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Help with teenage boys...

AyedavanitaAyedavanita Posts: 1,443
in All Encompassing Trip
I have three boys, ages 12, 14 and 17. I want to find something to do with them as a family and as they get older it's harder to find stuff they will enjoy. They aren't fans of the beach like I am, they don't like camping like I do. They always have their faces in the ipods, phones, laptops and xbox. Any other parents have creative ideas that I might could help us make some more special memories these last years I have with all of them home? Thanks...
"You think I got my eyes closed but I'm lookin' at you the whole fuckin' time..."

Comments

  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    My husband is the youngest of three boys (and an older sister), and for what it's worth, many good memories were made after they moved out. Very different era and times, though. Devices were relegated to Nintendo and the like.

    Maybe have a tech-free day? Or a meal/BBQ you all make together? Sometimes food - and music - can be a wonderful binder.

    By the way, I'm not a parent...but can relate to that sometime-dissonance growing up.

    Aside from the device side of things, what else are they into? Capitalize on that, bring yourself into it.
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,922
    edited January 2015
    Concerts are fun. Expensive, but still...
    Amusement parks?
    Find a community family baseball league?
    Build something together in the back yard? Like a clubhouse sort of deal?
    Are you close to ski hills? Take them snowboarding - maybe lessons if they need them.
    Paintball is a blast and something boys love.
    Uhhhh... it's hard, because teenagers don't generally like to do shit with their parents, lol, so it's gotta be fun stuff. ;)
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    Ha! PJ Soul, I almost mentioned the building of something in the yard thing.

    Was also thinking volunteering together, whether at an animal shelter, children's ward, local mission, nursing home.
  • AyedavanitaAyedavanita Posts: 1,443
    They are into music and so far concerts and amusement parks have been our thing but it is pretty pricey. We live in a town that doesn't get many concerts so we have to travel for those and amusement parks. Local bands here don't have too many all ages shows either. I like the idea of maybe cranking up some tunes and cooking a meal together once a week. Maybe I could get each one to be in charge of something and we can share stories of our week etc. Thanks!
    I'm just not creative at all to try and come up with an idea and I don't play video games but maybe I should let them try to teach me how to play one because I know that would bring lots of laughter.
    Keep the ideas coming and thank you so much.
    "You think I got my eyes closed but I'm lookin' at you the whole fuckin' time..."
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    Cheers to you for caring so much, and actually trying to do something meaningful that will not only be fun or interesting at the time, but resonate as well.

    Don't know if where you live permits, but it'd be kind of cool to take some room in your house and re-paint. Each of you get a wall as a free-for-all. Sense of freedom, expression, exposing of selves. Plus, it's just paint. Temporary images/colors, long-term memories.
  • whispering handswhispering hands Posts: 13,527
    hedonist wrote: »
    Cheers to you for caring so much, and actually trying to do something meaningful that will not only be fun or interesting at the time, but resonate as well.

    Don't know if where you live permits, but it'd be kind of cool to take some room in your house and re-paint. Each of you get a wall as a free-for-all. Sense of freedom, expression, exposing of selves. Plus, it's just paint. Temporary images/colors, long-term memories.

    Our dad let us do this in our basement.. Which was like 'our kid room to
    Play in'. And it was a blast!
  • AyedavanitaAyedavanita Posts: 1,443
    edited January 2015
    LOVE the paint a ROOM idea! We don't ever use our dining room, it's stuffy and WAY too formal! I would love to throw the dining room table to the curb and just get let us all get artsy in there! GREAT IDEA!!! Will do this one as well, especially since we're stuck inside with the cold weather. We can turn it into a homework/game room!
    "You think I got my eyes closed but I'm lookin' at you the whole fuckin' time..."
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,922
    edited January 2015
    Yeah, that is fun. My folks let us do that with the entire backyard fence. It was great. A giant canvas!
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • shetellsherselfshetellsherself Posts: 8,818
    I love the idea of paint a room/create a game room/fun room! maybe make it a technology free room? My kids are a little younger (15, 10, 7). sometimes its hard to find something that they all like together. We are into exercise/fitness etc and the kids want to run the mothers day 5k with me (I usually run with my oldest which means she kicks my a**!) Since the little one's want to run too this year I will have to stick with them through the race so I'll be sacrificing my pace for that race. However, we plan on "training" together once the weather warms up a little by running a few times per week together outside. I think it will be a blast running with them on the track (this way I can still watch them and they are safe but I can still do my own intervals or whatever) and I can't wait to see their faces when they cross the finish line. Maybe you could find some physical activity that you could all do together running, biking, hiking.... spring will be here before you know it. It might take a few weeks to talk it up to get everybody on board!
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  • Last-12-ExitLast-12-Exit Posts: 8,661
    Consider a lunch at hooters
  • whispering handswhispering hands Posts: 13,527
    We grew up in the mountains.. So for us famy activities revolved around being outside.. Then again we didn't have stupid shit like XBOX etc.. However.. My younger sister and her kids are all plugged in.. And they spend hours playing video games together! They all love it, they share that as a family experience.. BUT.. They also go camping and hiking together too.. I think too. When we got older, my dad picked a night, ( for us it was Tuesday) and there was a schedule. Each week one of us kids got to pick an activity for the entire family to participate in. Like one week my brother would pick bike ride.. So we'd all go on a nice long bike ride around our little mountain town. Then another week one of my sisters might choose board games or movie night.. But that way we all got to have a hand in deciding.. And it was things we all did as a family. Just an idea or two!
  • stuckinlinestuckinline Posts: 3,365
    edited January 2015
    Ayedavanita wrote: »
    They are into music and so far concerts and amusement parks have been our thing but it is pretty pricey. We live in a town that doesn't get many concerts so we have to travel for those and amusement parks. Local bands here don't have too many all ages shows either. I like the idea of maybe cranking up some tunes and cooking a meal together once a week. Maybe I could get each one to be in charge of something and we can share stories of our week etc. Thanks!
    I'm just not creative at all to try and come up with an idea and I don't play video games but maybe I should let them try to teach me how to play one because I know that would bring lots of laughter.
    Keep the ideas coming and thank you so much.

    What a great idea cooking a meal together! Let your boys choose the menu.

    Keep us posted.

    Post edited by stuckinline on
  • AyedavanitaAyedavanita Posts: 1,443
    whispering hands wrote: »
    We grew up in the mountains.. So for us famy activities revolved around being outside.. Then again we didn't have stupid shit like XBOX etc.. However.. My younger sister and her kids are all plugged in.. And they spend hours playing video games together! They all love it, they share that as a family experience.. BUT.. They also go camping and hiking together too.. I think too. When we got older, my dad picked a night, ( for us it was Tuesday) and there was a schedule. Each week one of us kids got to pick an activity for the entire family to participate in. Like one week my brother would pick bike ride.. So we'd all go on a nice long bike ride around our little mountain town. Then another week one of my sisters might choose board games or movie night.. But that way we all got to have a hand in deciding.. And it was things we all did as a family. Just an idea or two!
    I like this too...thanks!

    "You think I got my eyes closed but I'm lookin' at you the whole fuckin' time..."
  • JWPearlJWPearl Posts: 19,893
    why dont you give them music lessons and get them to form a three man band, since they are pretty close in age, i would..
  • AyedavanitaAyedavanita Posts: 1,443
    JWPearl said:

    why dont you give them music lessons and get them to form a three man band, since they are pretty close in age, i would..

    I have, oldest plays bass guitar and trumpet, middle son plays drums and my youngest plays guitar and trombone. They rarely want to play together though.

    "You think I got my eyes closed but I'm lookin' at you the whole fuckin' time..."
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,138
    Military school in Alaska will whip them into shape.
  • AyedavanitaAyedavanita Posts: 1,443
    edited September 2015
    Jason P said:

    Military school in Alaska will whip them into shape.

    There are days this pops into my mind

    "You think I got my eyes closed but I'm lookin' at you the whole fuckin' time..."
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,138
    Ayedavanita said:

    Jason P said:

    Military school in Alaska will whip them into shape.

    There are days this pops into my mind

    My parents always threatened me with that option. If only I had known how ridiculously expensive military school is, I would have called their bluff.
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,922
    Jason P said:

    Ayedavanita said:

    Jason P said:

    Military school in Alaska will whip them into shape.

    There are days this pops into my mind

    My parents always threatened me with that option. If only I had known how ridiculously expensive military school is, I would have called their bluff.
    Haha.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • rr165892rr165892 Posts: 5,697
    That would have been a good play.My kid when a teenager woulda said,cool do they have a competitive hockey team?
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