Is your teen having fun?

[Anonymous]

My teens are not social. Their idea of fun is reading and video games at home by themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My teen is having much more fun in college than he did in high school. He's playing a club sport, doing a few Intramurals, enjoying his classes, meeting new people, having fun on the weekends. He's a high stats kid from a high performing FCPS high school. He's got more free time in college, for sure.

Same for our DD. Our DS is a HS junior, saw the hell his sister went through to have a perfect GPA/APs/SATs, and is instead having a lot more fun in HS.

What a bum

[Anonymous]

Mine is very busy, but has fun too. If they do ECs, it's gotta be something they love to do and where they like the people. That's a lot of my teen's time and he has fun doing it. Never ever once had to push him to keep it up.

This is the lifestyle of a student and it was when we were young too. You have periods where you're slammed 24-7 and then periods of breaks and nothing to do. Work hard, play hard. Feast or famine. Use whatever cliche you want. It's pretty normal.

[Anonymous]

My HS junior DS has very low expectations of academics. He does the minimal school work, and spends the rest of the time either playing pickleball, going to the gym, or practicing guitar. I put 100% of the blame on DH because he always tells DS that EQ is much more important than IQ. My guess is that DS will end up at NOVA after graduation.

In other words, he is having too much fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD has an active social life, does well in academics and is involved in her school but I feel like HS these days is so stressful for everyone and at every step kids are thinking about grades and college. Is your child having the same experience or do you think they are more carefree in their high school experience?

DC1 had a hectic and stressful high school experience. DC1 is a high achiever and the eldest child, and was in a high-stress magnet program. Deadlines came fast and furious.

DC2 had a chilled high school experience. DC2 is also a high achiever, youngest kid, and was in a high-stress magnet program. Deadlines came fast and furious but DC2 had an idea about the deadlines from watching the elder sibling, so they were able to anticipate and prepare way in advance.

DC2 was more clued in to the magnet experience and timeline. So was superbly organized and consistent worker.

Both my kids are also very social and that meant that time had to be managed well. Both my kids had great grades and SAT scores. So end result was the same for both. Just one was more organized and could anticipate what was coming down the pike. Stress was less for one.

[Anonymous]

Yes they are having fun but they are not in a high pressure school.

[Anonymous]

My teen is having very little fun. Our high school is huge, very competitive, and no place for introverts. He has one friend and rarely sees him in school. The homework load is high and the whole experience has been miserable. I really wish we had never moved to FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My teen is having very little fun. Our high school is huge, very competitive, and no place for introverts. He has one friend and rarely sees him in school. The homework load is high and the whole experience has been miserable. I really wish we had never moved to FCPS.

Langley, McLean, or Oakton?

[Anonymous]

No, very much carefree. I do it on purpose, I want them to have a carefree experience high school experience.

We’re not shooting for Ivies and I know that’s going to be fine.

[Anonymous]

No. DD is in 9th grade, very high achiever and obsessed with getting into an Ivy or top 25 school (she stalks the College forum frequently). She got a 1440 on the PSAT 8/9, A+s in almost every subject, but the classes she only got As in she's cried over not getting A+s multiple times. She's involved in many ECs that she enjoys, but has few friends in any of them. I thought she was doing fine, cause she seems happy, but she's been breaking down ever since the first quarter ended. I want to help her, but I don't know how.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD has an active social life, does well in academics and is involved in her school but I feel like HS these days is so stressful for everyone and at every step kids are thinking about grades and college. Is your child having the same experience or do you think they are more carefree in their high school experience?

My DS loves his volunteer work and gets social there......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My teen is having very little fun. Our high school is huge, very competitive, and no place for introverts. He has one friend and rarely sees him in school. The homework load is high and the whole experience has been miserable. I really wish we had never moved to FCPS.

Langley, McLean, or Oakton?

A different one. Believe it or not, there are a couple others that are just as bad.