What can we do to make weekends better?

[whattodo12]

Kids are 13DD and nearly 12DS. We recently seem to have drifted into spending weekends largely in seperate rooms using different screens by default.

I need some inspiration to kick start the NY with more 'together time'. I know its natural that they will seperate, but we're not quite at the meeting up with mates all the time stage, and I just want to try and make the most of that.

What works for your family? They do after school sport during the week, but weekends are largely free apart from footie sunday am.

Share your ideas!

Cinema trips? Outdoor stuff like Go Ape? Saturday lunches/brunches out somewhere?
My 15 yr old has pretty much disappeared this winter. Every waking moment is spent out with his mates, a couple of who are lovely but the rest I really wish he hadn't met. None of the above work with him, not even the 50 mile round trip to see Star Wars (he is a fan). Even a shopping trip was brushed off with, "Nah, I'll just order stuff online".
13 year old is still "one of us" and 8 year old has no choice in the matter.

It is a great age to start some serious board games. Settlers of Catan, Carcassone or Ticket to ride are a good start. Our teens rarely turn down a game.

Alternatively you could buy a horse (but board games are much much cheaper!)

What about going to a football match or other sporting event as a family?

Cinema, bowling, meals out.

We pick a series on tv and we all come and watch it at a certain time each week (usually something on netflix).

Board games are good too if it's indoors stuff you want, and agree with cinema trips/meals out/bowling or could you book a court and do tennis or badminton? Ours DS2 (14) won't go swimming anymore but that was always a good option. We can get them out fro a walk sometimes if it means they can get to a cafe :)

We have a shared obsession interest in sport, which is often together time. And tbh dd isn't really screen orientated. Possibly it's easier because she's an only, but when we're both in the house we stay mostly downstairs together, and do spur of the moment things, eg baking, hair, makeup, play chess etc.

It's time they started to take responsibility for a family meal, they could do it as a team one evening. Mine started off with prawn cocktails.
Start a big jigsaw and if possible leave it out all the time, don't urge them to get involved initially, just have it there and sit yourself at it, they'll soon drift over.
Cluedo. And the film Clue.
Family yoga. They don't have to do it but they seem to like hanging around laughing at me when I strike the pose.
Enlist their help to help you learn something - a more complicated card game 'I need 4 players'.
Making photo collages of old pictures - obviously scanned copies, not the originals.

Our dcs' bedrooms are within hearing of the kitchen and we find if we sit at the kitchen table and start laughing loudly or playing music, they gravitate towards the kitchen to find out just what's going on and DH is the expert at keeping a captive audience (although I'm good too, with dance exhibitions of 70s/80s disco numbers).

My 2 DSs are 11 and 13 and getting to stage of staying in their shared room on phones or computer
Gets expensive doing cinema/bowling/ice skating etc every week- we tend to do that maybe once a month or so.

Total none of that would work in our house - they usually have their headphones on in their bedrooms and really couldn't care less if we were enjoying themselves without them :) You are lucky they are still interested.

Brunch and cinema is a good one though gets expensive! Netflix/sky/prime also a good one if you can agree on a box set to get into.

How do they feel about cooking? Could you entice them into a family come-dine with me/bake off thing might be messy

Do you have a dog to take for walks?

Do you remember when you were a teenager? I certainly didn't want to hang around with my parents at that age - I had part time jobs (easier in those days) or was in my bedroom listening to Radio Luxembourg (does it still exist?) - surely that is just part of growing up?

I can't get my teenage DS to do much with us, he does share a sporting interest with DH which I also pretend to be interested in, and we usually spend part of sunday evening playing cards or a board game after eating but that's about it.

We sit down and eat together each evening and chat about our day and life in general. Sometimes we are still talking two hours later. We discuss politics, history, school stuff, issues with friends, anything. Our teens are very chatty though, it would be harder if they were quieter.

Like Total we sometimes have a jigsaw on the go and most weekends we will all sit and watch a film. At other times the teens are usually in their rooms doing their own thing though DD1 is getting into cooking and has done two meals for everyone in the past week. She cooks and watches Netflix on her laptop at the same time.

During the term we don't go out and do things as a family but on holiday we all walk the hills and visit sights together.