Jean in Newcastle Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 What do your teens do during their free time when they are home and not out with friends? And about how long do they spend doing those things? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 backyard Wiffleball ping pong Wii GameCube play catch w/a football or baseball look up baseball cards online watch tv shows online list/ship eBay items play Clash of Clans shoot baskets read and...EAT! I would guess most of those things are 30 min. to 1 hr., except for Wiffleball, which is an hr. or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Reading Homework Computer Chatting Animal care/walking dogs Weekends: Reading Homework Computer Chatting animal care/walking dogs Family activities/ cooking/shopping/meals/watching movies together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 2, 2013 Author Share Posted December 2, 2013 LL - chatting as in sitting down talking to you? or chatting as in chatting on online forums? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Read (all) Study and do homework (all) Discuss religion, philosophy, and politics with one another (boys) Talk to me (all) Write for fun (DS1, DS2, DS3) Research topics of interest in books and online (boys) Draw (DD) Have friends over (all) - everyone talks, DD and her friends play board games Sleep - it's an art form Eat and drink, over and over and over again! Participate in online forums in which they discuss religion, philosophy, politics (DS2, DS3) Participate in online forums about baseball (DS3) Watch tv shows and movies online (all) Watch youtube videos about makeup and hair (DD) Play Runescape w/boyfriend and his sister (DD) Play video games online (DS1, DS2 - don't know which ones) Read and listen to sermons online (DS2) Watch the Red Sox during baseball season (DS3) Learn another language (DS1) Talk to friends on Skype (DS1, DD) Talk to friends on FB (DD) Text friends (DD) Talk to boyfriend on the phone (DD) Play with Aidan (all) Bake or cook (DD, DS1) I don't know how long they do each thing because they are all over 18, so I don't time them. I do know that they seem to never stop talking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in NY Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 dd16 doesn't have a huge amount of free time. She loves when she can carve out time to do the following: reading creative writing playing music with bro (1/2 hr/day) working (part time job; 7-10hours/week... not really free time, but figured I would let you know what she's doing with those hours...) test prep ds13 has way too much free time on his hands! He could spend the entire day on Legos if I let him: building legos making lego images (stop motion movies or just images...) reading the Lego website reading playing music with sis (they're in a band and practice or play their own stuff) They each occasionally surf the web to a john green or nerfighters video, or catch a bbc show like dr. who or Sherlock... usually one episode at most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rieshy Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 An amalgamation of the general activity of my 3 teens during their fairly limited free time during the week: Read Pinterest Bake Cook Craft a project found on aforementioned Pinterest practice Martial Arts moves sparr with siblings (real sparring, with pads- this isn't code for fighting) annoy me so get sent off to do a chore errand run go for walks draw Play piano and sing sit around and chat with me drink tea and chat with me play loud music and dance around the house like nuts show me funny videos they found on utube Shadow box and shadow sword fight Wash and groom the dog One child likes to clean (how this happened I do not know) play card games or board games write and write and write I have no idea how long they do these things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 15yo reads paints draws watches way too many youtube videos watches movies works out plays video games with brother plays dance game on Wii helps me clean does her nails texts friends watches TV broods reads some more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy in Australia Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 DS17: scrambling to catch up on chores at home because he has taken on too many shifts at the local Masters (like your Home Depot) even though we-told-him-so, and sleeping. DS14: bird photography re-building remote control cars/trucks playing guitar Playstation game Depending on the day & how efficiently he did his schoolwork & chores, he could spend up to 3 hours a day on his hobbies (esp. the nature photography) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Neither of mine actually has large chunks of free time. However, when they do find themselves with time on their hands. . . My 18-year-old daughter: - watches YouTube stuff. She gets most of her news and current event information from YouTubers, and also follows some musicians and writers there. - reads, mostly fiction and lots of books about acting and theatre. - writes (although she almost never shows her work to anyone). - plans her life. She has a five-year plan and a 10-year plan, as well as lists of household goods to get when she has her first apartment and goodness-only-knows what else. - chats with friends online via Skype and/or Facebook. - crafts. She's currently working on a couple of crochet projects. - plays with the dog. - cooks/bakes. This is relatively new, but she's been enjoying learning to cook some basic things and to bake a bit. - does laundry and cleans her room and other necessary chores. She works two jobs, one of which is almost full-time during certain seasons, and auditions and rehearses for shows and takes voice lessons and participates in an acting class. So, she actually enjoys the one or one and a half days each week she has at home to clear the decks and catch up on things at home. My 15-year-old son: - reads. - eats. - reads while he eats. - plays some online games. - tinkers with duct tape and various other supplies. - practices tap moves. - listens to/memorizes music he likes. He's currently really into a capella groups and enjoys learning harmonies by watching/listening to YouTube videos (over and over) of his favorites. - rides his bike to the bookstore or to the grocery store for snacks. - texts with friends. - talks to his cat. - choreographs dance bits for himself. - watches movies. - eats while he watches movies. - practices magic and card tricks. - plays board games with whoever he can talk into joining him. I didn't even try to estimate how much time each teen spends on each activity. I don't make any attempt to keep track of my daughter's schedule, beyond when she has to be dropped off or picked up from work or a rehearsal and whether or not she'll be home for dinner. On an average weekday, my son might have an hour or so of free time between morning classes and the time he has to be at the dance studio. Some weekends, he might spend several hours each day doing one or more of the things I listed, while other weekends, he's booked with outside stuff (volunteering, dance rehearsals/competitions/conventions/performances, church youth group activities, etc.) and has little or no time for any of this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 homework talk and talk and talk chores play Magic: the Gathering play other board game clean room/do laundry build Legos or other project (occasional) Youtube/Facebook play video games watch movie/tv show chase each other around read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Read watch tv/movies hang out with friends play computer/video games bike to library go to corner store for snacks play with younger siblings art/craft project (mostly for dd1) take dog out chores for money nap (mostly for dd1) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 my teen will do nothing but sit at his computer all day long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 2, 2013 Author Share Posted December 2, 2013 my teen will do nothing but sit at his computer all day long. Which is why I'm asking. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 I try to keep him somewhat active - we do martial arts two-three times a week, and he's finally agreeing to go regularly to the church youth group, and doing some holiday choir too. He did get invited to go watch Dr Who with someone. Last year we did lego FTC, but it was 10 hours a week and he didnt get much out of it. There's no games or videos during 'school' hours, but he just reads comics on line. I cant totally cut him off because some of his school is on line. But I vacillate between wanted to force him to find somehting else to do, and recognizing that thats all _I_ want to do with my spare time, so i have no leg to stand on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 LL - chatting as in sitting down talking to you? or chatting as in chatting on online forums? yes, and to each other. But- My oldest dd does have a chat group, and I have this. My youngest doesn't but will Skype w/friends. My kids are in school, so there is quite a lot of homework these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 2, 2013 Author Share Posted December 2, 2013 I try to keep him somewhat active - we do martial arts two-three times a week, and he's finally agreeing to go regularly to the church youth group, and doing some holiday choir too. He did get invited to go watch Dr Who with someone. Last year we did lego FTC, but it was 10 hours a week and he didnt get much out of it. There's no games or videos during 'school' hours, but he just reads comics on line. I cant totally cut him off because some of his school is on line. But I vacillate between wanted to force him to find somehting else to do, and recognizing that thats all _I_ want to do with my spare time, so i have no leg to stand on. Ds does do martial arts two-three times a week too. And he volunteers at the library. And he goes to the teen center sometimes at the Y. And he has a friend that he jams with on his guitar on occasion. And when the weather is nice (which is not now) he does go outside. So it isn't ALL computer but it still seems way too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 16 yo boy: -eats -plays online games with friends -plays online games without friends -watches videos on YouTube -watches tv shows or movies on Roku apps -plays Xbox -reads -eats -draws -walks the dog -washes the dog (not as often as he should) -takes a bike ride -goes for a walk without the dog -hangs out and talks with me -plays with the cat -texts his friends -eats -rides his bike to a store to shop or browse -eats -looks up stuff online -tries to make things he saw online -eats -plans little projects, which could be anything from woodworking to building a cat condo with cardboard to, well I don't know. He just likes to make/build stuff. ETA: Plunks on his guitar. He doesn't play it much anymore, but still likes to pick it up now and then and just pick. Did I mention eats? :D You asked about free time, so I didn't include chores or school work of any kind. I won't even try to guess time spent on each activity. Sometimes he gets in a sloth mood and just wants to sit in front of the tv or computer, other times he wants to be on the move doing stuff. It evens out in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 I go through times when I think my teens are online too much, but then I try to step back and look at the situation from a broader perspective, taking into consideration things like: Is it the off-season for their sport? Is the weather poor? Is it a holiday time when there is naturally more free time? Am I seeing only the trees and not the forest??? :tongue_smilie: If I've assessed it and still think they are spending too much time online, I'll take steps to encourage other activites. It's hard because I want to let them grow and learn to be responsible for themselves while still encouraging them to not be online SO MUCH. Parenting ain't for sissies. Well, good parenting isn't, anyway. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 What do your teens do during their free time when they are home and not out with friends? And about how long do they spend doing those things? Let's see..... Last year our oldest daughter (who is now a college freshman): -Usually spent at least two hours daily practicing instruments. Often she spent more time than this in the lead up to her orchestra performance season. -Spent approximately an hour daily working on sports specific (soccer, equestrian eventing) conditioning and strength training. She spent more time than this on the days this included a run (and that required leaving the home as she has never been a fan of treadmill training) -Spent at least two hours daily completing assignments/projects/studying for outside courses -Slept at least eight hours a night -Outside of the home she attended: **a three hour orchestra rehearsal weekly [plus additional orchestra performances/tours] **one- two hour equestrian lesson with an advanced instructor **three- two hour riding/horse training sessions [plus several equestrian eventing meets per season] **two-two or three hour ODP soccer [plus six or seven tournaments and several player pool camps per year] **two college courses per academic semester Some might argue that this was not really free time but as our daughter selected her own activities and her own level of commitment to those activities she chose to spend her free time this way. Also when I type that I tend to wonder how she did that but she was very focused and organized so it worked somehow. She also knew that adequate sleep and taking time for adequate nutrition were non negotiables while she was living in our home (and she tells me that she is holding herself to that in college too--I hope she is). Perhaps to better answer your question a bit more sporadically when she had time over and above this she enjoyed: -Painting -Knitting blankets for Project Linus -Cooking Dinner with Mom or Dad (and often discussing everything and nothing depending on the moment/mood) -Baking with one of us or baking with her younger sisters in a supervisory and instructive manner -Playing Jenga (and beating her big brother) -Playing Twister (our kids have tournaments with their cousins) -Reading to her younger sisters -Reading mystery novels -Building Houses for Habitat with her Dad and older brothers -Recreationally riding with friends or siblings -Swimming -Teaching her great grandfather to play DDR (he has a little rhythm) -Hanging out with her boyfriend Our just turned fourteen year old daughter is focused in different ways. She is a competive L10 gymnast so she spends close to twenty hours of weekly "free time" in the gym in stalder to handstand or something similar. When she is home she enjoys: -Making jewelry -Reading Historical Fiction -Yoga (Sunday is multigenerational yoga day in our house which is where this started but she has gone a bit further on her own.) -Culinary Aptitude Cultivation (aka learning how to cook but she thinks this sounds cooler). She came into our family later and missed out on some of her "formative culinary years", as she calls them, but is quickly catching up. -Family twister tournaments -Discussions with my MIL (she currently aspires to grow up and become a judge like Grandma) -Playing with her younger siblings. She was an only child in her first family but really likes having little sisters and finds them incredibly fun and entertaining at times. -Catching up with one of her BFFs who moved away this summer via text/phone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassiemc Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 My almost 14 year old DS loves to spend his free time playing or writing music/playing computer games/playing with siblings/reading either a book or a website/playing with his cat. He works hard at swim team, household chores and school work, so his free time is just that, free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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