Does your 13 yr old do *anything* at hom to entertain themselves that doesn't involve a screen?

[Anonymous]

He'll choose video games over anything else if given the choice. But he also does martial arts and plays in band. He likes to read. And he loves to play Airsoft with his friends.

[Anonymous]

Why are you not able to control his screen time?

[Anonymous]

Pathetic life to live

[Anonymous]

Yes, she paints, draws, reads, bakes. (This is outside of sports and instrument rehearsal.) But she does less of everything since we got her the @#$%@#$% phone, and it drives me crazy.

[Anonymous]

My DD bakes, babysits, reads, volunteers, Lego Mindstorms, Perplexors, walks her dog to the park, plays tons of card games with friends on weekends or us on weekdays. She also plays with her 6yr old sister a lot which is really nice.

I limit ALL screen time to 1 hour a day. She plays travel softball so I don't really have to limit weekends.

Try games. Simple ones to play with friends or family. Wizards, Ratuki, Dutch Blitz, Anomia, Timeline, Iota, Scattagories, Set, 5 Crowns.

My daughter and her friends are addicted to Ratuki and Timeline right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes.

Reads books

Does crafts -- rainbow loom, friendship bracelets, knitting, etc.

Cares for our dog -- walking her, feeding her, playing with her, etc.

Helps me do household organizational projects -- cleaning out closets, purging clothes and other things
Gardening

Plays a musical instrument

I'd be more worried if mine did these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pathetic life to live

I guess we should all bow down to you and your non-pathetic life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pathetic life to live

I guess we should all bow down to you and your non-pathetic life.

The non pathetic life posting on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

No. Although he does play a sport and goes to church youth group events. On long weekends, or during the summer we control screen time and then he reads.

[Anonymous]

In between school work, team basketball, swimming, violin and Boy Scouts -- No. And, I really don't care that he plays his video games to relax. All his friends play video games between all their activities too and they are well adjusted and good students for the most part. I pick and choose my battles and this is not one.

[Anonymous]

strangely, still plays with his action figure. He reminds me of the "everything box."

[Anonymous]

Mine will read or listen to an audiobook on occasion. He'll latch onto something and read or listen for several hours a day, and then go for weeks without picking something else up. The audiobook might not count though because at least 1/2 the time he's got it on in the background while he plays a video game.

He'll also wrestle the dog for short periods of time.

But other than that, no. At home is all video games/TV. He does lots of things outside the house, but at home it's all screens.

[Anonymous]

Only under duress or where access to electricity is blocked.

[Anonymous]

Nope. If we don't limit screen time, my 11 year old will live in front of the computer, iPad, and TV. We have weekday limits that include no TV, computer only for homework use and about one hour of total iPad time a day. The weekends are a little more loose, but I will occasionally institute a total technology ban

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine (I'm the OP) plays 2 travel sports, so finding ways to keep him entertained outside of the house isn't really a problem. It's that he can't seem to find ways to keep himself entertained inside the house that makes me wonder.

Like a PP, he does spend time annoying his younger brother. SO annoying. Younger brother seems capable of entertaining himself without screens all the time, so I was curious if it's partially age, or just older DS' personality. Or both.

Reads only when book is stapled to him. And eyes are propped open.


Sigh.

Thanks. Guess he's not abnormal.

I might suggest that with two travel sports what he really needs is down time? I can see how a kid ends up in 2 travel sports, so I am not questioning that, but with that much training plus homework, it may be ok that the rest of the time is vegging.