Tweens evening

[Jinglejinglejingle7]

What do your tween dc do at night before bed? My dc are struggling, they go up to bed around 8-8:30pm some nights, we want this to continue but then they're bored. Don't want screens on these nights, they have exhausted things to read... other nights they do activities so much later nights. Sonetines when they have books they're fine.

How about board/card games that you play all together if you have time? I guess getting to the library so they don’t run out of books. Would they do a jigsaw? The family could do them while listening to audiobook/ radio drama or comedy or podcast.

Don’t let them run out of books

listen to podcasts

write in journal

but mostly, this is key reading time

Watch a movie together
they get more interesting once you are past Pixar animation (as good as they are)
could start with a Harry Potter bonanza!

Various self directed crafts which have included crocheting self taught we all got bits for Xmas. Now painting by numbers kit, has done gem art, Lego basically anything quiet to calm her adhd mind whilst listening to an audio book normally. It takes her 2hrs most nights minimum to settle even with melatonin

Do you mean bored once they go to bed? Or before bed?
My DD10 stays up till 8.30 and then has 30 mins in her room to read or she listens to audiobook and draws before lights out.
Before bed, we'll watch something together, play a game or read together normally and just have lots of chats.

Why do they have to go up to bed so early?

I assume it’s so you and your DH still get time to yourselves but honestly that will probably have to change. It’s not fair to shut them in their rooms with nothing to do.

Mine do a quiet activity in their rooms. Personally I’m snoring by about 9, and their lights go off at about 8:30.
This could be colouring, wordsearches, Soduku etc. Also reading - maybe you need a trip to library?

Books, books and books. At that age she was well known at our local library.
Podcasts, music, audiobooks as well.

We watched a bit of TV together, plenty of nature programms are finished at 9pm or you grab something on demand.
Or historical documentaries, we are a history mad family.

8pm is quite early and I think you will have to adjust as a family. I never understood the idea of adult time each evening.

Books - head to the local charity shop or the library. Read to them or alternate, who reads a chapter

But do seek out age appropriate tv too, watching longer form shows together is not the same as scrolling when it comes to brains, more and evidence is showing it is this shorter format that is harmful, a programme that’s an hour long with a plot and continues each week is actually far better

I agree with a movie night or watching a series together (modern family? The Middle? Or a David Attenborough series?) Chess with each other or what about doing meal prep or baking?

Fwiw my teen when a tween has an active life with varied hobbies so on his other nights I didn’t mind him Playing his Xbox (often with friends online) or going on the VR etc.

Homework, reading, crafts, board games all together as a family. We also got a pool table for Christmas so they do a lot of that on an evening now.

Mine are in bed by 8.30 as they have to be up at 6.30 and they like their sleep. They tend to go up around 8 and read. They have Kindles so never really run out of books. Sometimes they listen to Podcasts (like the Ella Toone and Alessia Russo one).

Honestly they've read so much we are struggling to get books for them! Often visit library and charity shops & do book swaps.

2 nights a week they have activities, weekends we have family time. But other nights we (dh &i) want an evening and want them to go to bed and do something relaxing- hence asking.
Dd has done wordsearches crafts, colouring, ds draws sometimes.

Any book recommendations? Dd12, ds10.
All HP, hunger games scarkett/ivy Finding Bear, bunny vs monkey style, diary of wimpy kid, etc done

I dont really want podcasts & kindles etc but might have to i suppose. Wanted screen free time!

A kindle is very different to a glaring screen like an Ipad. I read my kindle until falling asleep and never have any issues compared to when I watch a documentary or surf on it before sleeping.

A podcast is listening, they don't need the screen for that. It's not different to listen to an audiobook or the radio.

They’re getting too old to be sent to bed out of the way at 8pm - you need to change your idea of what your evenings will look like for a few years imo.

I have a 12 year old DD. She’s currently reading the Bayview Trilogy (starts with ‘One of Us is Lying). Other recent reads are Twilight, Vampire Diaries, The Inheritance Games series, anything by Katherine Rundell, Mondays are Murder, This Book Kills (just looking at the monstrous pile by her bed 😂).
However if you think there’s nothing left for them to read or do then you’ll have to let them stay downstairs with you a bit longer.

My DDs had all the Apps locked on their phones by 9pm except the BorrowBox one she uses for audio books & music which she plays via a speaker under her pillow. She’s does all sorts of sticker books, puzzle books, house of games & 1% club stuff, now teaching herself Korean using a book, she’s very interest led self directed stuff. I’d just encourage their quiet interests in their bedrooms, what do they want to do? I’m asleep before them most nights now anyway. It does start to shift a lot when they are 12+ as their teen body clocks kick in. My other DD does sports training until 9pm x3n a week. Other nights we will watch some TV 8- 9pm together

Depending on their ages, it may just simply be too early. My just turned 13 year old goes to bed about 9:30. Even my 7 year old doesn’t usually go upstairs til closer to 9pm. One has activities til 9pm a few nights a week and the other one 7:30pm.

But they read, draw, younger one plays with Lego or other random things in his room. Older one can watch a bit of tv on days she isn’t at sports training til late. Sometimes can message friends, but not super late (obviously only once secondary school age, no phones before then).

Thanks all. They're just turned 10 (year 5) & just turned 12 (year 7).
I think we might lock down their phone/ tablet more and do audio books/ podcasts. Off to library after school again but its a small town & slim pickings! Will also get a few sets- craft stuff i think. Dd does Duo Lingo too.

Oh, my year 7 DD crochets too.