13 Ways to Spend Time with your Teenage Daughter
Rachel Paxton
The older my daughter gets the more its sinking in that I dont have much time left to spend with her! Shes turning 16 in a couple of months, and I know I wont be seeing her much after she gets her drivers license.
Its hard to find things to do with your teenage daughter. You might be busy, they might have better things to do...I encourage you not to let this time slip away from you. Our interests may be very different from theirs, but theres always things you can do to bridge the gap.
If you have more than one daughter, then make sure they each get their special time alone with you. I have found that these activities are also great for bonding with teens you want to reach out to and build relationships with, like a step-daughter.
Ive done all of the following activities with my daughter and/or step-daughter and havent regretted a moment. Someday I will be able to look back and appreciate the moments we shared, and I hope they will too.
1. Take your dogs on a walk together.
2. Cook dinner together, letting her choose the menu and help shop for the ingredients.
3. Pick her up from school and take her out to lunch, even if she misses part of a class.
4. Drive to the closest big city for the night, stay in a hotel, and spend all the next day shopping and sightseeing, taking time to stop for lunch at an outdoor cafe.
5. Read the same book together and talk about it when youre done reading it.
6. Do a scriptural book study together.
7. Get up early on a Saturday morning, go get coffee, and spend the morning going to yard sales or looking through thrift shops or dollar stores.
8. Make cookies together to give to a friend.
9. Make holiday gifts together to give to friends and family. Visit http://www.crafty-moms.com for easy craft ideas.
10. Go with your daughter to the concert of her choice.
11. Buy her the materials to start a high school scrapbook. Work on your scrapbooks while she works on hers.
12. Join a local fitness club and work out together. My daughter and I joined a local womens gym that is very inexpensive $40/month for both of us. We get up at 5:00 a.m. three days a week to go exercise before she goes to school and I go to work.
13. Go to the local video store and rent a couple of "chick flicks" to enjoy together in the comfort of your home. Kick the men out of the house and lounge around in your pajamas.
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About The Author
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of Whats for Dinner, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
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