What do you do on Sundays with teens

[marly11]

Wondering what you are doing today? I'm recently single parenting and really enjoying the slower Sundays without the previous enforced activities by ExDP that generally involved walks that no one wanted to do. But I'm a bit conscious that Sundays are focused now on food, tv and homework - maybe not great for our mental or physical health! It's hard to get teen DSs to join in anything without moaning or if there is something joint going on it tends to be me that does all the donkey work and prep. I was thinking about getting the Christmas tree today but even that will involve them being resistant to some of the related stuff like carrying the tree, putting it in the pot, sawing off a few branches and getting the saw etc... So what are you doing today if you have younger and older teens and do you have any suggestions about actually getting some 'engagement' from them?!

Single parent here. Food, tv and homework is our usual Sunday. The rest of the week is so manic that we all need to chill. I always try to make a nice dinner on Sunday and sometimes one of them will make the pudding. Or we watch a film together. Sometimes go out for a walk but often they go out with their friends. In the summer lockdown we went out for bike rides round the City of London which was amazing but it’s a bit cold now - and also busier despite lockdown.

Things that work for us:

• walks (we have a dog), the teens seem much more inclined to chat and open up when walking rather than sitting opposite each other.
• baking together, we may do Christmas gingerbread houses today.
• board games.
• sometimes art stuff, we had fun making Christmas cards last week, but often they would refuse to do this.

My two (12 and 15) are being dragged out for a compulsory walk today. We might take the kayak and go to a lake. They'd still rather stay in the house, but they'll have a nice time once they're there. Probably.

Mine are 16 snd 18, one off at uni now; but to be honest they generally don’t want to do anything with me unless (for 16 year old) it involves me buying him something. He will occasionally come for a walk but generally doesn’t want to be seen out with me!

Today dd1 and I are going to attempt making mincemeat bao from Kim Joy’s (ex bake off contestant) Christmas cook book.
Never made Chinese dumplings before but we now are owners of a bamboo steamer so we’ll have a go.
Apart from that well walk the dog and watch His Dark Materials tonight.

McDonald’s drive through and a country walk.

Single parent of 16 and 18 year old here. I leave them to their own devices. If I'm going for a walk i invite them
Pre covid we might have visited friends or invited friends for Sunday lunch.

But Sunday is downtime for everyone

We go for a walk in the morning, either beach or around a local lake and take hot drinks with us, then food, TV and relax for the rest of the day.

I’m about to go for a run with one of my (younger) teens, the other one is self isolating. Also a walk later, we’ve recently got a dog so that’s helped motivation on that front.

Films and board games are things they actually ask us to do together. DD will also bake but I’m happy to leave her to it. But mostly they’re on their devices, they like some quiet time after their week.

I find this a difficult age to get the balance right between spending time with them and letting them be with friends (pre lockdown) or shut away in their room.
Food seems to help! So getting them involved in cooking or baking, or watching a film with popcorn and sweets.
The occasional walk if they can be persuaded but as a pp said if I’m prepared to spend £££ in new clothes/trainers etc then they will come shopping!

When not in lockdown mine usually have sports on a Sunday. Currently we will unlikely do anything “together” apart from have a roast and watch tv. They may meet a friend or something.

Single parent of DS13 and DS18. Sunday is a busy day for me. Food shop and giant ironing pile. 3 huge meals for said boys. For them: homework, computer games, phones. Relax before busy week ahead. Not many entertainment options that any of us are interested in on a cold drab day in Tier 3.

16 and 18 year olds, usually at their dads on a Sunday but the 16 year old is coming here today so we can watch the football together (he likes watching it here with us) 😃

They usually do their own thing though because of their ages.

I drag the dcs out if I feel they haven’t done much over the weekend. As they’re not seeing friends or doing any activities, I’ll get them to go for a walk or bike ride.
Usually, I leave them to their own devices and we see each other for chores, food and films mostly.
During school holidays we do more together.

DD16 will be going for a little 'driving lesson' with her DF in a deserted parking lot of a big office block near us.

They are then stopping somewhere to buy my Christmas present and get a take away hot chocolate.

She will also be doing tons of homework - she is swamped right now! And maybe watch a movie with us tonight after a roast dinner around the table.

She misses her Uni aged brother a lot at the moment.

Thank you all. That's reassuring. I do lots of boards games cooking with DS3 who is younger but the other two aren't really interested. Occasional short walks here but the moment has to be right! In some ways lockdown takes the pressure off feeling like I'm not seeing people socially with them as I don't have friends where there is company for each of them if that makes sense (so one might like the company of one sibling and another might not like the other one..) DS1 should have been at uni but is working at home so that complicates things as he is at that age when he needs and wants to be living independently which is hard for us both... and of course he can't see his friends as things stand!

We've been on a walk with our teens (18 & 15) for the last couple of weekends. Then it's back to revision for DS and normally crafting/tv for DS.

crafting/tv for DD not DS that should be!

Walks, cycle rides, shopping, chip runs.
Them showing off what the 3D printer produced
Joint cooing over the cat.
Helping me Xmas shop for gifts (online).
Baking, pancakes, planning anything food related.
Me listening to them thinking out loud, plan decisions they need to make.

Ordinarily DD is sporty so we're "busy doing nothing" this month.

She came down for lunch and a chat and we'll hopefully shop for a winter coat online (classroom is getting chilly). She needs to Skype the in-laws later. We might go for a stroll to look at Christmas lights (bribed by the prospect of getting a 'click and collect' pizza)

Learning to deal with 'boredom'/relish 'downtime' is a useful life skill.

I think sporty stuff can resume for us this week, albeit at about 30% of the norm.

We do generally manage a family walk on a Sunday since lockdown started and sport was cancelled (usually the whole morning would be taken up with rugby)
Other than that today has totally been food, homework and TV.
I occasionally guilt them into a family game at the weekend - we played trivial pursuit yesterday.

He does homework and goes to the skate park! Would be the same in non-Covid times although instead of skate park he might be out w friends instead.
V rarely does anything with us apart from eating dinner 😆 or occasionally watching TV.

Climbing up to lunchtime, home for a meal and then plays Minecraft