Free time?

[Kirsten in MO]

Hi,

 

I was wondering how much "free" time your kids have (high schoolers) after all their required school work and extra curricular activities (e.g. swim team, instrument practice, Boy Scouts) are completed?

 

My boys complain that they don't have enough "free" time to do what they want, even to the point of complaining if their dad has them do chores for three or four hours on Saturday. I'm starting to get a little fed up with their attitude, but am wondering if I am expecting too much. How much free time is appropriate?

 

My boys are 11 (he doesn't complain), 14, and 15.

 

Thanks for your input!

Kirsten

[mcconnellboys]

My son does swim team stuff about 12 hours a week, is a junior taking college prep classes, has assigned chores at home, is learning to drive, is in a drama group that meets 3.5 hours weekly (with 30 hours volunteer work for the year), has 20 hours of volunteer work to complete for school, and takes a weekly guitar lesson. He still manages to have time to play music with various groups of friends, go to friends' houses or a local internet gaming place for video game play, watches tv, movies, sports, and regularly aggrevates both his father and I by attempting to wrestle with us (we're too old)...... So I tend to think that you're not being unreasonable.....

[SonshineLearner]

We have a 16 year old and a 13 year old (both with us for two weeks on and two weeks off....)

They have some chore everyday, plenty of school work, and work between 3-6 hours every Saturday they're with us. (Some of the work is fairly hard.) Sometimes the have to do more.... (and 10 and 5 that work, too!)

Carrie:-)