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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do any of your kids just go............outside........and....play?

I would LOVE my kids to go out and play but no one is ever home because parents put their kids in 5 activities a week. I agree about boredom. If only tiger moms would stop over scheduling their kids and helicopter moms would let their tween/teens outside on their own. We are depriving our kids of so much by scheduling their every move or screens in their face. Seriously. Kids need more autonomy and free time.

My sons are in "5 activites a week" and they always play outside. They play manhunt, basketball, street hockey, soccer, go to the creek, fish at the local pond. The original question was what do they do to "entertain themselves" and I would only say my son will walk the dog and read a magazine or the sports page. But "play out side" all the time.

Most kids that do sports are home by 8pm ... except hockey (teens get the later ice time), they are teens so they are out and about until 10 or 11 on the weekend. I think 8-11 with friends is enough hang out time.

I am sorry but I highly doubt your 13yr old child goes to school, has an activity every day, does all his homework and still goes out to the pond or to play manhunt.

He can't the 2 or 3 nights he has practice. But he has 1 study hall and 1 hour after school before I pick him up. Even on a bad Haw night, which is 2 more hours, he has 2 hours to hang with friends. Also, he has tons of time Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do any of your kids just go............outside........and....play?

I would LOVE my kids to go out and play but no one is ever home because parents put their kids in 5 activities a week. I agree about boredom. If only tiger moms would stop over scheduling their kids and helicopter moms would let their tween/teens outside on their own. We are depriving our kids of so much by scheduling their every move or screens in their face. Seriously. Kids need more autonomy and free time.

My sons are in "5 activites a week" and they always play outside. They play manhunt, basketball, street hockey, soccer, go to the creek, fish at the local pond. The original question was what do they do to "entertain themselves" and I would only say my son will walk the dog and read a magazine or the sports page. But "play out side" all the time.

Most kids that do sports are home by 8pm ... except hockey (teens get the later ice time), they are teens so they are out and about until 10 or 11 on the weekend. I think 8-11 with friends is enough hang out time.

My DS (13) is not finished with sports by 8--don't know what teams your kids are on. Soccer is done by 9. Hockey home by 11--horrid. He's too young (IMO) to 'hang out' with friends until 11 at night. No local pond or creek (where do you live?) .

[Anonymous]

Q for OP:

Do YOU? I don't. I unwind on the iPad or in front of the TV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Q for OP:

Do YOU? I don't. I unwind on the iPad or in front of the TV.

OP isn't 13. Children and adults aren't expected to engage in the same behaviours. I'd expect this line of reasoning from a child, not an adult.

"But yyyyyoouuuu do iiiiittttttt"

[Anonymous]

What's wrong with shooting hoops outside? Most 13 year old boys don't read for fun. And what kind of games do you expect a 13 year old to play by himself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do any of your kids just go............outside........and....play?

I would LOVE my kids to go out and play but no one is ever home because parents put their kids in 5 activities a week. I agree about boredom. If only tiger moms would stop over scheduling their kids and helicopter moms would let their tween/teens outside on their own. We are depriving our kids of so much by scheduling their every move or screens in their face. Seriously. Kids need more autonomy and free time.

My sons are in "5 activites a week" and they always play outside. They play manhunt, basketball, street hockey, soccer, go to the creek, fish at the local pond. The original question was what do they do to "entertain themselves" and I would only say my son will walk the dog and read a magazine or the sports page. But "play out side" all the time.

Most kids that do sports are home by 8pm ... except hockey (teens get the later ice time), they are teens so they are out and about until 10 or 11 on the weekend. I think 8-11 with friends is enough hang out time.

My DS (13) is not finished with sports by 8--don't know what teams your kids are on. Soccer is done by 9. Hockey home by 11--horrid. He's too young (IMO) to 'hang out' with friends until 11 at night. No local pond or creek (where do you live?) .

You think 11 is too late to hang out on Friday and Saturday night? Since the parents are usually on a deck socializing I don't think it is a big deal. Kids are in/out running around in our neighborhood.

Your DS has games on the weekend that go past 8? Well then he has all day to hang out with friends, soccer and lacrosse games are rarely after 6 pm. We live in Darnestown, close to lake/pond and canal.

[Anonymous]

To 17:49 - it's different with teens. They have enough homework, so forcing a 13 year old boy to read is an exercise in futility. My point about screen time is that many adults unwind on the iPad or with TV...and it's ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do any of your kids just go............outside........and....play?

I would LOVE my kids to go out and play but no one is ever home because parents put their kids in 5 activities a week. I agree about boredom. If only tiger moms would stop over scheduling their kids and helicopter moms would let their tween/teens outside on their own. We are depriving our kids of so much by scheduling their every move or screens in their face. Seriously. Kids need more autonomy and free time.

My sons are in "5 activites a week" and they always play outside. They play manhunt, basketball, street hockey, soccer, go to the creek, fish at the local pond. The original question was what do they do to "entertain themselves" and I would only say my son will walk the dog and read a magazine or the sports page. But "play out side" all the time.

Most kids that do sports are home by 8pm ... except hockey (teens get the later ice time), they are teens so they are out and about until 10 or 11 on the weekend. I think 8-11 with friends is enough hang out time.

My DS (13) is not finished with sports by 8--don't know what teams your kids are on. Soccer is done by 9. Hockey home by 11--horrid. He's too young (IMO) to 'hang out' with friends until 11 at night. No local pond or creek (where do you live?) .

You think 11 is too late to hang out on Friday and Saturday night? Since the parents are usually on a deck socializing I don't think it is a big deal. Kids are in/out running around in our neighborhood.

Your DS has games on the weekend that go past 8? Well then he has all day to hang out with friends, soccer and lacrosse games are rarely after 6 pm. We live in Darnestown, close to lake/pond and canal.

Yes, I think 11 is too late for a 13 yr old to be out running around. We don't live in Darnestown, no idea where that is.

No games past 8, practices during week end at 9. Isn't that what we were talking about?

[Anonymous]

My 10-yr old son is crazy about tennis, and we have courts in the common area behind the house, so six months a year he plays tennis with his father several times a week. He also rides his bike or plays basketball/soccer with neighborhood kids sometimes. Winter is harder. We do have a ping pong table in the basement, which we use several times a week. We also try to do legos with him or invite friends over to play board games. But there is definitely more requests for screen time in the winter, and it is hard to always say no.

[Anonymous]

sadly. yes. alone. in his room....