What do your 12/13/14 year olds do in their spare time?

[PrimalLass]

I have a very bright but very bored 12 year old. He was born bored. We've counteracted it by sport sport sport until now, but neither running his energy out nor high school is cutting it now.

He is very resistant to any suggestions other than hiding away with the XBox. Not the sort of mental stimulation that I'm looking for.

What do your kids of this age do to keep their brains going?

Dopamine receptor thresholds change in teenage brains, this is a normal process & they don't settle down again until age mid20s, sorry to say! They need high stimulation to be anything but bored. Has he tried a thrill-seeking activity: cadets, shooting, abseiling, etc.? Something with elements of risk involved. Debate club, chess?

13yo DS has not hit puberty so we aren't dealing with the dopamine problem, yet. He was obsessed with Pokemon Go. That was great for getting him out & about :). DS will go on long countryside walks with me, talks my ear off. Also sometimes have coaxed him to lane swimming. None of this will work well when he hits puberty. But then I could maybe take him running (he runs I ride the bike).

Baking is good idea... they get fed nice food for a reasonable price & pick up cooking skills. Win Win.

brownfang in that case my DS must have been in puberty for years, he's a high risk sport kind of person!
Heaven help me when he really does reach puberty.