Kids who don't have any activities

[Anonymous]

Biking club

[Anonymous]

martial arts is really a great thing for kids to learn.

[Anonymous]

How about volunteering? My 13 yo volunteers one afternoon per week at a foodbank.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not acceptable in our house. Each kid must do at least one weekly activity for their brain and one for their body. Either they choose or we choose for them.

What activity are you having them do for their body if they're not good at sports? And do you get endless complaining? I guess I need to get better at ignoring that.

Not PP but my children are required to be in a sport every season regardless of their skill.

In high school? I think high school rec sports are harder to find.

OP, what is the one activity? Could you build off that? What about a job?

Absolutely in high school. It doesn’t have to be through the school or a rec program. He can join a private fencing club (lots of beginners at the high school age), running group online or take karate classes.

[Anonymous]

My nephew was like your son, OP, and his Mom kept having him participate in sports, even though he hated them. Eventually they put him in fencing and he loved it. I think it's less athletic and more of a mental game. My nephew found his people there and really exceled at it. Maybe try that out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 14 year old son has one one-hour after school activity and that's it. There's no activity he shows any interest in. He's not into sports (has tried quite a few but hasn't had the aptitude), he's tried various musical instruments but gave up after a couple years. He's a good student, reads a lot, is on his phone a lot and that's about it. I know he's bored quite a bit of the time. Anyone else in this situation? Or have ideas on how I can encourage him to do more/ how to find something he might actually like?

Reading is an activity. This sounds fine to me. It’s what I like to do, and it’s what I liked to do when I was a kid, and I’m doing okay!

Is he interested in art at all? Maybe he’d like a digital art class?

He's not interested in anything! That's what I find tough to figure out.

Well then, pick for him. If he doesn’t like what you pick, he best think of something himself really quickly.

As far as exercise, non team sport things—fencing, marital arts, climbing, personal trainer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 14 year old son has one one-hour after school activity and that's it. There's no activity he shows any interest in. He's not into sports (has tried quite a few but hasn't had the aptitude), he's tried various musical instruments but gave up after a couple years. He's a good student, reads a lot, is on his phone a lot and that's about it. I know he's bored quite a bit of the time. Anyone else in this situation? Or have ideas on how I can encourage him to do more/ how to find something he might actually like?

Reading is an activity. This sounds fine to me. It’s what I like to do, and it’s what I liked to do when I was a kid, and I’m doing okay!

Is he interested in art at all? Maybe he’d like a digital art class?

Don’t people give any though to college applications? You really think when colleges ask about clubs, activities, leadership, interests…your kid will be an automatic admit by saying “dur..me read?”

[Anonymous]

I get that we are still in covid, but do kids really don't know how to entertain themselves anymore? Go outside and be a kid. 14 isn't that old, it's not like he's 25.

[Anonymous]

Also when did activities become some sort of childhood necessity? I didn't grow up with many kids who did activities.

[Anonymous]

There’s always video games and you tube!

[Anonymous]

How about Scouts, they do lots of outdoor activities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also when did activities become some sort of childhood necessity? I didn't grow up with many kids who did activities.

1. When fewer kids were available for playing after school
2. When college admissions changed and then again when the volume was cranked up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also when did activities become some sort of childhood necessity? I didn't grow up with many kids who did activities.

It was a thing even when I was a child in the 80s. My sister was a cheerleader, I played softball, we both played musical instruments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get that we are still in covid, but do kids really don't know how to entertain themselves anymore? Go outside and be a kid. 14 isn't that old, it's not like he's 25.

and do what? There is no group of 14 year olds hanging out in the neighborhood. They play together online, but never see each other in person except in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also when did activities become some sort of childhood necessity? I didn't grow up with many kids who did activities.

It was a thing even when I was a child in the 80s. My sister was a cheerleader, I played softball, we both played musical instruments.

Oh I realize that activities aren't a new thing, but posts like this do tend to paint kids with no activities in a negative way.