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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

Teens and school holidays

29 replies

Chinwag · 11/07/2012 09:30

Any top tips or activities for surviving the school holidays (at home!) with younger teens. (Girls) Pllleeeeease!!

OP posts:

EdithWeston · 11/07/2012 09:54

Sports courses.

Especially if you can find ones that are half day, giving you plenty of the day left over and the activity takes the edge off IYSWIM.

theredhen · 11/07/2012 11:19

Depends what they're into, how much time you can devote to them, ie. are you at work or home, how much money you have and what's available locally?

Can they have friends over for sleepovers, do some cooking together, go for bike rides, hang out with their friends, go on an activity holiday such as PGL, you can go to the cinema, go to the beach, go pottery painting, the zoo etc. etc. but it does really depend on your finances and if you are home with them.

Original poster

Chinwag · 11/07/2012 22:28

Edith: I like the idea, but they don't :-(
Red hen: Yes I think that is the way it will be: something little every day.

OP posts:

BackforGood · 11/07/2012 22:40

If my teens want to do something, then they have to organise it. I'm not really there to entertain them. Mostly, though, the 13 yr old sleeps.

usualsuspect · 11/07/2012 22:42

Don't teens entertain themselves in school holidays anymore?

booksinbed · 12/07/2012 09:58

Me too looking for advice re teens in hols - have 13 yo and 15 yo with no similar intrests.they get on fine but wdnt go to cinema together etc.

I work pt with two days off a week

.i worry a bit what they wil do in day.!!! screens !!!!

.ds has lots local pals but many go away a lot of the summer.can have two to three weeks without any local or shool pals around either locally or driving distance.
Dd pals parents teach so they tend to head off for the summer too in their vans.

.both dont wnat to do clubs

.dd has a pony so she will be with it most days but i will have to go with her as its new and needs work and i need to be on site plus drive her there.

ds just wants to be with mates - like i said thay likely to be away a great deal so its how to support a teen to have good summer with no plas around ?????who does not want a job - not lazy just wants to chill after doing exams- doesnt want clubs.he happy to play golf by self tho sometimes but not all summer.!! and i dont want him on screen s all the time.mine dont sleep in either .!!

Original poster

Chinwag · 12/07/2012 15:40

Exactement Books!! They would entertain themselves....with screens, which I hate!! I am determined to ween them off it. And their friends will be away.

they would go outside with friends if they are there, but they may not be.

I like to have a structure and a plan to maintain my sanity!!

OP posts:

booksinbed · 12/07/2012 17:22

chinwag you in same mind set as I !!!

Original poster

Chinwag · 13/07/2012 21:07

OP posts:

booksinbed · 13/07/2012 22:25

ps i around if you need a rant re yr quest during the summer- please know i on same ................................

booksinbed · 18/07/2012 14:57

does anyone elso have any more tips re teen s and the summer hols- im really worried that when im at work 3 days a week it will be x box all day

,They do have other intrestes but if no pals around they will default to this and i wont be able to do anything about it untill i retun home from work to glazed eyes.!!!!!!

They are both sporty( ds - golf ,cricket ,foootball, tennis, badmington- only golf poss when pals not around.DD has a pony and she will spend half a day with her each day) but dont share same intrests, and dont want to go on courses.

Wont do town together ,walks, or cinema as just dont want to - well dd does but not ds -as v close in age and ds v sensitive re thinking people will think dd his girlfriend !!they co exist happily at home but in seperate worlds apart from meals.help!!

happygolucky0 · 18/07/2012 15:13

not sure really, think I had thread similar a few weeks ago. Mine is more concerned leaving son home and girlfriend coming in while I am at work.
So after debating I decided that I would put him into footbal club two days a week. eg one near the begining of the week at once nearer the end.
He also has a club that he has been going to and is getting near their cut off age for going so he has become a volunteer but since that happened hasnt been interested in going.
Alot of the other Mum reminded me that teens like to stay up all hours and sleep most of the day away so probably use that when nothing planned the next day for them.
It is hard but if all they want to do is stay at home at least it will save you lots of pennies!!
Do you have a leisure centre near by?

Maryz · 19/07/2012 20:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ssd · 20/07/2012 11:27

just as an aside, how long do some of you with 14 yr olds leave them in the house alone for whilst you are at work?

booksinbed · 24/07/2012 20:31

hi ssd- why do you ask - im wondering if its a general question- your name being ssd - does that mean social work dept?? are you refering to the children act stance on leavibg children alone....just a genuine question or is it me putting two and two together and making 5 !!! i dont mind if you are asking for that reason if you are - im also in similar proffession !!

schoolchauffeur · 24/07/2012 21:16

Can you give them some jobs to do to work on together to make a bit of pocket money? I just paid my DS and DD to spend 2 days clearing out our junk/utility/garage areas, sort out everything for re-cycling/tip etc and it really got them working as a team. They get on better when they have a specific thing to do together ( they are DS14 and DD17).

schoolchauffeur · 24/07/2012 21:18

I work from home, but if I have to go out for a couple of hours, don't usually leave DS (14) for more than 2-3 hours, not because he is not sensible or can't look after himself, but he just gets a bit bored and quite lonely. We live quite remotely so can't just walk round the corner to buy a packet of sweets or see a mate etc
But DD was happy to be left all day at that age- but she was very resourceful and quite liked her own company.
Depends on the child really.

FizzyLaces · 24/07/2012 21:34

I leave my 14 year old all day as I am blessed with a sensible girl and I have no choice. She sees friends, eats, makes a bit of a mess, preens, sleeps, watches tv, reads and phones me at work to share the trivialities of her day and ask for (yet more) money. I feel really bad about it but am off from next week til she goes back to school in mid August (Scotland). She has been offered the chance to go and stay with my Mum but is not interested.

AliceInSandwichLand · 24/07/2012 21:34

I have a 14 year old and am quite happy to leave her alone from 8 am till about 5 pm when I am at work, on her own if her older sister doesn't happen to be here. I only work 2-3 days a week, though.

GRW · 24/07/2012 22:50

I work full time and leave my 14 year old on her own for the day too. She will meet up with friends when they are free, but I think it's a bit lonely for her if they're not. She is very sensible and I don't worry about leaving her.

Maryz · 24/07/2012 22:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

burmac · 24/07/2012 23:59

My 14 yr old is volunteering at our local library - she did it last year too. The main task is to support the summer reading challenge for the young kids - so listening to them talking about the books they've read, giving out stickers, and administering the system that logs the children's reading. She used to do the reading challenge when she was 7-8 so really enjoys coming back and doing the grown up aspect of it. The librarians kept her busy lazy year so in quiet moments she was reshelving books, updating labels, that sort of thing. She went to the induction yesterday and will be doing 3@4 hr shifts per week.

Not wildly exciting but she is a serious reader so likes to be among books and she likes the idea that it's real work.

ssd · 25/07/2012 12:15

hi books, no I'm definately not eh scoial work my nickname stands for sad sweet dreamer, that song from the 70's, described me well

I was asking as I leave my 14 yr old alone for about 5 hours at a time, but I don't think he likes being left, he loves company and feels a bit scared in alone

I do this if he's off school, I work school hours and it means I don't need to take the day off unpaid

but I dont leave the 11 yr old in alone yet, maybe ten/twenty minutes but not a 5 hour stretch, he's not ready for that yet

I have lots of friends who leave 14 yr olds in home alone for a full day, eg 8-6 and I'm just not ready for that yet, not sure he is either

I just wanted other mums opinions, not from the social, honest! (wish I was I'd be better paid!)

3boys1cat · 25/07/2012 16:49

Love you, maryz .

GetOrfMoiiLand · 25/07/2012 17:09

Dd was at home during the summer holidays as I worked FT - she used to go to my mothers for some of the 6 weeks but when she got to 14 wanted to stay at home. She was fine. She went on a football course one week, but the rest of the time organused days out with her friends, swimming, cinema trips to London and Bath etc on the train. Never a problem. But also she had slum it days when she slept in late and watched tv all afternoon eating me out of house and home.

She has got a job now (she is 16) and is out of the house working as much as I am! It's very strange.

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