Summer came to an end this Labor Day weekend and if you are like me, you have NO idea where the time went. The OCD in me needs to know that the teenage activities I planned to accomplish this summer were actually checked off my list. I find it is hard to do things with teenage boys who would rather play video games. However, the mommy guilt kicks in if you feel you haven’t spent enough time with your teens.
Here are 10 teenage activities I had hoped to accomplish with my son and daughter over the summer and did:
1. Enroll in driving class- Matthew’s school district offers driving classes over the summer for credit and a certificate of completion. Passing helps you get a discount with your insurance company. The best part is the course is FREE! It is very limited in space as you can imagine, but I was fortunate enough to get him in. He really enjoyed going and I enjoyed taking him because I got to spend my morning drive with him every day for two weeks. I liked that for four hours every day for two weeks he was doing something productive, fun and learning to drive at the same time.
2. Get a learners permit– This was a great experience for both Matthew and me. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to get and I couldn’t believe I enjoyed going to the DMV with him.
3. Go to the movies – I thought going to the movies with a teenager would be tough because my son normally goes with his dad. They both like all those sci-fi and superhero movies. We went to see Mission Impossible- Fall Out and even my daughter went with us. I can’t remember the last time we all went to the movies together. It’s not like we could talk to each other during the movie, but just the fact that I had each teenager next to me in the theater made me one happy mommy.
4. Take a Disney World family trip – Teenagers and Disney…they actually do go together! We all went to Disney this year in June and I was thrilled to see my kids so happy and taking pictures with my daughter’s new camera, NIKON Cool Pix 550. The new camera was a hit and my son LOVED it!
5. Visit relatives in Tampa – Usually I get push back when we go visit family and have to travel to do so, but this time it wasn’t bad. My son wasn’t thrilled when I told him we were going, but he ended up having a good time and making great memories.
6. Make more family time – Between the trip to Disney, Tampa and my daughter being home from college, Matthew spent more time with family and a little bit less on computer in his room. I was realistic and knew he wasn’t going to get off the computer completely, but surprisingly he was off more than last year and more than usual, and for that I am grateful.
7. Clean out my son’s closet– Matthew’s closet was in need of some cleaning. I knew better than to touch his stuff, so we went through everything together so we would know what he has and what he will need in terms of clothes for the new school year. I LOVED finally cleaning out his closet!
8. Do clothes shopping– Well, since we cleaned out Matthew’s closet, we needed to now shop for some new clothes. He picked out some shirts and sneakers etc.. and it was quite easy, no complaining or fussing thanks to three places we shopped — Design by Humans, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and NIKE.
9. Help my son get a job– All summer Matthew has been trying to get a job and of course most were already taken. Nevertheless, we still kept looking because the job wouldn’t be just for the summer but all year round. Well, he prevailed (with my persistence of course). He got a job with Publix Supermarket. He was so happy. It may not have happened when we wanted but, regardless, he got the job in the end. You may remember when I blogged about my daughter Olivia getting her first job.
10. Get my son a haircut– With the new job comes… a haircut! I was ecstatic because I mentioned to him that Publix may request his hair be short, but he said his friend works there and has long hair. I was going to argue because I know Publix’s dress code from the six years my daughter, Olivia, worked there. I wasn’t going to be the one to tell him to get a haircut. Fortunately, they were the ones who did. I will make sure to capture the before and after pictures when that happens.
My summer teen activity accomplishments weren’t exactly extraordinary, but as minimal as they may seem, making them happen means a lot to me.
I am sure some of you moms and dads have your summer accomplishments list. Would love to hear what they are and you accomplished them. If you didn’t, what were your obstacles? What’s still on your list of teenage activities that you plan to tackle soon? Please let us hear from you in the comments below!
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