what does your middle schooler do after school if no activities?

[Anonymous]

DS gets home from school at 2:40pm. He has a sport 2-3x a week after school (but not until 630) so he has hours of free time. He would like to be chatting on discord with his friends the entire time...but it drives me insane. What does your MS kid do after school (assuming very little homework) if no activities?

[Anonymous]

Guessing you mean no FORMAL/SCHEDULED activities? They play basketball in the driveway, roller hockey in the street with neighbors, play instruments, play on the trampoline, go to nearby playground (usually bringing a younger sibling), hang out with me either running errands or doing chores or making dinner, walks the dog, etc.

[Anonymous]

I got home, grabbed a snack and did or finished my homework, I didn't ever get toouch. Then, I maybe sat down to watch a show then out the door to play with my friends. You seem to have a problem with your son having free time?

[Anonymous]

My MS son is on discord with his friends….

[Anonymous]

Mine usually napped and was then online playing or chatting with his friends. He ramped up his activities in HS to the point where I barely saw him junior and senior years. At 12, he was still not sure what his "thing" was. He wasn't into sports and his MS had mostly academic after-school activities that he hasn't interested in.

[Anonymous]

Snack, homework, then screens until dinner. No screens after dinner at our house.

[Anonymous]

Discord for many hours.

[Anonymous]

My 7th grade DS has the same schedule..home at 2:45, sports practice from 5:15-7:45 two weeknights, nothing the other weeknights.

On practice nights: he grabs a snack and does his homework (not much yet), plays with our puppy (house rule, we all rotate), and then he can do whatever he wants until he has to get ready for practice. Screen time is fine- sometimes will do that, other times shoot hoops etc. After practice, it’s shower snack and bed.

On non practice nights: snack and homework, plays with our puppy, does his chores (he has extra on non practice nights to make up for doing none on practice nights..usually takes 30min). Often tags along to a sibling’s sports game if there is one, where he usually finds other kids to hang out with (that is what he will be doing tonight). If siblings are home, often shoots hoops with his brother or jumps on the trampoline with his sister, plays wiffle ball with one of them etc. Screens are fine at home if all his responsibilities are completed and he has done something active.

I find late afternoons and evenings go by very fast by we have 3 DC and are always running. School starts early so kids are in bed by 9pm even the middle schooler (he is allowed to read if not tired).

[Anonymous]

Discord. Yours is in sports, that is an activity.

[Anonymous]

Snack, homework, watches The Office.

[Anonymous]

This is when having taken up an instrument years ago pays off. DD is at the level where she needs to practice an hour a day, every day, seriously. Then she has her animals to play with, outdoors and indoors, as well as books to read and crafts to make.

[Anonymous]

Still meeting friends at the pool as weather allows. Hangs with a neighborhood friend otherwise.

[Anonymous]

No activities that day - Snack, Homework, Screen time until dinner or goes outside to play with the little girl (6) who lives behind us and worships DD(12).

[Anonymous]

Sporty things outside with friends or brother. Walk into our small town with friends or brother. Homework, eat, some video games/tv, art. Kids also have a to do list every week (amount on it changes depending on school/activity load)…with things like reading, instrument practice, etc. allowance depends on completing the to do list.

[Anonymous]

My middle school son gets home at 3:30, and has soccer at 5 two days a week. Another day, he works with a private soccer trainer at 6. If he wants to sit on video games or dischord for an hour or so, I leave him alone. Not every second needs to be occupied with productive activity.