What do you do with your teens on the weekend?

[Anonymous]

Once your kids are teens do you still regularly do family activities with your kids on the weekends such as biking, ice skating, etc. or is it mainly just attending their sporting events and chauferring them to their friends houses?

[Anonymous]

Every situation is different. Do what works for you.

[Anonymous]

I have a 17 and 12 year old. We still do family activities. Sometimes my 17 year old is doing something else (work, sport, etc) but if he's around than he participates. I don't think this will ever change, my husband and I will always do activites on the weekend. The kids may not always be around or available but that won't change what we are doing.

[Anonymous]

We still do regular activities with our high schoolers but only now and then. We still have regular meals together but go hiking, to the movies, to a museum, etc. only now and then now.

[Anonymous]

During the school year, my teenagers use the weekend to rest from sports and school (unless they have a sports event). Thus, we for the most part keep things pretty calm. We watch shows together, go out for coffee, run errands together etc but the kids are mostly free to rest, catch up on homework, and see friends. We always have meals together unless they're out. It works well for us.

[Anonymous]

We go to the pool in the summertime, go to the driving range or golfing, hiking if it's nice, go out for dinner together, farmers market, etc. Depends on the time of year and what sports they're involved with at the time.

[Anonymous]

We do stuff, but usually it's for less time. When the kids were little, we might spend all day with them at museums or a park or whatever. Now they are older, we might just take them for ice cream and then they are doing their separate things. But, we do try to squeeze in some family time, even for short times or even with just one of them if only one is around. Way more family time in the summer because my kids are less busy - during the school year, it's usually running around to their activities.

[Anonymous]

On Saturdays we leave at 8am to go volunteer, then we go to brunch. Last year we were going to ice skating but then DD stopped. She's going to start up again this fall but I'm not sure if that'll be on the weekend. Then we do errands and then go home. Saturday night is the only night she can have a sleepover so she might do that.

On Sundays she may get together with friends for a few hours. I like to drag her food shopping so she can pick out stuff to eat, and we have great talks while we're walking there and back. We usually cook together on Sundays too.

[Anonymous]

We try, but they usually decline. Sometimes if the activity is interesting enough they will want to come along, or if it's a big enough deal for the entire family we might insist that they join us.

[Anonymous]

They want to chill as much as possible on weekends. My sophomore has an activity every Saturday morning she has to get up early for and she gets home for a late lunch. Middle schooler has a busy week but no weekend activities. The both just want "me time" for themselves. Oldest dd is very protective of her Sunday mornings because at her only day to sleep in during the school year.

Some things are non negotiable, but mostly we try to do 1 family activity that takes us out of the house a month on a Saturday or Sunday. We do movie nights and game nights at home and they're pretty agreeable to that. DH and I have been taking advantage of them wanting to stay home and enjoying more date nights.

[Anonymous]

We chill. Sit on the porch and talk. Maybe go out to our favorite restaurant. Make jokes. Laugh. Someone is always playing the piano or the flute, or both. The cat tries to ambush us (that's a daily occurrence). We just enjoy being together.

[Anonymous]

This past weekend, my 15 year old and I were on a short trip and we had a great time. During the summer at home, we go to the pool, go out for lunch, cook dinner together, and whatever else sounds good. During the school year, I focus on keeping the weekends pretty quiet. She needs the time to work on homework, sleep, and she has a pretty busy social life of her own.

[Anonymous]

DD (12) likes to go to the farmers' market with me on Saturdays. DS (14) and I often bake together. We will watch a movie together on Friday or Saturday night, each person in the family takes turns picking what we watch. DS and DH bond over playing videogames together. I try to plan something for all of us to do out of the house about once a month.

[Anonymous]

Is anyone else annoyed by all this perfectness? Piano playing? Hiking together? Deep talks at farmers market?

[Anonymous]

yes! PP - ours are not so excited. My teens like watching movies, ordering pizza and buying expensive stuff at the mall they don't really need! But have fun at the farmers market!