<p>Hi experienced parents,
Even though it is over a month away, I am already worried about what to do with my son when he comes home for three weeks in March. His siblings and at-home friends will be in school all day and doing the usual after-school activities. He will not be taking the one trip that his school offered. So, how will we keep him busy enough to stave off boredom once he catches up on his sleep? I work part-time, so I can’t be his entertainment every day.
One thing that I thought of is to have him do some volunteer work at a local charity with which he is already familiar. But that may only be a few hours here and there.
In the summer, there are lots of things he can do, but in March, most kids are in school, so there are no special classes or activities to do, or even a part-time job.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas!</p>
<p>Some kind of volunteering sounds like a fantastic idea! Is your child involved in music at all? Our local nursing home loves for our kids to come and play; they can literally play anything - a work in progress or a polished piece - and the residents love it! They have a friend that goes every week and plays Wii games with the residents, too.</p>
<p>Of course this is an adult perspective, but If I was magically given three weeks without my normal responsibilities (what a thought!) I’d probably:
- get physical (work out, take the dog for long walks, go hiking or biking, try a new exercise class)
- catch up on my “for fun” reading. There are some great young adult novels out there; I’ve been wanting to read the Hunger Games trilogy for ages!
- go to the movies - since the Oscar nominations just came out, the theaters have booked lots of great films right now</p>
<p>Does your son like to cook at all? (My son has started to get interested in cooking - but of course not in cleaning up the mess!) Maybe he could help out the family by preparing a meal, or making cookies or another easy dessert.</p>
<p>Things my kids do:
Catch up on sleep 
Read/movies
Visit boarding school friends that live in the general area (1-3 hrs away) or have them visit
Visit grandparents
Volunteer work/internships
Training/practice for spring sport
Practice driving
Do extra major tasks around the house for some extra $</p>
<p>The overlap for our kids’ Spring Breaks this year is only one week and we’re planning a driving-distance vacation for that time. With what’s left of her break after sleeping and seeing local friends, I am going to press SevenDaughter to research and pursue the summer experiences she’s been thinking/dreaming about.</p>
<p>I second sleep, read fun books (I always get a few that I know he’ll like and leave them out), and exercise–my kid is always getting ready for the next sports season. Mine has a much younger sister, so he generally volunteers in her class once or twice, which the little kids love. No bs friends in the area. He’ll easily fill all remaining spare time with video games. </p>
<p>After ninth grade, vacations are an ideal time for test prep–AP exams, PSAT’s etc. </p>
<p>Boredom’s not such a bad thing either, really.</p>
<p>I hope the kids will volunteer to exercise at home their BS-honed laundry skills ;-)</p>
<p>First - the three weeks goes quicker than it seems. Second, the kids will be exhausted. Sleeping is going to be a big activity on the list.</p>
<p>Don’t over schedule them with too many activities (volunteer or otherwise) if they aren’t seeking it. The point of the time off is to give their bodies and their brains some recovery time before the onslaught starts again.</p>
<p>I agree that the two and half weeks goes by fast. With dentist, orthodontist, and doctor appointments, there’s not a lot of time to do a lot of other things (and catch up on much needed rest). Maybe a quick break to Disney or to the beach for a few days to help them thaw out.</p>