Parents of preteen boys

[AbsolutelyExhausted]

Reflecting on a few things to do with dc; and wanted to ask, if you have a preteen DS (or more than one), what sort of things do you do with your DS that allows you to spend quality time with them? Especially if there are younger siblings that probably take up more of your time.

Cinema trips. Out on bike rides. One on one lunch trip. Walks around the local lake. Game of backyard football. Have a go on the PlayStation with him.

@1of2 thank you for the fab suggestions

I used to take mine to Wethersoons for a cooked breakfast. I took him and sat watching for hours while he played cricket. I swam with him every week. DH took him to the cinema. On holiday we body boarded with him in the sea, and went out for ice creams. DH made homemade pizzas with him.

My ds is just a teenager but we do these .... go to the gym, run together, hike together, bake, go to art galleries, go to farmers markets

Geocaching; watching a tv series together (we watch an episode per night); play games on the PS or PC together; baking; cooking; play board games; jigsaws; puzzles; read together (alternate chapters from a YA book).

Lego
Tennis in the garden
Beach and swimming
Walking the dog
watching robot wars
playing Minecraft

Mine is 13 now but here are a few ideas. Bike rides, bouldering, body boarding, National Trust properties, take them to the skate park, beach trips Go Ape, swimming, clothes shopping for the kids, kayaking, cinema and bowling.

Mine is almost 11 and we go bike riding (when we can. I also have a 7 year old). He likes to watch older kid films with me when the little one is in bed and play football together. It’s hard to find one on one time together in term time but I’m hoping in the holidays to go running with him (couch to 5k) and take him out to cafes, climbing etc.

Anime, watching gameplay videos, funny cat videos, films.
Switch games like minecraft stardew valley, supersmash bros.
Board games.
Meals/baking together.

Honestly for us the biggest impact is not the big things, it's the low level daily interest. No matter how annoying their favourite youtuber is, favourite game etc getting involved gives you a verbal and social connection. Catchphrases you pick up.

I have DS 13, DS 11, DD 7, DS 5

My DS is 12 and autistic/ADHD. We are very close as I have lone parented since he was 2 and he has no contact with his father (not my choice). We do loads together, largely hiking, biking, jobs around the house (repairs etc, he's no cleaner!), lunch out, trampolining at somewhere like Gravity. He loves a charity shop crawl as he's a bit eccentric and likes unusual things. Just a few examples. I am gradually feeling a natural pull away from him now as he wants to be a bit more independent but we still seem to manage to have a lot of fun together and I really hope that continues, I love his company!

Oh and road trips, we love a road trip! Picnic food, music in the car. Love it. We've got a few planned for early summer hols as we're researching relocation.

I have an 11 year old and we've done the following in the last few months:

• golf driving range/crazy golf
• went to watch the county championships for a sport he has recently started
• played basketball on the court at a local park
• went out for milkshakes
• played chess

We're also learning a language together and every evening we take 20 minutes out to learn it using an online app.

We need to do it more often because there is lots of bickering with his sister but on his own he is great company.

We cooked together- and now he us grown up we still do. He is very confident in the kitchen and at the market.