. She's already hormonal and grumpy, her friends make such a difference and I love seeing them laughing and having fun together. It's going to be a long 7 weeks. Some boredom is natural and normal, I'm more worried about her friends not being around and her being stuck with me for company!