Advice on teenage home boredom amid Coronavirus

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Those projects that have been put off.

Deep spring cleaning, decluttering closets. Daily exercise, Soul Core has a free Stations of the Cross program for Lent.
 
I don’t know if this would help you @MarthaSo, but just an idea to throw out there for others.

Take a car ride. After dinner tonight, I went for a ride locally. It’s really something to see the same places with no one in them. Stores dimly lit if closed, parking lots empty or very unused. Cones filling the parking lot at Chic Fil A, only a line of cars waiting at the drive thru since restaurants and bars are closed except for carry out.

It’s a different world. Let your kids see it from the safety of your car. It will be a memory to talk about years from now. 🙂
 
Tehehe 😃 My daughter who is 9 might actually like the idea. She gets it from my mom…
 
Thanks everybody, today we just hung out at home and it felt great to all be together, we spent a nice quiet day at home having good conversations with the kids, playing with the baby. Before this, we were hardly ever home together. I have a strong hunch that when things get “back to normal “ and they are able to work and hang out again I’ll remember these days fondly. I hope so anyway and hope this day wasn’t a fluke.😊
 
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You could have them do some bedroom or storage area cleaning and challenge them to come up with at least 10 (or any number) items each that they no longer use for donation to a local (Catholic?) charity. You could have a prize for whoever comes up with the most items. Then, take the items to the charity as a family.

You could all volunteer together at a local food pantry.

Consider saying the Holy Rosary every day as a family.

You could all to to Adoration together for an hour (once a week) if it is still an option anywhere in your Diocese.

You could have your son who is considering qutting his job write a list of pros and cons about keeping his job vs. quitting and then have him present them to the family (without judgement from the audience). Begin and end the presentation with supportive prayers.

If there is something that needs repair or a home (repair/remodel/redecorate) project, you could all work on it together- You Tube has “how to” videos for a gazillion things.
 
Peter089 said:
Try finding out all of their hobbies and try incorporate that into the day as well
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Not trying to judge the OP, but from what I have seen, many teenagers seem to have only one hobby–going online (social sites like Facebook, etc.).

Sigh.

Or playing video games. My 14-year old nephew has missed 2-3 days of school every week since beginning high school this year! He tells his mother that he feels sick, she doesn’t want to take the time and go through the stress of arguing with him, and he stays home and plays his video games non-stop.

Sigh sigh.

Whatever happened to stamp collecting, or crocheting, or writing poetry, or making models? Or even just reading books?

Sigh, sigh.

Sorry, OP–hopefully your kids are doing OK.
 
World of Warcraft, Super Mario Brothers, various Zelda games, Stardew Valley, Overwatch, and many, many more.

You can spend a ton of time on those
 
tomarin said:
Learn to play a new musical instrument. Start a band.
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This one made me laugh out loud

I wouldn’t want to be locked up with anyone picking up drums, electric guitar or a loud instrument for the first time. I’d invoke isolation rules
 
Respectfully, to each their own, but offering teenagers “choices” that begin with “pray” and “read a classic,” seems awfully austere, no? Hey, prayer should part of our daily routine, but the choices offered seem less Brady Bunch and more Ebenezer Scrooge/Oliver Twist, as I see it. Making teenagers pray or read Moby Dick? I’d break quarantine after about an hour. Sorry.

How about allowing the binge watching of a favorite TV show? Or unlimited music provided earphones are used?
Just sorta saying…
 
To add to what @PennyinCanada suggested are there any older people around that maybe can’t get out? Perhaps you could offer to get them some groceries, etc.
 
I don’t know what this whole thing about “schedules” is. It seems to be important to a lot of people, but as long as I have a list of specific goals that need to be complete, I don’t need a hard “schedule” in order to function in my own home. However, if I had an unemployed grown son in my home, my first thing to put on his schedule would be to apply for some jobs! If I was working from home and I had an infant and a 17yo with nothing to do, I would have her taking care of the baby while I work. Give her a chance to earn some extra money. Boredom solved?
 
At least they don’t stay bored long. That being said, while they typically find something to occupy themselves, it’s not always the sort of thing parents approve of, hence the desire to influence their activities.
 
What about a project like finding how to create a simple greenhouse set up online and planting some winter vegetables? That could occupy them for the whole flu season and also produce some food.
 
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My 32 year old admitted that yesterday. I always used to tell my kids “if you are bored, it’s your own fault. Get a hobby, read a book, do something you like.” He admitted that when he is bored, it’s his own fault. Progress!
 
Maybe not a strict schedule but maybe
“you should be raide up before 10 am if you want a beakfast.”
And to offer something etxraordinary to do with them if they raied up early to motivated without forced them. Like peacefull moring prayer with them, a breakfast while the sun raised up, a little game etc.

And made the teenager contriute to chore such as washing up, andproposed them to have cultivate their creativity with cooking. And you become her helper at te kitchen an inverse role!

Do not forget your love ones, called them etc.

PS: is you working from home is something that can be done again after the situation come back to normal? At least partially? So you can take care of your baby as you don’t like to put him in daycare?
 
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