what do your 9 year old boys enjoy at the weekends

[marl]

Am struggling with this one and also keeping the two much younger ones (9 months and 3) happy. DS1 seems to object to everything we'd like to do - walks, park, wildlife park and is happiest with one to one which is pretty impossible. Household jobs/helping and or nothing/chilling out don't go down well either! Would love to know how anyone else's boys are occupied throughout a weekend. He has half a day busy with screen time/DS and then football this morning and then the stress begins...

No experience of 9 year old boys but what about asking him if he would like to invite a friend along? I know it's tricky having such big age gaps between siblings.

He might just enjoy whatever activity you do as a family if he has someone his own age. Even if it's just the park - he could play football with his mates(s) while you push on the swings etc, and then when you get home he won't be annoyed by yonger siblings 'cause he'll have his own friend to play with. Chances are the next weekend he might get invited back to friend's house too, of course!

I have an only 9 year old. He plays football on Saturday morning. Rest of time he alternates between computer, Playstation, TV and practising wrestling moves on trampoline if weather ok or on a blanket spread on the floor in spare bedroom if not! Sometimes has a friend over or goes to a friend.

I try and encourage reading and lego too. Sometimes we will play a boardgame but that is hard for you with the little ones as well.

Thanks both.Yes yesterday was a bit better. So much depends on his mood too which was fine yesterday. Friends sometimes works I think, but most people round here seem to stay within their families at weekends and are more social with other kids in the week.

My DSS was like that (I had the same age gap). Inviting a friend along is the best option, whether you are at home or at the park. Boardgames were great but impossible with LOs around - having a friend took care of that. DH used to make him come to the supermarket with him, just so that he had some one-on-one time. Plus we introduced chores - we made him unstack the dishwasher at least once a day, and I told him that if he was bored I would give him an another job - which made him find something to do. We also started getting him to go to the corner shop on his own when he was nearly 10. He loved the independence and having a bit of a challenge seemed to help the rest of the day go smoothly. And we also relaxed all our rules on electronics so he spent much longer than we wanted on his PSP etc.