Does your older teen do anything besid staying up late?

[Anonymous]

It sounds like your daughter has little too much freedom and power over you.

Teens staying up a little later in the summer is one thing. Staying up regularly until 5am, sleeping until noon, and saying ridiculous stuff like "I don't feel well because I went to bed early at 2:30am" is absurd (and it's absurd that you take this seriously).

My kid is 14 going into 9th grade. He's been alternating weeks working as a CIT and staying home (various sports things, helping pack for a move, seeing friends). He wakes up around 7am, earlier if he wants to run for his sport (this is his choice, and I realize it's not typical). We ask him to be in bed by 10 on a weeknight and if he's not in bed by 11 on a weekend we say something, most nights. There are exceptions but 5am is out of the question (1am is out of the question unless it's a sleepover for an older kid!).

If he wants to order Door Dash he has some gift cards. But we also don't allow him to order it willy nilly.

[Anonymous]

My 15yo has a job. She goes to bed just a little later than during the school year, goes to her job, hangs out with friends and reads a ton.

[Anonymous]

My 15 yo isn’t allowed to order food to be delivered if we are all home and certainly not when I’m sleeping. He has a temporary summer job and is taking an online class. We will spend two weeks traveling. He’s looking for a permanent part time job that can continue during the school year.

He’s often online until 11-12 and I don’t monitor this anymore but it’s rarely later than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 15 year old is doing health/PE, hanging out with friends, volunteering at a food bank, and learning to drive. He’s off his phone and computer around 12am or so on his own usually. Occasionally he might have a late night (there’s a girl he’s been talking to who works late so sometimes they text after she’s done with her shift) but that’s only once in a while.

How is online PE? is a lot of work? Do they need to walk around and how about the Drivers Ed part?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 15 year old is doing health/PE, hanging out with friends, volunteering at a food bank, and learning to drive. He’s off his phone and computer around 12am or so on his own usually. Occasionally he might have a late night (there’s a girl he’s been talking to who works late so sometimes they text after she’s done with her shift) but that’s only once in a while.

How is online PE? is a lot of work? Do they need to walk around and how about the Drivers Ed part?

DP and I love online PE. Makes my kid actually have to get up and move during the summer. (She’s not an athlete nor a fan of exercise in general.) She has to log 1.5 to 2 hours of activity per day. Not a lot of work otherwise. A short health-related Zoom every day with some easy assignments.

And there’s no driver’s ed component. We’ll have to figure out that part separately.

[Anonymous]

He's a year younger (14), but is a CIT at a half day sports camp. He is hoping to be hired by the same camp next year when he is 15, also for a half day. He's on a summer sports team, and at my insistence, does minimal volunteer work (1-2 hours per week), and visits with his younger cousin for 1-2 hours per week.
Despite all this, he does stay up insanely late, but he's doing all that I ask him to do, so I let it go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ordering food? Oh hell to the no. How is that getting paid for?

We allow her to spend up to $60 a week in food.

Are you out of your mind? That is a lot of money for food!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glad this post exists - our 15 year old has also been doing a lot of ounging and playing video games (but does have chores and spends his own money on stuff). We realized we were not on our game when friends told us their 15 year olds had jobs this summer (coaching soccer, restaurant and fast food jobs). We have 3 weeks to fill and it's looking bleak.
Anyone have ideas for good volunteer gigs? I like the idea of online courses or preparing for driving.

How to 15 year olds get a restaurant job without a connection? It took my 18 year old weeks to find a summer job.

[Anonymous]

What jobs do your 15 year olds have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What jobs do your 15 year olds have?

I posted that mine has temp summer work. Dog walking and pet sitting when neighbors are away on weekend trips or short vacations. He lined up 4 jobs already this summer. It’s not consistent but he’s very busy when he’s doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 18 and 16. Phones are hung up at midnight and they go to sleep. Sleep hygiene is so important.

I just don’t understand families where there are no rules around phone use, etc.

Same, my niece is allowed to stay up all night with unlimited access to her phone. She's struggling with anxiety and depression. I'm sure non stop tiktok at all hours of the night doesn't help.

[Anonymous]

It's my 15-year olds last "free summer" . I was relishing in the fact he was out riding his bike and hanging with friends all day outdoors and he mows the lawns of 5 different neighbors to make $. He has sports practice 3 nights per week. And he is in an hour of math review 2-3 hours per week.

Next summer it will be 20-30 hours of a summer job in addition to sports practice like his brother did after Sophomore year.

We have really drastically cut down his iphone and electronic access. My kids have always had to plug in laptops and phones on the kitchen counter before bed. Absolutely no phones/laptops in room at night.

The late nights have been the three of us binging shows on Netflix. My husband and I WAH and have a more relaxed start time without the school rush which will start in 5 weeks. My older son (17) is usually out seeing friends in person until midnight.

[Anonymous]

Mine did the same, turned out to be decent, functional and successful. Do offer advice and alternatives to be more productive but don't pick fights over it.

[Anonymous]

Highschoolers have so much work and stress during school year, they can slow down in summer.

[Anonymous]

Hormones are partly responsible for late bedtime and late rising. Look it up to put things in perspective.