Being a mother to a baby, a toddler, an infant, or a juvenile is difficult. Being a mother to a teenager is an absolute nightmare. You’re no longer cool or fun or (even by parental standards) you’re “irrelevant”, you “just don’t get it” and apparently your existence is devoted entirely to marking down time until you can embarrass them in front of their friends. They’re a nightmare to buy for and even if you can unglue them from their smartphones for more than ninety seconds, getting to muster enthusiasm for any family activity outside of a noncommittal “meh” can be like drawing blood from a pumice stone.
If you have high school aged kids and are looking for some fun family activities over summer but are nervous at the prospect of your attempts at a fun day out being derided by your Facebook dwelling youngsters then worry not! Here are some fun and accessible ideas that will break even their unflappable nonchalance without breaking the bank.
Race them to the finish!
If your son or daughter is just starting to learn to drive then they’re likely being confronted with the harsh reality that driving is not what they were expecting.
They’re learning that it’s not all speed and freedom. It’s about learning to be a responsible road user who is considerate and observant and contributing to the safe and pleasant passage of all their fellow road users. It’s about hazard perception, emergency brake procedure and mirror, signal, manoeuvre…
So they’ll be just itching to throw all that out of the window at the go-karting track!
Taking the kids karting is a great way for teenagers to let off steam and indulge their need for speed. It’s pretty cheap too, especially since our friends at Lakeside Karting have a 2 for 1 offer. Maybe they’ll also get a humbling from mother dearest when you sail over the finish line ahead of them. Maybe.
Get them high… up a tree
As cool and sophisticated as the modern teenager likes to appear, give them a set of monkey bars and a zip line and they’re instantly 9 again! Go Ape have a variety of locations all over the country boasting a whole range of fun climbing activities that will not only help the family to bond but exercise their teamwork and creative problem solving abilities.
Give the family a legitimate reason to shoot at each other
Paintballing incorporates two of every teenager’s favourite things… Simulated violence and mess! It’s fun, safe (so long as all parties are responsible) and pretty cheap at an average of £12.99 per person for a full day’s activity including £100 balls and lunch.
With the advent of video games, social media and YouTube, teenagers are leading increasingly sedentary lifestyles which may be detrimental in the long term to their mental health, so it’s important to try and get them out of the house and moving wherever you can. They’ll surprise themselves at home much they enjoy getting outdoors, exercising, having a few laughs and bonding with the rest of the family in the most unlikely of settings.
*collaborative post
