14 yr old wants to do nothing

[Anonymous]

Please tell me what your 14 yr old is doing this summer.

[Anonymous]

Not much

[Anonymous]

Various weeks of camp - adventure, academic, gaming, plus working as a counselor at a little kids’ camp. Two trips, too.

[Anonymous]

What kind of camps?

[Anonymous]

Never mind, I re-read it! Sorry. Does DC do them with friends?

[Anonymous]

I have two 14 year olds. One is doing two weeks of a half-day sports camp, and then nothing. The other is doing nothing. They sleep and play Fortnite. We will spend a week at the beach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never mind, I re-read it! Sorry. Does DC do them with friends?

Some with friends. Making new friends at others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two 14 year olds. One is doing two weeks of a half-day sports camp, and then nothing. The other is doing nothing. They sleep and play Fortnite. We will spend a week at the beach.

This is pretty much my 14 yo. Throw in binging on “The Office” on Netflix. And that’s his summer. So far, at least.

[Anonymous]

There’s a few awkward years between camps and working. My kid is also binge-watching The Office. I leave a list of chores every morning and as long as they’re done, I won’t change the Netflix password.

[Anonymous]

If you didn't enroll them in camp, what are they supposed to do? They can't get a job.

As long as (a few easy) chores are done, their rooms are clean, and they get up and dressed by 11 am my teens can do pretty much whatever they want when they're not at camp or on family vacation. The school year is so hectic and stressful they deserve the down time. DD has been watching a lot of British Bake-off. DS does who knows what on the internet, but he's also more likely to want to hang out with friends. I try to be available in the evenings to take them to the movies or to friends' since they can't drive yet.

I remember the pressure to make summer great and always being disappointed when it was hard to meet up with friends and make plans happen and being sad about it and feeling lame and friendless. I don't want my kids to feel that pressure or be bummed out that they're not on exciting summer adventures every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you didn't enroll them in camp, what are they supposed to do? They can't get a job.

As long as (a few easy) chores are done, their rooms are clean, and they get up and dressed by 11 am my teens can do pretty much whatever they want when they're not at camp or on family vacation. The school year is so hectic and stressful they deserve the down time. DD has been watching a lot of British Bake-off. DS does who knows what on the internet, but he's also more likely to want to hang out with friends. I try to be available in the evenings to take them to the movies or to friends' since they can't drive yet.

I remember the pressure to make summer great and always being disappointed when it was hard to meet up with friends and make plans happen and being sad about it and feeling lame and friendless. I don't want my kids to feel that pressure or be bummed out that they're not on exciting summer adventures every day.

They can get a job at 14. I had one. You need a workers permit with your parents permission.

[Anonymous]

My DS is doing academic camps this summer to fill in gaps of things he did not learn well this year (not a tiger mom--DS has SN's and needs the extra help to keep up). It's not all summer for him--it's two 2 week sessions (half days). The rest of the summer he is hanging out (he needs that downtime as well).

[Anonymous]

Working as a CIT at a day camp she went to for a few summers, then working one weekend morning each weekend, and babysitting some nights. She'll spend two weeks in Portland with her godmothers. In her free time she hangs out with friends or reads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you didn't enroll them in camp, what are they supposed to do? They can't get a job.

As long as (a few easy) chores are done, their rooms are clean, and they get up and dressed by 11 am my teens can do pretty much whatever they want when they're not at camp or on family vacation. The school year is so hectic and stressful they deserve the down time. DD has been watching a lot of British Bake-off. DS does who knows what on the internet, but he's also more likely to want to hang out with friends. I try to be available in the evenings to take them to the movies or to friends' since they can't drive yet.

I remember the pressure to make summer great and always being disappointed when it was hard to meet up with friends and make plans happen and being sad about it and feeling lame and friendless. I don't want my kids to feel that pressure or be bummed out that they're not on exciting summer adventures every day.

They can get a job at 14. I had one. You need a workers permit with your parents permission.

Who hires 14 year olds these days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you didn't enroll them in camp, what are they supposed to do? They can't get a job.

As long as (a few easy) chores are done, their rooms are clean, and they get up and dressed by 11 am my teens can do pretty much whatever they want when they're not at camp or on family vacation. The school year is so hectic and stressful they deserve the down time. DD has been watching a lot of British Bake-off. DS does who knows what on the internet, but he's also more likely to want to hang out with friends. I try to be available in the evenings to take them to the movies or to friends' since they can't drive yet.

I remember the pressure to make summer great and always being disappointed when it was hard to meet up with friends and make plans happen and being sad about it and feeling lame and friendless. I don't want my kids to feel that pressure or be bummed out that they're not on exciting summer adventures every day.

They can get a job at 14. I had one. You need a workers permit with your parents permission.

Who hires 14 year olds these days?

This. Work permit or not, nobody is going to hire a 14 year old unless he's a relative, friend of the family, or has a similar connection. There's always babysitting and yard work for money but I wouldn't force that on a kid who doesn't want to. The same goes for being a camp counselor. Don't make them do that all day if they hate it.