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Elementary School-Aged Kids
What do your middle school boys do at home, other than screen time and homework?
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Anonymous
| My son's ablity to entertain himself seems to have contracted to the point where it's TV, video games, or the internet. What do other boys do when they're home alone, or home with a parent who is busy? |
Anonymous
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Excellent question. We have a similar situation so we basically limit time at home with after school activities (travel soccer, scouts, etc.). This summer we have been making him run every day. And an hour of reading every day (so far working through the summer reading list). I also had to take away the laptop one day last week (and have been taking it away at 11 pm) because he wasn't doing a couple of things I had asked him to do.
I hope we don't get snarky responses from parent of girls or parents of 5 years olds. There is nothing like a teen boy and until you've had one you really can't relate. |
Anonymous
| Uh oh....what kind of heads up do I need for my "soon to be teen boy"??? |
Anonymous
| Besides screen time and homework, mine likes to ride his bike and listen to his ipod. Not a whole lot else though. |
Anonymous
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Same here. A total screen addict at age 14, and will stay on for 5 to 6 hours straight if you let him. During the school year we don't allow any screen time/electronics from sunday night through thursday night, and his grades went up a whole letter. He reads, goes outside to play with a friend or his dad, or actually engages in conversation with us.
We haven't figured out the summer situation yet, but he's away at camp this week, and there are no electronics there either. When he's home next week, it's going to be a marathon of video games, I'm sure. |
Anonymous
| Same for my 15 year old this summer. He didn't want to do camp and he hasn't found a job. He will do two weeks of volunteering starting Monday for 5 hours a day. At least he'll earn community service hours. |
Anonymous
So what's your secrect on engaging in conversation. That's a struggle for us these days. Because, of course, any question I pose is "annoying". And if that's not specifically said I get the not so subtle eye roll. |
Anonymous
| So glad this thread came up. Just told my 15 yr old it was time to turn off TV and either read or do the chores he has to do before his friend comes over for a playdate. I still call them playdates but may have to stop saying that soon. I've kept him occupied by having him do swim team practice everyday. He does some ice hockey clinics once or twice a week. This week he is taking a math summer symposium at the high school from 8-12 for 2 weeks. You should hear him groan! We are in and out all summer. He will go to a one week trail maintenance work camp through the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire. He'll spend a few days with a friend at the beach. He'll probably do an ice hockey camp before school starts. His younger sister is with Grandma in another state for week, so the two of us have been watching movies that aren't appropriate for her. We watched Juno last week and had very interesting conversations about sexuality, pregnancy and responsibility. |
Anonymous
I'm not a parent of a teenage boy, but as a close cousin to many (many!), it has always seemed to me that the key is to get them bored enough to be willing to talk to anyone. I'm guessing the shift the PP describes didn't happen right away, but after a few weeks of no screen time they might get bored enough. Also, many boys are willing to talk when engaged in an activity where they're not the focus; my cousins opened up to me most when we were both doing work on our family's farm and there was really nothing else to do except talk to me. |
Anonymous
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My 13-year-old loves to read.
One of the smartest people I know was a TV addict in his teens. Went on to win two major writing prizes. You never know. |
Anonymous
I take my son out for a meal. He seems to think there's a quid pro quo, and actually answers questions and converses. |
Anonymous
| 14:20 here. I have to "read" him just right. If I ask a question I may get the eye roll, but not always. If he asks a question, or seems to be in a talkative mood, I drop what I'm doing and engage. Sometimes, he asks about things that we need to look up, but I'm the one who does it, and we talk about whatever it was. I know that is actually screen time if it's not in a book, but it's brief, and I control it. |
Anonymous
| Mine is 13, he loves to listen to his music really loud in this bedroom. |
Anonymous
| pp, sorry I meant in his bedroom |
Anonymous
We've got two teen boys and we just don't do the X-box thing. I suggested it to DH several times as a Christmas or birthday gift for kids, and, thank God, he always said no. Instead, kids shoot hoops, play ping-pong and foosball, play board games (very keen on Risk right now), read the paper, go to the pool, run, play with the dog, occasionally read a book, and, yes, actually converse with us (about politics, movies, sports, and their endless advice about how we should parent their younger sister, all of which I'm recording and intend to share with them when they have children of their own  ). This is all during down time -- not when they're doing summer jobs (lifeguarding) and community service gigs. Yes, they also email and text friends and check Facebook, but, all in all, they keep busy with other stuff. I would love to have them spend a little time cleaning their rooms, but that is hopeless!
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