10 Things Tweens Actually *Want* to Do After School

"Hanging out" might not sound like much of an activity to you, but social interaction is paramount to tween development. Tweens are developing their personalities at this stage of life and want to be accepted by their peers. So, friendships should be cultivated and encouraged. Of course, we're not talking about just hanging out on a street corner. Set up tween "play dates" -- let your tween have a friend over after school, and get to know the friend's parents so they can reciprocate.

If your tween seems to have trouble making friends, help her or him find a club or after school activity to join. This will give your tween something to share with others and also provide some structured social time.

Because social interaction is so crucial to a tween's emotional development, joining a club gives your child many benefits. Clubs provide structured play or study, as well as the opportunity to make friends with other like-minded tweens. And they also give tweens a sense of belonging and a way to focus their attention and energy.

Today, there are clubs for just about any interest -- and if your tween can't find one that he or she likes, encourage him or her to start one! Here are some clubs that seem to resonate with tweens:

"Shopping!?!" you think. "I'm not made of money!" That's OK -- nobody is. But, hear us out.

Shopping isn't all bad if you look at it as an exercise in responsible spending. Does your child have an allowance, or earn his or her own money? Then shopping is an excellent opportunity for him or her to learn about saving, spending and managing money. Let your tween decide what her or she wants to purchase, and work together to make a plan on how to achieve it.

Unless you live under a rock, you're well aware of the rising rate of obesity among America's youth. Besides the obvious physical risks that come with obesity -- diabetes and heart disease, to name a couple -- your tween can suffer emotional risks as well. Low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy and social discrimination are only a few examples.

Helping your tween get involved in sports, or any physical activity, offers so many benefits. Think about it. Experts say that children who are involved in sports learn:

And, as with any shared activity, your tween will have the opportunity to make new friends. Emotional and physical health -- you can't do any better for your child than that!

As we said earlier when we discussed shopping, tweens and money go together like peanut butter and jelly. Merchandise is heavily targeted at tweens, and tweens want the same things their friends have. You can't teach a tween to manage money unless that tween has the opportunity to earn money first.

Tweens aren't old enough to go out and get a regular job, but there are plenty of ways for them to make a little bit of cash here and there. Having a job teaches your child about responsibility and also gives her or him a sense of accomplishment. Here are some great ways for your child to earn money and keep busy at the same time:

Help your tween make flyers or even business cards to advertise as a "tween for hire." Be creative!

OK, we admit this sounds a little silly -- what tween doesn't want to have a snack after school? But even an event as mundane as snack time can have an effect on your tween. Even though the human brain is about 95 percent developed by the age of six, that other small percent is still developing through the teen years. Healthy eating leads to a healthy body and a healthy brain, so you should be keeping a watchful eye on your tween's eating habits.

Most tweens are pretty hungry after a long day at school. Turn after school snack time into fun time with your tween. Take this opportunity to teach your tween how to use the kitchen -- how to prepare easy and healthy snacks and how to be creative with food. Check out our article 5 Healthy Foods That are Fun to Make for some neat ideas.

We don't know any kid, tween or not, who isn't itching for screen time. By that we mean the computer, television, hand-held gaming devices, DVD players and video games. Many parents prefer to keep their tween's screen time monitored and limited.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends seven to 14 hours of screen time per week. However, tweens spend an average of 37 hours per week in front of a screen. So how do you help your tween make the most of screen time? Try implementing these tips:

Yep, that's right -- we said "nothing." With all our adult responsibilities, sometimes we forget that being a kid is hard work. Every now and then, your tween just needs to have some alone time to decompress from a long and tiring day of learning and navigating the emotional minefield of school.

Tweens need a place to call their own. If your tween has her own room, make sure she has a comfortable area where she can just relax and read, nap, or simply think. If your tween shares a room, work with his siblings to ensure that he has some privacy from time to time.

In the same way that some of us need to sit quietly after work with a glass of wine and unwind, your kids might also need to sit quietly with music and headphones and mentally work through their day. Let them do that.

If you're lucky enough to have a community center in town, take advantage of it! It's one of the best resources you have for your tween for the after school hours. Community centers are public places where kids and teens can gather for supervised play and activities. Sometimes they're faith-based -- run by a church or synagogue -- and sometimes the town runs them, public to all.

You can find many tween-friendly activities at a local community center:

Your tween might bring his or her own friends along to the community center, or he or she might use the center to make new friends. Either way, it's a great place for your tween to socialize and stay engaged in the community at the same time.

The tween years mark the end of your baby's childhood. You'll notice your child is forging an identity and life that's independent of you -- but this is normal. The bad news? Some days you'll be public enemy No. 1 in your tween's eyes. The good news? The very next day, your tween will want to snuggle up with you on the couch and watch a movie.

Take advantage of those warmer moments. To foster an open relationship with your tween that will carry on through the teen years and beyond, spend quality time with your child as much as you can. Do what your tween likes to do -- download music, dance or play a game together -- and you're giving your tween the message that you're on his or her side. You might just find your tween wanting to spend time with you without you having to ask for it. What a reward!

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