purplejackmama Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 What does your 12 year old son do all day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 I'm assuming you mean when we're not doing school. :D He loves to play Minecraft and various games on his phone or the Wii. He loves Nerf darts and building with various things (Zoobs, Legos, etc.). Sometimes he'll actually choose to read (thank you, Harry Potter!) but not terribly often. When it's not boiling hot outside, he'll go back to the creek or ride his scooter. I wish he'd spend less time playing on his phone, but I'm not too stressed about it. We put in a lot of hours for school, and he does aikido twice a week along with doing some youth group stuff, so he's social and active enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 Specifically during school breaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 It's been a few years but ds did a lot of legos, nerf guns, board games like Risk and Stratego, some computer games though I think this was during our computer fast (due to some addiction issues so it was limited to brain games like Tetris), making models, robotics, bike riding, hiking, taekwando, reading, writing (he was in a writing club where the kids all shared their work with each other). . . . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 He watches too much TV (nature documentaries and the Hardy Boy Series). He makes (complicated) paper airplanes - using up my supply of scrap paper and tape - and then tries to break the World Record. He'll have a couple sessions of swim lessons sometime this summer. He'll go to a special day camp week on Musicals. He'll go to an Audubon sleep away camp. He'll play frisbee and go on hikes. This is when we aren't doing summer school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 My 12 year old boy spends a lot of time playing with Legos, reading, playing online games, shooting Nerf guns, or building models. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Legos, gaming, building things, planning things, playing outside, nerf battles and training his bunny. He spends quite a bit of time with his bunny. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeteranMom Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 My 12 and 13 year old boys play on their kindles, play video games, eat, watch tv, etc. I have gotten good at not allowing too much sedentary activity this summer, though. When I see them sit for too long I give them yard work to do or I get them to the gym to shoot hoops. Also, I got a badminton set this week and they've been spending time playing with that. I try to have some social stuff for them to do, too, and have them set up time with their friends. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Mostly sits up in trees watching Netflix Twilight Show episodes. Tomorrow he will be painting his sister's room. (I'm paying him $20.) He plays hackey sack with his siblings, basketball with his brother, and Clash of Clans. If he has wood, he builds things sometimes. He tags along with his dad (small business owner). He has one of our old unactivated iphones that he uses to play games on. He sits with the cat in his room. He mows (riding mower so it is fun). He helps out my dh with his records for the business (for small amounts of pay). He goes over to friends' houses sometimes or to the baseball game with friends sometimes. He likes to eat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 Thank you so much for all your replies. I'm trying not to be THAT mom as I ponder how much screen time is too much. :/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 plays minecraft (in the summer maybe 2 hours a day unless we're out and about), reads but only at night when he's in bed (this makes me sad), plays some soccer game on his ipad, draws a LOT, plays cards, helps dad in the yard (weeding, watering, planting), plays in the pool, goes to his friend's house where they play minecraft and go in the woods, cooks with me, organizes his Evernote and One Note (he's been playing around with different organizing apps for next year becaue he'll be taking 3 online classes), does one hour of Geometry a day (he got behind when he took AoPS) and 45 minutes of Physical Science, goes to TKD twice a week, goes to gym with me twice a week, watched minecraft youtube videos, watches Psych. goes to water park or beach once a week....... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Legos, reading, dive team, swimming and goofing around with friends in the pool, a few camps (robotics and marine science), family vacations, nerf gun wars, biking, occassional board games, whittling/carving, helping DH with carpentry projects, computer games on the weekend for two hours/weekend day only. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewber Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Mine went through a phase where he was on a screen way too much! He found some new apps he enjoyed and they were a focus. Drove me crazy! Now he's back into Legos, building a RC car, flying RC Helicopters, running, riding bikes in the neighborhood, playing basketball. He went through a Magic trick phase this summer and learned some pretty cool ones on YouTube. He goes through phases. I try to not worry too much about the screen because it does seem to pass just like every other phase for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnae Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Plays soccer, goes to soccer practice, watches soccer on TV, watches soccer on youtube... I think he's obsessed. Oh, and every once in a while he jumps in the pool.Schedule 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Right now my 12 year old is into making survival bracelets -- he's taught himself all kinds of different weaves and incorporates many different kinds of supplies, from medical to fire starters, fish hooks, etc. He's been spending most of his free time making those, although we're still officially doing school, so he doesn't have all that much time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Mine game a good bit, read books, swim, play around making stop action videos, talk my ears off and empty my pantry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Mine reads and hangs out with me. He'll spend an hour or maybe two playing video games (car racing), especially if it's rainy. He runs track and does swim lessons, and gets together with friends when they aren't in camp. He'll watch the Tour de France when that starts up. Around the house he mostly just does whatever I'm doing. And yes, eats. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 My 12YO watches weird Youtube video series, Good Mythical Morning for example. He also plays on his tablet, makes annoying voices with his older brother, spends a lot of time teaching himself to play the piano...he does chores for me, sometimes he will go outside...I'm still reading Harry Potter out loud through the summer, so he listens to that as well. Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 I'm mean mom. My son is limited to an hour of screen time a day. Other than that he works out (short run, push ups, crunches, etc.) for TKD/scout merit badge four or five times a week. He does his chores. Sometimes he does his piano practice time. ;-) He works on merit badge stuff. He reads a lot. He has some electronics kits he's working on (soldering stuff). He hangs with friends (usually involving Pokemon or Nerf sword fighting). We volunteer (food pantry normally, but the kids signed up without promoting to help with the little kids summer reading activities). We swim. We hit the teen library activities. He has TKD a couple times a week. And scouts. And helping with Eagle Scout projects. He mows the lawn once a week. We're doing the Bible Bee this summer and that's a solid hour or more a day. He bakes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Soccer, fishing, capture the flag, swimming in the summer, more soccer, goes to the movies with soccer teammates, watches soccer games on TV or computer, tennis, soccer, kayaking, running, reading, soccer game on iTouch, soccer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 I found that scheduling screen time and sticking to it allows for time to discover other interests. Once you know the screen is not an option it's easier to talk about other fun things to do. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessReplanted Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 He spends a lot of time in his room practicing his guitar, listening to music, reading, or building with legos. He cuts grass - for us and 2 other people. He volunteers at the library 4 hours per week. He helps dad with work & various projects. He helps with chores. He does like to play video games & watch movies, but we try to limit it. One of our biggest issues at this stage has been finding good friends. I feel like it's easy to keep him busy, but finding good friends to spend time with has just been so hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 When my ds was that age, his passions were guitar and video. He loved to make movies with his friends. And Minecraft. They were early beasts at Minecraft (that was several years ago -- he's almost 18 now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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