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  1. #1
    JustMe is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default Other than screentime, what else do your kids do with their downtime at home?

    So, my kids are 10 and 13. Both kids have minimal homework (that's a whole other story). Dd loves music and will listen to music and sometimes do some form of dance for short periods. Ds loves to read, and does read a lot. They have some chores. However, other than that, neither kid has anything they do around the house other than screen time. I still limit their device/internet time. I used to have more limits on tv, but now only restrict it in the middle of the day...so for several hours on weekend mornings..and I mean several as my kids are early risers---and for a couple in the evenings they watch tv. It just seems like too much. However, I really don't have them anything to redirect them to do, as dd does a good amount of dance and ds does a good amount of reading...there's not a whole lot else they will do. We play board games as a family sometimes...but I really don't feel like I should have to entertain them at this age.
    lucky single mom to 20 yr old dd and 17 yr old ds through 2 very different adoption routes

  2. #2
    AnnieW625's Avatar
    AnnieW625 is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Not much, but only because we don't have a lot of downtime. I work full time outside the home and have a 30-45 minute afternoon commute so on a good night we don't get home until 5 pm, but every other Monday Dd1 has ballet class from 5 to 6 (and I do my best to have Dd2 complete her daily Kumon packet and or school homework during that time), on Tuesday and Thursday they have their Kumon class so again we get home around 6 or 6:30, and on Wednesday night Dd1 has ballet again from 6:45 to 8 so really we don't have much time for much of anything during the week because I still try to keep Dd1's bedtime at 9 pm at the latest. She has to read daily for school as well. TBH the tv or ipad doesn't go on most nights until the kids are in bed. DD2 is easier to entertain without screens than Dd1 though and will play with her magnatiles, tinker toys, or stuffed animal or dolls without much direction. Dd1 is much harder as she has never been a big play by herself type of kid (except to play with Legos and she goes through phases with those as well) and she inherited her relaxing skill of wanting watch tv from her parents and because of our weeknight schedule I don't have an issue with a little bit of screen time as long as all of our work is done. When the kids last had a day off of school for Thanksgiving they did make some pirate ships out of old boxes and their scooters, but they seem to do this thing more with DH than me.
    Annie
    WOHM to two wonderful little girls born in April
    DD E, 17
    DD L, 13,
    baby 2, 4-2009 (our Tri-18 baby)

  3. #3
    petesgirl is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    My DS enjoys helping me cook dinner, and I have been slowly eliminating his evening screentime by incorporating his help more.
    Having kids help you cook does require quite a bit of hands on from you, but I think it is a great skill for them to learn!
    Maybe if your weeknights are too crazy you could try cooking one or two simple things together on weekends to start out?

    I haven't tried this company, but their ads keep popping up in my facebook feed and it could be a good starting point:
    http://www.raddishkids.com/
    Last edited by petesgirl; 12-10-2016 at 12:33 PM.
    Mama to :
    DS1 (July 2011)
    DD (Feb 2014-June 2015)
    DS2 (Apr 2017)

    "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it."
    --Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)

  4. #4
    JustMe is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Thanks for the replies. The kids do help with dinners, but we make very quick dinners. I used to not allow tv during the weeknights and plan to go back to this soon..but we all got into Gilmore Girls, which I let my kids watch. This will stop soon.

    Weekends are the real problem. I like my own downtime when I don't have to do chores...and the kids just are bored and don't come up with anything other than tv. Like I said, the big problem are the weekend mornings...I want a couple of hours to just relax, drink tea, and I go for a walk. Now, that they can be home alone..there is just more free time for them. I will say the bigger problem is with dd, who is home alone after school..There's just not a whole lot I can do about that (and ds will be joining her next year), but it frustrates me when they want to watch so much tv on the weekend..and they really don't have anything else to focus on.
    lucky single mom to 20 yr old dd and 17 yr old ds through 2 very different adoption routes

  5. #5
    KrisM is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
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    Mine like to play outside, ride their bikes, play board games, and read. DD does a lot of crafts.
    Kris

  6. #6
    jent's Avatar
    jent is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    DD does a lot of crafts. Right now she's crocheting. She also reads, writes stories & writes in her journal.
    Jen, mom to "Little Miss Tiny" 4/07

  7. #7
    petesgirl is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Another thought...would they do mazes, word searches, simple crossword puzzles?
    Mama to :
    DS1 (July 2011)
    DD (Feb 2014-June 2015)
    DS2 (Apr 2017)

    "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it."
    --Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)

  8. #8
    KrisM is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
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    Mine also make stop motion movies using their 3DSes. They use Lego. It is somewhat screen time, but it is more active and thoughtful than just watching something.
    Kris

  9. #9
    hillview's Avatar
    hillview is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Play dates often result in more physical activity. We do have a lot of screen time here. Board games. Craft projects. Jigsaw puzzles
    DS #1 Summer 05
    DS #2 Summer 07

  10. #10
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    My kids are younger (8 and 4), so I don't know what things will be like when they're older, but we lucked out big time when we moved into this neighborhood! There are several kids on the street, and they all play together. When my 8 year old isn't at an activity, he's usually playing. It's all I can do to get him to stop for dinner or to do his minimal homework. We do watch tv together at dinner most nights. After dinner (as part of bedtime) he reads. When nobody is available to play, mostly he reads, but he's also always bugging me to play chess or backgammon. I do need to limit his iPad/iPhone, though, because he really loves to play on his phone, but if he doesn't have access to the phone, he'll do other things. He's very good at entertaining himself with play, and I hope that never changes.


    Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains

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