Cranking out coding/tech certifications.

Schedule a day trip of two each week. I'm a teacher too and we would do one day trip every week. It gave us something to look forward to.

Why don’t you just let your girls get bored, OP? Boredom can be a good thing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

None of their friends are within walking distance so when they do get together, I think it just feels too formal or structured and they feel pressured to entertain/figure out what to do for a certain number of hours. When I was their age, my friends and I could just walk or ride bikes to each other's houses. It was usually spontaneous and we would just go home whenever we ran out of stuff to do. we didn't have the pressure of keeping each other entertained until someone's mom picked them up. We didn't usually schedule sleepovers. We would just ask our parents if we could whenever we were still having too much fun to let it end.

I think you are too hung up on this part. Seeing as you don't live in a walkable neighborhood, they are going to need to structure stuff. And it can still be structured and spontaneous.

It's not that I'm hung up on the unstructured/independent activities. I just don't need suggestions for the other stuff. We do plenty of outings during the week and our weekends are very full. I just need suggestions for their downtime. I can't take them to do stuff 24/7!

Um, why are you trying to structure free time for 12 and 14 year old girls? They can figure out something to do for themselves (not screen time) or you find something (not usual chores, larger projects, like painting the shed or cleaning out the attic). I guarantee that you will have two girls who will be happy to get out of your hair and entertain themselves!

Me: two tweens, close in age, somewhat introverted.

My more athletic child will be involved in: Swim team, gymnastics, and a Cheer camp
My other child will be in a dance camp
Both will be doing an Academic camp and a Church camp
We will stay at a relative's cabin
Travel to a state they've never been to
We hope to do some volunteer work but not sure as still considered too young.
Down time: sleeping in, playing with pets, hanging with friends (wish there were more, but our neighborhood is lacking in the kid dept.)
I will be requiring them to: do chores, practice an instrument, read, summer bridging activities, and continue to learn a foreign language (all inhouse, no outsourcing).
If it were up to them, they would just do the sports and church camps, sleep, and play their favorite video games for hours on end.

^Not the Op - just clarifying. I'm a SAHM. My own kids have typically spent their summers doing both structured and non structured activities.

Anonymous wrote:In your situation, I would sign them up to be camp counsel ore in training somewhere.

The summer will be spent with them inside watching tv or lounging around and you frustrated.

I spent all my summers unstructured. It sucked and was boring when I got older then 10 but was too young to work. I honestly have no good memories of those summers just long stretches of boredom. I too was an introvert but my mom should have tried harder to have friends over. I didn't initiate but would have happily hung out with friends. No kids in our neighborhood I was friends with either.

Last summer was spent selling a house and moving. So my kids really didn't get much of a summer. It was all work, no play. This summer is going to be the opposite of that. My kids have earned some down time to do whatever they want to do and they are going to get it. You don't get too many opportunities like that in life. If they want to do a camp or some sort of activity they have that option of course. But it'll be up to them.

They are not going to spend their summer locked up in the house playing video games. They will be out and about doing things, going places and seeing/making friends.

In your situation, I would sign them up to be camp counsel ore in training somewhere.

The summer will be spent with them inside watching tv or lounging around and you frustrated.

I spent all my summers unstructured. It sucked and was boring when I got older then 10 but was too young to work. I honestly have no good memories of those summers just long stretches of boredom. I too was an introvert but my mom should have tried harder to have friends over. I didn't initiate but would have happily hung out with friends. No kids in our neighborhood I was friends with either.

Mine did swim team during the summer. Bike rides to/from swim practice every morning. An hour of laps/practice. Add in the meets and socials - they were kept busy!

This year they are done with swim team. Not too much planned yet. It's going to be an unstructured, relax and breath sort of summer. Next summer the oldest will probably be getting a summer job and he'll need to take SAT test prep. The youngest will likely have some more structured activity to keep him occupied.

This summer we relax, explore, do some group book reading...chill.

Anonymous wrote:Makercamp.com seems like they could do independent projects afew home but still be part of a community

Thank you!!

Gardening, learn a new craft, and cooking are great ideas. What about some regular volunteer work?

Some of the jr high/early high school girls in my neighborhood host a weeklong camp for neighborhood kids. It is the highlight of summer for the little ones. They plan lots of outdoor games and choreograph dances and skits.

You can't really have it both ways, you raised them for years not doing things and not being active and then you complain they don't know how to do stuff and aren't active.... what did you expect?

People put their kids in camps, even stay at home moms, not because they don't want to spend time with them but because it's good for them. They learn new things, make new friends besides kids from school, gain skills they can apply to their downtime, etc.

Finished basement:

Ping pong table
Pool table
Fooz ball
Air hockey table

Musical instruments if anyone plays.

Big table and lots of board games.

You've got the Xbox.

Invite kids over and provide snacks. It will become the fun hangout place.

Make everyone in charge of dinner 1 night a week. They need to plan the menu and make it...possibly shop too.

Make a list of summer activities like the $1 movies, special events at the library (even for teens), plan weekly trips into the city.

Where do you live? I would be looking at the Department of Recreation activities.