What are your teens doing this summer?

[ckay87]

At least those who are too young to work? DS 13 will stay home alone. However, we don't allow him to have friends over or run around the neighborhood during the times we are working. He pretty much needs to stay home and inside so that we know he's relatively safe and out of trouble. But I just hate the idea of him just vegging inside for so much of the summer, you know? Luckily I only work part time and I do have lots of vacation to spend on little trips and outings.

There's just such a lack of things for teens to do. We will have him in a computer programming course at the community college for a week. That's all I could really find.

Just wondering!

 

[newholidayx2]

DS14 will also be home. He can go to a friends or have one friend over. When by himself he enjoys painting/assembling Games Workshop figures, etc. Also watches lots of Blockbuster movies. For graduation I'll be loading him up on gift cards for the summer.
We're going to the White Mtns for 6days over July 4th wknd. Also to WDW two weeks mid/end of August. DH is taking off the day after his graduation (and his grad day). Also taking off three days beginning of Aug. I have sick time, DH has sick time. Theres only two/three full weeks (m-f) this summer when he'll be home - the rest of the weeks are broken up somewhat.
Being an only kid Im more concerned about him being alone than having things to do.

 

[punkin]

Wow that sounds like the most boring summer I can immagine. Can't you sign your children up for some program? Maybe they could be a CIT at a day camp or something. My DD13 is going to theater camp. It is costing me a small fortune, but if she stayed home alone, she would be watching non-stop reruns of "My super sweet sixteen" all day.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

my 15 year old is signed up to volunteer at a local animal shelter 3 mornings a week. He'll help clean the cages (yuck) and walk and play with some of the dogs. It will be a good experience for him and will hopefully aid in getting him out of bed before noon.

He works on the weekends at the concession stand in the Park District.

He has a chance to take a couple of classes at the local Community College - a World History class and something else that I can't remember. I'd like for him to do at least one, but he is resistant.

 

[ckay87]

Wow that sounds like the most boring summer I can immagine.

No kidding! You're right about that. That's my reason for this thread.

 

[RonnieJo66]

My DS opted to take summer school (no, he doesn't need to...he's a straight A student) He wanted to be able to take an extra elective next year, so he is going to fulfill his US History credit in summer school.

 

[jenks0718]

My DS opted to take summer school (no, he doesn't need to...he's a straight A student) He wanted to be able to take an extra elective next year, so he is going to fulfill his US History credit in summer school.

OMG I have NEVER heard of a teenager who actually would WANT to go to summer school WOW

 

[KelNottAt]

I can totally relate to this thread. My kids will be 12 and 14 this summer which makes them too old for day care (of course) and too old for the day camp we've used the last few years.

At this age, I remember facing some pretty big temptations during summer vacation. For that reason I'm adamant that my kids will have supervision as much as possible. No, not a babysitter, but just someone to know where they are, who they're with, when they'll be home, etc. My parents tried to supervise us from the office, and, uh, it didn't work.

So, with 11 weeks of summer vacation, their time is shaping up like this:

Week 1: They'll be home alone until noon while I work half days
Week 2: same as week 1
Week 3: Away at my dad's house
Week 4: Self-employed DH remains around the house, but might have to take a few small jobs here and there
Week 5: My mom and DSD come for a visit. Lots of fun "grandparents time" planned
Week 6 Sleep away camp
Week 7: Sleep away camp
Week 8: Sleep away camp
Week 9: no plans yet
Week 10: WDW Vacation
Week 11: lazy vacation at home, get ready for school.

 

[MorganLeFey]

OMG I have NEVER heard of a teenager who actually would WANT to go to summer school WOW

then you haven't met my younger daughter.

younger dd is 13, her birthday is in July. sdhe's graduating from 8th grade in June. this summer she plans to do the teen travel program at her camp -- it's a program for kids who are going to be freshment and sophomores in high school. but she tells me that when she's too old for th program (entering her junior year) she wants to do one of those "summer college for high school students" programs.

older dd, 15 and currently a sophomore, has no real plans for the summer. I haven't pushed her to find a job -- it's hard because she won't be 16 until November -- but she's shown little interest in any organized activity for the summer.

we have a pool, and he4r grandparents will be around to supervise, so she won't be spending all her time watching "My super sweet 16" ( a girl from her schol was on the show this weekend, ugh).

but I'd like for her to have some structure....

 

[taekwondo mom]

DD 13 will be playing travel softball, and AAU travel basketball, teaching and taking taekwondo , 1 week of basketball camp , 1 week of black belt camp,
baby sitting, I guess we will see what else she signs up for..

 

[golfgal]

I am a SAHM so my kids aren't home alone but they still need to do things. For DS 13 he will have the first week off, then DD goes to camp for a week so we will probably go to the waterpark he likes one day and then up to the new house to paint and hopefully meet some kids in the new neighborhood. Then the next week will will be moving so they will be spending a lot if time with friends. The next week the boys are at camp for the week. The week after that they are going to be helping me unpack and again, hopefully meeting new kids.

Once July starts, DS13 has marching band for at least a couple hours every day. They have a week long camp so he will be at that for a week in July and then in August they have marching band practice pretty much from 8-5 each day.

In our town they have some fun classes that kids can take through 8th grade-things like pottery classes, theater make-up classes, legobots, they had a CSI class a couple years ago too. These classes are only in June though. Our town now pretty much only has things scheduled in June, baseball and softball go through July but come August, there is NOTHING for the kids.

The twins will be in a golf camp/league this summer in our new town, they will also play soccer which starts in July.

 

[cats mom]

My DS opted to take summer school (no, he doesn't need to...he's a straight A student) He wanted to be able to take an extra elective next year, so he is going to fulfill his US History credit in summer school.

Our school district is NOT doing summer school block for the first time this year. DD is ticked!

She basically has no electives left since she does both dance team and student government and she was counting on summer school to fill one of her required classes. She took health/PE in the summer last year as an incoming HS freshman.

She will be busy with gymnastics, cheer, and working a few hours a week - but sure wish we had that summer school option as well.

 

[ariel & eric]

DD 15 will be babysitting some and also going on a week long outing with Girl Scouts for a community service program. Also helping with GS day camp and Vacation Bible School for 2 different churches. She runs cross country and that starts in early Aug. They go to camp for 3 days too.

She keeps busy with friends too.

 

[Ready to go in Ok]

Mine 2 DD's are doing the old fashioned "going to grandma's house for the summer". Since we moved so far away, it has become a tradition. The first week, I am like no kids! Then it gets a little dull, then completely boring, and by the end of the summer, I am calling them multiple times per day, and they are so sick of me! It is good for them though, keeps that family connection, and DF is in poor health, so we aren't sure how much more time we have with him.

 

[Galahad]

DS will teach music to middle schoolers for 3 weeks (at a local music camp), then he'll go to a university music camp of his own for 2 weeks. He has a leadership conference in mid July and will likely take drivers ed. We'll have a week at the lake where he'll bring a friend and probably 4 days at WDW. Still a little hanging out time in between. Not a bad set up I think.

 

[disykat]

My son will take summer school the next few years too. This year, we were still newbies to junior high and didn't realize the lack of electives - so we planned our summer vacation at the wrong time.

Our junior high kids only get 1.5 electives a year. That means if you are in band, choir, or orchestra, there is no way to take foreign language because those are both full electives. The only way to get two full electives is to take something during the summer. Most kids take PE. It's fun and it frees up your schedule during the year.

 

[Hannathy]

Wow he isn't allowed outside at all! Take about solatary confinement. IMO if your neighborhood is so dangerous that he can't be outside should he be inside alone? I think that would be very claustaphobic for anyone. You expect him to sit inside alone all summer everyday. The kids who stay alone around here can go outside and to friends homes and known friends can go to their house. They can go swimming if someone asks or go places. I think you really need to rethink the set-up.

My DD who is 14 will have woodworking in the am from summerschool(totally fun course no credits) till mid July, will be a leader for VBS for a week, babysitting, taking pointe class, plays on a softball and a soccer teams, doing a full year of Civics thru E-school so she can take ap history this fall, Horse camp, we are going to Phila. to visit family, and hopefully a long week at Disney in August. Plus a lot of going to the pool with her girlfriends.

 

[tkd lisa]

Actually, I wanted to go to summer school too. I got to do drama and guitar, and photography and drivers ed in summer school. Not to mention Economics and American History so I could fit in the two college level math classes, Adv Chemistry and Physics my senior year. It did make engineering school easier though!

Back to the original question. Yes, this is a really hard age to find things to do for them.

The first week, my two (14 and almost 13) will be at home alone. The second and third week they're going to my moms and each will take a one week day camp locally (DS will be in rock climbing, and DD will be in some sort of art camp, hasn't decided which one yet).

One more week at home alone, then DS flies to VA for a 2 week resident camp while DD stays home alone. She and I will fly up to meet DS at the end of camp.

They are going to visit their dad for a day, then we're going back to where we lived in MD to say goodbye to their friends for a couple of days. DD will stay with her best friend for a couple days, then they are going to two weeks of Girl Scout sleepover camp. She'll fly home alone (friends parents are taking her to the a/p).

DS will have one full week alone, then school starts 1/2 way through the next week (DD will miss the first two days, but it was worth it so she could have camp with her BF).

I can't tell you how hard it was to find camps that took kids over 12. The Y and the Arts Centers were the main ones I found.

 

[belle_of_the_ball]

i will be going to theatre camp
going over my friends houses
ok..so i do work..but not that much..so going to work
throwing various parties (that my parents know about)
having people drive me and my friends down to shore houses....for long weekends and perfect summer days
summer reading (BLECH!)..i love reading..hate the tests
and various other things!