What else do your teens do in the evenings other than game or scroll?

[AnimalFarm1983]

Maybe I'm feeling a bit melancholy as the dark nights are here and it feels like the day ends at5pm. I have 2 boys, one almost 15 and one is 13. The older one is pretty good at self regulating and does different things like play darts, homework, reading or watching sports. The younger one however does nothing but game then stare at his phone. I'm aware this is normal but I also think this is not healthy or productive. I'm trying to remember what I did as a teen...me and my sister were close and usually listened to music, chatted and tidied our room while doing our hair that sort of thing. We did not game or have phones like we do now obviously. I'm 42. They do see friends but usually only at the weekends or holidays. They would happily play football in the park every afternoon during the summer but that's not an option now. I'm trying to go to my mum one evening a week to play a board game which they love but I'm often shattered myself. They also go to a youth club once a week. Just looking for suggestions really.

Listening to, playing an instrument and making music, swimming, golf.

Scouts? Fitness?

Board games, family films, baking, art & craft, lego, mine still go out with friends but stay in the street to play

Think the answer is just to set a limit on screen time, then let them work out what to do with themselves.

But in answer to what else is an option - TV, reading, board games, sport/exercise, cooking, art/craft.

Scouts, martial arts, instrument practice (too bloody loud if you ask me), cadets, practising first aid for cadets (st John ambulance cadets), playing in brass band, playing guitar in friend’s garage, singing, practicing singing, binge watching Star Trek and buffy and angel and lucifer together, procrastinating homework.

Mine spends quite a bit of time scrolling, but we also try and watch TV together sometimes (still screen but more social and bonding). She also does explorer scouts one eve, volunteers at Beavers, and currently swimming once a week, although that probably stopping soon. She plays piano so practices that occasionally. Plus homework / revision. She reads just before bed but not often earlier anymore.

If she doesn't have any set activities on, scrolling or gaming would often take up quite a bit of an evening though. Things like baking, board games, bike ride, walk etc or socialising tend to be more on weekends.

Right now one is out running and the other one is playing his flute. They do both game a lot though.

Athletics and football.

Music and sports.

Yeah I need to get them back to swimming. Trouble is this involves me and I'm not always up for it! Instrument's is good, we are getting him a keyboard for Christmas so hopefully it will help

Gaming, homework and eating really. He's 15. And the odd game of football when his friends call over! No after-school classes at the moment but he walks to school and back with friends

Swims twice a week with me. She does lots of art in various forms. Watches a couple of TV programmes over the week with her dad, there's usually lots of chat as they watch. But art is the big thing.

Sports training - mine is training til 9pm 3 nights a week and sometimes on the weekend.

Mine plays his guitar 🎸 mostly. Hours and hours. He’s very dedicated to it. 😂

Watching TV with me and DH
Playing an instrument
Calling a friend (an elderly person in a care home we befriended)
Doing homework
Drawing
Video editing
Baking

Teens 16 +17
Gym, homework, instrument practice, listening to music, chatting to friends
Also a fair bit of gaming and scrolling

14
plays water polo
climbs (both coaching & with mates)
Listens to audiobooks
reads
plays boardgames with us/siblings
plays a specific boardgame via an online interface with rl friends (& DH)
plays DnD

17
reads
listens to audiobooks
reads
does jigsaws
reads
plays boardgames with us/siblings
reads
writes book reviews
reads
reads book reviews
reads
climbs
reads(you've got the gist!)

My older one (17) does homework, sings, talks to friends on video calls - not a gamer and not a big scrollers, I'm probably more screen addicted than he is. Not interested in telly.

Younger (14) one games, watches telly, sometimes with us, eventually does homework.

I think I was mostly in my room listening to music at their ages.

Can’t help thinking most people answering this thread are here to show off about how wonderfully well rounded their kids are because come on, most kids aren’t playing flutes and baking and playing board games as a teenager are they?! My boys both play quite a lot of sport after school, but then it’s homework, gaming and telly before bed unless they’re hanging with their friends. Think they’re pretty normal amongst their peers too- and that’s even in a very selective grammar school in the stockbroker belt where there are plenty of snobs and nerdy kids!!!

My 12-yr old (I know you're asking about older kids) will do loads of Lego (currently doing Mech-vember!) and also art & craft - so tonight they've just done illustrated onomatopoeic words, shadow lettering, that kind of thing. He also likes making stuff out of paracord (involves a bit of YouTube), whittling with his penknife, playing pool (we have one of those smallish foldaway tables) and sometimes baking. He also has to make his packed for the next day and that can take hours 😂

We also play a lot of board and card games, and chess.

In response to @Thematic , mine will do the above after ca. 40 mins of Minecraft or Mariokart with his brother. He doesn't have a phone. He's VERY self-motivated to amuse himself - his younger sibling will be a different kettle of fish and I'll have to work much harder to get him to entertain himself.

No-one said most kids are playing the flute, baking, doing board games etc, but the OP specifically asked for what people's teens are doing in the evening other than gaming or scrolling, so she's not going to get loads of people responding "gaming and scrolling".

Mine do a fair bit of scrolling but its mainly used as a form of downtime in between sports, clubs, homework and hanging out with friends. They're rarely on screens all evening. Weekends are normally fairly busy with activities, sports, family outings and chores, again with periods of scrolling/gaming in between.

This is not a boast.

17 and 14 in this house. Neither have TikTok.

17 manages their own phone time but is pretty good with around 90 mins of screen time. Other wise they-
play footy and ref at weekends
see mates
play golf
homework/study
play cards, watches TV, walks the dog with me
super curricular work

14 has a 2 hour limit on their phone which we control via parental controls for Snapchat, Pinterest. No instagram. They-
do homework
hangs out with mates
bakes/cooks/crafts
plays a competitive sport 6 hours/wk
play cards, watches TV, walks the dog with me
reads a lot
ballet
DofE and volunteering

we have always been pretty transparent about our disdain for scrolling and talk frequently about other pursuits and interests and model that with them. Both DH and I Have hobbies and a busy social life. You want your kids to be it? They need to see it.

And I know that might make me sound like a wanker but parenting in the digital world is bloody hard.

Do they mirror you guys? Both DH & I run or walk daily plus other hobbies including crafts & weights or yoga at home which balance out the screen time . One DD trains 15hrs week in sport plus a p/t job linked to another sport. The younger one skate boards & goes cycling, plus has a side hussle sold via her YouTube channel but involves lots of self directed graphics learning plus gaming with her friends. Set a good example, provide oppoy and they find their path with gentle encouragement we’ve found.

DC15 gets back at 2030 twice a week, eats, showers and then reads. His phone goes onto downtime at 2000. Else after we've eaten he usually watches tv with DH or reads whilst I taxi DC13 around. Before we eat he's supposed to do homework but won't. Instead he listens to audiobooks and reads.

DC13 is usually on her way back from clubs, her phone goes onto downtime at 1900 and once she's home she takes forever to eat, shower and brush her hair as she reads at the same time.

They both have limited gaming time (30mins/day) and scrolling time (15 mins). We've tried giving DC15 unlimited time and it didn't end well, he cannot limit himself. DC13 doesn't want us to take the limits off. Neither even question not being allowed on the console during the week.

DC13 is in bed by 930, DC15 and us by 10.