Teenagers sitting at home

[veer]

There are no doubt parents of teenagers here. How did it go with you and the children?
Robbe (22) has a few friends (not that much), he does have moments that he is never home and sometimes he is often alone here.
When I ask to go for a walk or do something else, I always get a no. He likes to do shopping: D
I understand that you don't always want to go out with your parents, but watching TV all day isn't it either.
How did that work at your home?

 

[VickiStegall]

We got pretty lucky with Alyx. He's pretty agreeable and will typically do whatever we ask - but he's not a self starter, so we do have to tell him more than I'd like.

 

[AnikA68]

Both of my children are always, really always at home and don´t go out. My daugher (19) had holidays now for a week and only went to a restaurant with her girl friend once. My son is a Pc gamer and spend all his free time at the PC. They both have a car, could do a lot of trips, but they are always at home. But to be honest, in this world we live, it´s ok for me. My son only go to Mc drive and get us some food *lool*.

 

[Madi]

the same here,

Haye, 20, is ioften on his computer/playstation, he loves games
and on his mobile he watches youtube or netflix.

he likes going out with friends, but he can be alone very well.
Now he just enjoyed 2 weeks vacation, and as of today uni starts again so he uses his laptop for studies.

He is doing well with study and sports (swimming 2 times a week and running once a week) so I have no problems with it.

 

[faerywings]

Both of my "kids" (20 and 22) are college students but live at home. They spend most of their time, either on campus in classes or at home studying and both of them work. They both have long-term SO's (5 years and years together) so they split some of that downtime with them.
Thankfully, when they are home we spend a lot of time together as a family. We sit down for dinner most nights together. We love to play games too- Pictionary, Cranium, Oregon Trail, etc.
Once the weather gets nicer, Caitlyn and I will take the "one out of three dogs who likes to walk" for walks and both kids get a kick out of watching her swim in the lake by my house.

I am really lucky to have them here and happy to be here.

 

[veer]

We got pretty lucky with Alyx. He's pretty agreeable and will typically do whatever we ask - but he's not a self starter, so we do have to tell him more than I'd like.

Yes, here too, we have to "ask" everything, it does nothing on its own. Yes he brushes his own car every week and if he could he would brush it every day:bounce:

 

[veer]

Both of my children are always, really always at home and don´t go out. My daugher (19) had holidays now for a week and only went to a restaurant with her girl friend once. My son is a Pc gamer and spend all his free time at the PC. They both have a car, could do a lot of trips, but they are always at home. But to be honest, in this world we live, it´s ok for me. My son only go to Mc drive and get us some food *lool*.

Goh it"s not that Robbe is always at home, but when he is at home, he is just lying there. But yes we are from another generation, and they think that is exactly normal.
I understand that it is nowhere safe anymore, but yes, we cannot keep locking ourselves up

 

[veer]

the same here,

Haye, 20, is ioften on his computer/playstation, he loves games
and on his mobile he watches youtube or netflix.

he likes going out with friends, but he can be alone very well.
Now he just enjoyed 2 weeks vacation, and as of today uni starts again so he uses his laptop for studies.

He is doing well with study and sports (swimming 2 times a week and running once a week) so I have no problems with it.

Robbe has never exercised, did not even use his bike after high school:bounce:

 

[veer]

Both of my "kids" (20 and 22) are college students but live at home. They spend most of their time, either on campus in classes or at home studying and both of them work. They both have long-term SO's (5 years and years together) so they split some of that downtime with them.
Thankfully, when they are home we spend a lot of time together as a family. We sit down for dinner most nights together. We love to play games too- Pictionary, Cranium, Oregon Trail, etc.
Once the weather gets nicer, Caitlyn and I will take the "one out of three dogs who likes to walk" for walks and both kids get a kick out of watching her swim in the lake by my house.

I am really lucky to have them here and happy to be here.

Robbe also goes for a walk with the dog, only after fifteen minutes he is back. :laugh:

 

[Danesa]

I guess I'm showing my age (yikes) but when my girls were teens, the internet was not huge then so they were always out with friends, school activities, sports, etc. When I see them now, though, I have the feeling they would be in front of a phone, iPad or computer most of the time if given the opportunity. I think its not the age, that allows for all the non-outside things, because I'm more guilty of sitting inside than I should. Ok..I've motivated myself, I'm going to get back into my 4 mile hikes everyday...when I return from Florida next week.

 

[felis]

I guess I'm showing my age (yikes) but when my girls were teens, the internet was not huge then so they were always out with friends, school activities, sports, etc. When I see them now, though, I have the feeling they would be in front of a phone, iPad or computer most of the time if given the opportunity. I think its not the age, that allows for all the non-outside things, because I'm more guilty of sitting inside than I should. Ok..I've motivated myself, I'm going to get back into my 4 mile hikes everyday...when I return from Florida next week.

I'm so agree whit Danesa! In present days the real friends are online, and you finally you aren't limited to choose from people around most of which you dislike. You probably are hear this saying: "If something isn't on Instagram it's not happen at all!" :laugh:
But still, just because of the online life, this don't excludes possibilities for depression, which is very common these days too.
In my opinion (as I'm been affected from both in different moments) if he lie a front of the screen, he gets more fun online, and don't want to waste energy offline. But if just lie down and staring at random TV without any concrete interests and passion, complaining of lack of energy, and motivation. Than maybe it's something more serious as depression.

 

[veer]

totally agree, he has hundreds of friends online, but yes also when I look at it that way on fb :biggrin1:

 

[Jeannette]

I have three kids. The oldest is home most of the time, she has a depression and is being treated for that. She also has a food disorder and a social anxiety. It hurts to know she is in her room so much, although there is some improvement. She does spent more time with her friends. She is a gamer, and she does have online contacts with other gamers. I so wish she would go back to school, go study or at least get a job. But somehow she's not ready for it yet. She is 20.

My second daughter has lots of friends. She's going out a lot. They go to the movies, go swimming, shopping, drinking coffee or whatever while sitting on terrace and once in a while go out to clubs and bars in the city. She is 19.

My son has his scooter, which he loves. It's an old one and he loves to work on it. He is more friends then I can count. He is the kind of kid who gets along with everyone. He's a gamer too, but prefers to go out with his friends. He's 17, hardly ever tells what he's going to do. He's like: I'm gong to my friend, chilling, and then later turns out to have been who knows where. Luckily he has never gotten in trouble, so I let him go. He's very independent. I always say he is born independent, but he is a great kid, always willing to help.

I guess I'm a lucky mom, although I do worry a lot about my oldest. It also worries me a lot that there are so many kids these days who have issues likes loneliness, depressions etc. Here in the Netherlands the most loneliness is amongst young people. Even more than amongst the old. That scares me. I believe we put (schools, government, society and parents) too much pressure on our kids. They have to grow up way too fast.

 

[timounette]

I know what you live !
But my children are teenager... and I hope they will stop before 22 yo ;-((