By My Son
Middle School can be tough for any teen. I really like it, but sometimes I need downtime. After being at school all day, I just want to come home and relax. I have chores to do, like any normal kid, and after that I have free time. For teens like me who might feel overwhelmed a lot of days, here are some ways to decompress:
Visit with parents. I’m lucky that my mom stays home. I look forward to our visits every day as soon as I get home. Sometimes we talk a lot, especially if I had something exciting happen at school. Sometimes, we talk about concerns I have. Other times, we just talk briefly because I want to start my downtime by myself. When my dad gets home from work, I enjoy visiting with him too. It really helps to get his perspective on things.
Play video games. I have a PS4 (affiliate link*) and love it! My favorite games Madden 17 (affiliate) and Steep (affiliate). I usually play for about an hour, and during that time I feel focused on something fun. When I play games, I see how amazing they are and admire how someone could create something so fun.
Play with my dog. His name is Oakley, and he thinks he’s my real brother. He doesn’t know he’s a dog. Shh! Don’t tell him.
Read. My favorite books are the Diary of a Wimpy Kid (affiliate) series. I’ve probably read each book 10 times. I love the comedy. It’s not a comedian script, but it’s something funny, something that happens in a typical family. For instance, the brothers who always pick on each other and the road trips.
Have a friend over. I have one friend, in particular, that I enjoy doing things with. We don’t usually get together after school during the week, but we sometimes hang out on weekends. My mom wants me to get more friends, but that’s hard for me.
Cook. It gets my artistic creativity out. Usually I just read the instructions, but sometimes, like my dad, I try to go “outside the box” and explore ingredients. But I don’t think I’m that experienced yet. 🙂
Eat together as a family. I like to chat with everyone to see how their day was. When we go out to eat, my favorite places are sit-down restaurants, like Olive Garden. Sometimes those places are super noisy, but I’ve learned to just cope with the noise.
Take a hot shower. Before bed each night, I LOVE to take a long, hot shower. It relieves the stress of my day, and I love being really, really warm. Sometimes I take so long there’s no hot water left for anyone else to use. I’m trying to cut back on the time, but I really enjoy my showers.
Why is it important for teens like me to relax? If I don’t, I get overwhelmed and stressed. I really enjoy my free time and need some every day.
What do your kids like to do for downtime?
Video games are such a wonderful way to relax!
My son agrees completely with you. Sometimes we struggle in our household to keep the timeframe reasonable. But overall, Big Bro does love them. Maybe he’ll even turn it into a marketable skill and develop them some day. 🙂
This was so helpful and easy! Do you have any arleitcs on rehab?
No articles on rehab. But that’s a great idea to write about. My son did occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy. All were very helpful.