What do you your Year 7s do in the holidays?

[twosoups1972]

Dd is 12, Year 7. Youngest of 3 girls. She gets on very well with both her older sisters but unfortunately they are both doing exams this summer so are studying for much of the holidays.

Dd3 is at a bit of loose end. She's obviously outgrowing outings with me, although we did go shopping last week which she enjoyed. She saw a friend one day and is seeing another friend later this week.

She is happy to potter around at home but a bit too much screen time for my liking! She's been at home from Friday-Sunday and is now bored. The weather's nice today and I said I would take her out but have no idea where!

It's a tricky in-between age isn't it?

Cooking course? DD - also 12 - is learning to make ice cream later this week. Or just cooking with you - even doing a family meal?

There are some good outings, but depending on what she likes. DD has a good time in costume museums and shops with sell Japanese things.

Mine has been going to the park with friends a lot and making daft videos of herself on the trampoline

She just finds everything boring! I also should have added she is on the ASD spectrum (mild). She quite likes baking so maybe that's a possibility.

We've baked and taken her to museums, National Trust, English Heritage places. Been for walks, bike rides, cinema once too. Lots of reading, some revision and homework, been to sleepover with friends. She also done some drawing and writing and helped with the garden.

Sounds lovely show they're just the sort of things I would enjoy doing with her. But she doesn't!

What does she enjoy?

My niece is autistic and has spent a lot of time doing origami, writing a joke book, visited the library, watched YouTube videos about v peculiar niche interests, been birdwatching, built sand sculptures.

Pottery painting cafe? Take a friend's dog for a walk (not unsupervised if first time she has done that)? Make You Tube videos (moderated before publication)? Day trip to somewhere chosen for being desirably Instagrammable (if she has social media)? Some kind of community/eco action (volunteering, making posters, litterpicking etc)?

She used to like art and doing crafts but not so much in recent years.

best you've actually reminded me that we used to use borrowmydoggy.com which she really enjoyed. Thank you, we might start doing that again.

Pottery painting is another good idea.

So hard isnt it. My DD is 12. and her brother is 10. We used to go out for hours for walks and visiting different parks but both hate that now. They both have bikes but trying to get them out on them is so hard. The only thing my DD really likes is shopping. They will do anything to avoid walking (something we used to do for hours!!). You could go out somewhere for the day with my DS but she doesnt want to come. The thing is she is finding the whole independance thing really hard and doesn't like going out with her friends without an adult because she doesn't feel safe so unfortunately she doesn't really do much with friends. I have 4 days left to find something to do and everything I suggest is a big no no!!! Life was so simple when they were little and they just got on with it!!!

Sweet FA, it would seem. I'm having to work most of the holidays (dont get paid leave) and my DS just wants to play on his ps4. Have forced him out a few times and he's enjoyed it but go call for your mates or something, eh? Apparently no one does that anymore! Have to nag him to text people and invite them over/ meet at the rec. Hard work!

Maybe something for the next holiday:

We had a fairly low-key holiday but tried to avoid screens too much.

We had 3 days out, twice on a weekend with DH and once just DD and me. We also had to go shopping as she needed new clothes so went a bit further than normal.

Otherwise we baked, she did some colouring, we read a book together, she met with friends twice.

She did some school work, nothing big just vocabulary review and some stuff for her drama school.

I challenged her to find something new to watch, she has the habit of binge-watching just one thing and then moves to the same kind of show.

I think she needed the time off with not too much activities. The other holidays this year will be fairly busy.

Could you suggest that she hosts a small party at your house for her friends? My 11dd is doing this and the planning process has kept her busy - designing invites, planning food, we will shop for the food and prepare it together etc, plan what they will do at the party etc.
I’m also planning on teaching her how to make / cook / bake certain foods from scratch (bread, ice cream, quiche and scones) so she has these basic skills.

Housework! Totally agree with cooking.
I've just made my son do some dusting and asked him to put a pile of stuff into two keep/discard piles. Not a happy child, but he's had a cornetto as a thank you.

Sounds like my son, he is 12 and also on the ASD spectrum. He is very sociable but struggles to build friendships. He has a couple of invites to friends over the next week (I'm friendly with the mums). He has also asked me to book him a few days sport activities this week, he is quite happy to be left even with a group he doesn't know.

Finding it difficult with my 11 year old. She used to spend lots of time with grandparents when younger. Now finding visits more difficult as they don't have Internet access and she gets too bored. Found things more difficult since starting secondary school. Can't seem to accept she's growing up :(

She's seen her friends quite a bit and is still happy to play out a lot on her bike with her sister and mates in the local village. She's had to as we're working at home a lot.

She's hung out with her guinea pig and we've visited grandparents. We've had trips to the beach, gone for walks, been shopping. She's cooked, sewed, baked, cleaned and done some gardening when the mood has taken her.

She's actually fairly easy going and it helps that she gets on great with her sibling.

Update after Summer:

one week away with the Scouts
two weeks at home, mix of days out with friends or just meeting them for bowling and coffee and staying at home.
two weeks away with us
one week at home - again mix of quite days and things to do.

We found that DD had quite a bit of homework and the school recommended vocabulary and maths practise. That helped filling the time. We also insisted on reading.

Screentime was a bit much but on the other hand she had two weeks with no screens so it evened out in the end.

I’ve just joined this page as I feel exactly the same about my daughter. She had just gone 12 and also isn’t really adjusting to independence. I’m always telling her to get in touch with friend after school/ weekend and go to park etc, but she’s just happy staying in. But if I suggest doing something with a friend with me there then she’s all for it. She stills like her grandad to be there after school til I get home from work. She says she’s just not ready and I keep thinking I’ve done something wrong bringing her up or that somethings bothering her. My anxiety flares but she assures me she’s fine and just not ready for so much independence yet. X