Family time with teenagers

I was so excited to have off a few days for spring break this year and spend time with the kids.  I had been putting in some extra hours at work the first few months of the year so I felt like some quality time with the kids was needed for all of us.  I even put in a lot of effort coordinating my time off with my peers in order to make sure everything at work was covered. 

The morning of my first day off I was so excited.  I was thinking to myself: I am truly game for anything!  If both the kids would have said “Let’s go to Sea World!” or Austin, or even Cancun, I would have tried to make it happen.  I had some extra money saved up and this would have been the perfect occasion to spend it. 

My twelve-year-old daughter and fourteen-year-old son finally woke up around noon and stumbled down the stairs, but I wasn’t worried because we still could catch a late flight somewhere.  I fixed them both something to eat and then reminded them I had off work and the sky is the limit. “What are we doing today and for the rest of the week?” I asked. 

My son said, “Well my friends are on their way over and I’m heading to the rec. center with them.”  I turned to my daughter and asked her what she wanted to do.  She said her friend was on her way over and she wanted to spend the night out.  I told the kids again the sky was the limit and let’s do something fun.  About an hour later both the kids were gone for the day and I was sitting on the couch having a pity party by myself. 

I know it seems like friends are the most important people in a teen’s life, but what are some suggestions for spending quality time with kids? 

Shannon Strenger, BSN, RNC-OB, is a nurse manager in the antepartum unit at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano and Mom of two teenagers.