What to do with teens during holidays

[Motherhood86]

Hi all
Just wondering what your 13/14 years olds are up to during the Christmas break and how much freedom you give them to game?

My Son is 14, all his friends live in the next town as that's where he goes to school. He will come out with me to play badminton or get a hot choc or lunch or whatever from town but although I try to do something with him everyday he then comes home in to his room and games/ I pad ect.
Ends up being many hours on his screen, are yours the same and does it bother you?

At 14 my DC entertained themselves. Let him game if thats what he wants to do.

Mine have been ice skating twice, which they really enjoy doing with friends (not me I hasten to add!) Christmas shopping. Met friends for Christmas lunch and dinner. Both have been to the Christmas markets. Some are doing revision for their exams. They go out for a run, work out or dog walk once a day if they are not doing anything. They are planning to go to the movies, not sure what is on but they go every Christmas.

I don't let them game incessantly. I can't bear to see their lives going up in smoke glued to a screen, so yes I still have limits for the younger teens under age of 16. If they are not on screens they to start living. Mine like cooking and baking. Yes the kitchen is a bomb site but it is worth it - they are learning new skills.

As for family stuff, we go to theatre a few times a year, watching films at home and play games. I find this year quite easy to be honest. If you are on a tight budget, invite friends over for movie nights, make popcorn, give them a sledge when it snows and do the same as above but with their friends at home.

My DS was seriously ill and paralysed for three months when he was 14. The X Box was a complete godsend for keeping in touch with his mates during that dark time.

he is 19 now and still uses it to play with his friends. He never plays alone, it’s a social thing.

so for us, it’s been bloody brilliant.

It’s a tricky age as still a bit young to be hanging out with mates F2F without a specific activity eg watching footy matches etc. DS would go out with me if I paid for a meal or cake or something though!

At 14 they entertained themselves (quite often while I was at work) - mostly things with friends or going to friends houses. We put in some family activities but by and large they made their own plans.
I think if all his friends live in the next town and he has no way of getting himself there (does he? No bus? Too far to cycle?) then I would suggest being a lot more proactive in offering lifts. Unfortunately that's the downside of not living near school/rurally. A 13/14 year old is naturally going to fall back on screens without an alternative (and they are not going to do loads of stuff with their parents).

Mine (13 and 16) enjoy lie ins, Xmas films, baking, seeing friends, reading and yes - screen time. I don't police it over the holidays, but their phones are set to lock at 9.30/10pm every evening anyway. And no phones at the dinner table - ever!

My almost 12 year old boy is ajways out with his mates and plays football

My 14 year old just wants to game so I let him. But it bothers me.

My 15 year old will spend hours out with friends in the village, roaming the countryside and doing whatever they do (anything too bad ends up on village Facebook, but they're generally very sensible). He will also spend a whole day on the xbox, but he goes out enough that I don't mind.
16 year old has a job, plus he goes out occasionally with friends to hang out in nearby towns. He went to London yesterday to meet someone he's been chatting to on Discord (safety concerns addressed, he had a lovely day). He will also spend a whole day on the PC though.
12 year old isn't very sociable, she is meeting friends in the village tomorrow but that will likely be her only outing this holiday unless I take her out. She has a lot of screen time but also plays with cats, draws and plays with her crystals. I should make more of an effort to get her out the house, but I'm working so it's not always easy. I did take her for a walk in the snow last week when I finished early.

Anything they'd want to do out of the house with me would involve me spending money I don't have, so we're not doing much this holiday.