What is your shy and studious teen doing this summer?

[ColouringPencils]

Mine actually really enjoys school and has had a great year. Has friends at school but doesn't really see them out of school. Is in several clubs but they are all finished for summer. Thrives on learning and the structure of school, but isn't really motivated to work on her own projects - she'll just sit in her bedroom and watch YouTube for hours.

She's now facing down the summer holidays and is a bit miserable at the thought, which makes me sad for her. I did find her some options of camps, but she said no to them all. DH and I have taken as much time off as we can, but she still has 11 days in the first three weeks with no plans when we'll be out at work. Her younger brother is doing clubs on some days but I've kept him out of them for 4 days, really just to keep her company (I haven't told them this). He will also want to see friends, but I am thinking I will give them money for cinema, bowling etc on those days they are together. I have got Hello Fresh boxes for a week for her to do the cooking, which she seems to like the idea of, but obviously that is in the evening when everyone is home.

Help! I hate the idea of her being lonely and bored at home.

How old is she?

It's sad she has no friends to hang out with

Maybe a hobby (sport, music, board games whatever) would help her find likeminded friends?

How old is she? Could she get a little job or volunteer, my daughters doing work experience at a dog groomers and is loving it (she’s also shy but loves animals) x

Can she contact her friends and arrange something?

Mine (13) is currently painting her bedroom while listening to an audiobook. She met up with friends on Monday and is doing the same on Friday where they are all going to cycle to a local country park. Yesterday, she multilayer recorded a cover version of a song, unpicked a blouse in order to draft a new pattern that she'll make as a project over the summer. The only things I make her do is piano practice and emptying the dishwasher but I'd probably structure her more if she was just watching YouTube videos.

She's part of the 'library' people at school, they hang out in the library reading books and helping the librarian when required. She is lucky in that she found her tribe. Before this year she would do craft things and read but not hang out with friends so much. I'm pleased that this has changed for her and she's grown in social confidence.

My older one is learning ancient Greek from a textbook and the younger one is writing a novel. They both play their musical instruments a lot and watch loads of tv and videos.

Older one roams about the county on foot and by public transport. Younger one goes into town to meet friends or shop. They have to be together if they want to go further afield (London or visiting grandparents in the next county)

DD1 is making a dress.

DD2 has plans to learn to use the sewing machine (online course) and has started a new painting canvas.

not much going on here- bits of homework and lots of SIMS and Zelda…
I’m trying to get mine to reach out to friends but failing. She did go out with one friend on Tuesday and it appeared to go really well despite her anxiety about it but she isn’t showing any signs of organising anything else (I’ve even suggested low key things like inviting here for pizza). Another friend suggested they meet up and not sure if she’s planning on doing that. Really worried that the relationships will fizzle away if she doesn’t show interest.
tried getting her out of the house for dog walks but that just resulted in her stomping her way around the walk.
got a few family things planned and a holiday- goodness knows how that will pan out!
piano lessons are continuing but dancing is now off for the summer.

Part time job would be great if she's old enough. They learn so much from doing it.

Lots of homework and studying.
having a lie in each morning. She does lots of reading, arts and crafts.

yesterday I picked up two of her geeky friends and took them to a huge shopping centre about 30 minutes away. Myself and my friend went to the cinema but were always contactable and when I picked them up they all have brought stuff 😂😜Latin book, EAP poetry books etc they must have spent hours in the bookshop. They liked being teenagers.

I have booked her into tennis camp with her brother next week as it will be good for her. We have the sea nearby so afternoons will be wetsuit and body board etc
lots of board games with me and she tends to work through series such as hustle on iplayer.

my daughter has a similar group of geeky girls and they all
do D and D etc which stops over the summer but now planning missions and adventures as side ones so I have said be host and play here sleep over and Chinese etc

H

My DS, 16, prefers his own company most of the time.

He's got a job in a garden centre for some days over the summer, he bakes/cooks meals (enjoys finding exotic recipes, plans them, buys the ingredients, makes it, we eat!), runs/cycles or zwifts, looks after his own fish tank, occasionally meets up with a friend, reads books/watches posts about travelling, and then we do stuff with him now and again. He also travelled by train to visit grandparents by the coast for a few days.

I worry he doesn't see enough of friends his age but he seems happy with what he does and is always up in the morning and busy throughout the day.

Oh sorry I missed all these replies. It sounds like all your kids are having nice summers! I think I was over-worrying about it and she does seem to be happy, albeit she has only met up with friends once so far and has tentative plans for tomorrow. She has been cooking and baking, playing her instrument, been to the cinema and park with DS. A few days she has gone to the library to do some wider reading on a school subject she is interested in and she has just done 3 days work experience which she really enjoyed. We have also had some days away camping and walking. The friend she 'may' see tomorrow seems as shy as she is, which makes me think it might not happen as neither seems able to make the first move. After that I have a while off thinking about it as the kids are going to my parents for a week and then we all have a week away together.

Hello op, sounds like your dd had a good summer in the end.

My dd sounds v similar to yours, at 6th form college , she has friends but is v reluctant to meet up with them outside of college. She has volunteered with the summer reading challenge in the past but didn't this year. I've tried encouraging her to get a summer job or Saturday job, as I think it would boost her confidence , but its hard work when all the pushing comes from me. ..