HS student time usage: unscheduled leisure

Three_to_go
Wed, 29 Dec 2004 20:44:13 +0000

Lionswim,
He’s taking 4 AP courses this year and the rest are honors type. He’ll be taking 5 AP next year and 2 college courses at our local liberal arts college. He is in Key Club, Engineering Club, Winter Track, and Academic Team which basically (except track) meet once a week and have 1 major competition. That doesn’t take up much of his time. There aren’t just oodles of things to choose from that he is interested in.
Although he’s tired after track, he always finds time to play. He paid for the computer system out of his own money and his older brother pays for the subscription. (We’re basically a wired family-my husband’s doing.)

He tried football but hated it since those playing were basically so serious as encouraged to tap their “inner anger” to use on the field. He’s just not an angry sort of guy and his build is more suitable to track. Even so, he doesn’t have the natural flexibility that makes a good athlete. All the guys seem to like the weight training, it seems.

Part of the reason I think he spends a lot of time on line is that he hasn’t been able to click with these local HS kids quite as well as those at our former locale–we’re kind of out of the norm for our relocation area which is historically very insular, rural. Some of his old friends are also online on these computer games and he can interact with them there. I’d like him to find other fun things to do willingly rather than impose a top down order! He thinks if he gets a car it would make a difference.