Teenagers - what do yours do?

[figroll]

I am asking this because my dd is 14 and seems to just want to go on the computer to chat with friends or watch tv. She is very good and does all her homework first, of course(!), but doesn't seem that bothered about going out with her friends. She seems happy to be with us. Now you may think that I should be pleased about this, but I feel she should be going out with her friends more. She will occasionally go shopping on a Saturday with them, but otherwise hardly sees them (except at school). She tells me that she has had enough by the time she gets home and isn't too bothered about seeing them all the time.

Is this normal behaviour? Her friends don't seem to go out much either - may be I am just worrying unnecessarily. I don't want her hanging about the streets with a can of cider either.

Figroll - your daughter sounds grand - well-adjusted and sensible.I know exactly how you feel though - my ds is 12 and is another Runescape adictee.He would play all day if we let him - don't see why really as whenever I look at it, he's just walking around aimlessly- looks quite boring.Like your dd, he's diligent with all of his schoolwork,bright and sociable - just more interested in his on=line friends than real ones.It's such a different life to the one I had as a child - wish he would develop some other interests.

MSN< MSN< MSN< a lot in their bedrooms, when home, or out with friends, staying over, shopping, bit of alcohol, older ds smokes (18 yrs.) (not happy bout it), getting lifts from me to all their social functions, being lazy not doing any chores, spending money and leaving dirty dishes anywhere except dishwasher. However they do babysit for my 5 yr old when they feel like it.

My 14yo DS doesn't seem to be interested in anything teenagerish at the moment. He doesn't MSN or text, he stays on at school to do his homework, and continues with his homework when he comes home.

He goes out during school holidays with friends from prep school. No girls have yet appeared on the horizon.

I'm not at all worried about his social skills and rather glad that he is not getting into risky situations.

Simultaneously watch TV, MSN, Text, play computer games, practise DJ skills/play guitar/drums and do homework/coursework. DS1 now at university and has just finished exams so presume will be clubbing/in bars for next two weeks until term ends and he has to return home to earn money.

my ds (16)
Builds computers
Plays on computers
Works weekends
Is explorer scout
Cub leader
juggles, rides 6ft unicycle
goes out with mates
just finished GCSE's
does loads of sports but hates football
helps at home
babysits for me (have 8month old dd)
eats me out of house and home, and asks for money

Oh tess24, please don't show off

not showing off, just being honest, the thread did ask what teenagers do.

mine is on runescape too, there are lots of us!

brother aged 13yrs can play 10 hours of runescape with out needing a rest....a super quick dash to the loo and eating at the computer desk.......now if he was my ds THAT would not be allowed

Well my dd seems to have broken my computer - whether it is Runescape I don't know, but it is seriously playing up and doing blue screens, etc. I looked around at the files and Runescape had downloaded lots of files into the windows folder, including that annoying music - so I deleted them all! At the moment I have banned them from Runescape and they are sulking about it, but accept that the computer's on the blink.

I've been having a lot of computer problems and had banned runescape. Ds3 insists it isn't runescape doing it but I'm not convinced- esp now I've read your post figroll.

oh no, i hope it isn't my turn next to be runescape infected

Oh yes. Runescape ruined our computer too. Took DH weeks to figure out what was wrong with it. Running slow, blue screen stuff, all the usual problems.

DS used to get very angry about how slow the computer was loading Runescape pages. We were shouting back 'its not the computer, its your flipping runescape'. He denies it though.

Wow, I haven't been on line for about 3 weeks now and have only just read your posts - the computer totally broke and I lost loads of stuff (nothing very important, but it was annoying). We have had the computer fixed now (cost £200!!) and I have allowed them back on Runescape like a bloody fool. It is so difficult to stop them without appearing to be the wicked mother. Now that I have read about your computer problems I will have to tell them not to go on it. I was thinking about buying them the Sims instead, but I know that they won't be happy with it. Anyone got any suggestions for a good computer game that doesn't involve the internet?

Must be 2 weeks actually - over dramatising as usual.

Oh, Figroll, you could be describing my dd! It does seem to be normal, the teenagers down our road are split 50/50 - some of the girls like to get all dolled up and go girly shopping, mine prefers to watch American teenage sit-coms (Raven, Suite Life, that kind of thing), play her DS or chat on MSN (or preferably 3 things at once - on the PC listening to Radio 1, playing Neopets and chatting to the girls she left at school a couple of hours ago). I have pointed out that we have free weekend calls and a cordless phone she is welcome to use, but she looks at me as if I have two heads and goes back to texting. I think it is just a different way of communicating now (personally I used to hang around Our Price Records with my mates cos the best looking lads had after-school/college jobs there!!)

Figroll - DS is now hooked on a game called Quake. It doesnt involve going on-line. One of his teachers at school gave it to him on a disk. Apparently this teacher is a national champion or something.

My ds is only 12 so shall watch with interest.He goes to the park after school and at weekends every day!to skateboard with friends spends hometime giggling on msn

Quake - I will have a look at this - anything to stop Runescaping. I have already ordered the Sims 2, so I hope this might keep them happy for a little while. Thanks for the recommendation.