Keeping a 13 Year Old Wiht Adhd Entertained on a Boat

HI!! I don't know if you have another source of electricity but the ipod can be charged without the computer if you go buy a separate charger that plugs into a regular outlet. (not that expensive). What about one of the portable dvd players. It should stayed charged for one movie at least. Or again if you have an electricity source. I would let her pack a bag. Maybe she would throw in things that you wouldn't think of. Markers or colored pencils~she could draw the views looking over the water. Also my son loves doing those search and find books or something similar. (crosswords for children). You can buy those very simple cross-stitch (or something similar) kind of things at Joanne Fabric--the kind with the picture pre-printed. (or just take her to the craft store-maybe she would find something she would like to try~~latch-hook?) You can buy those plain bags or whatever and she could use fabric markers and make her own bag. Again, I would just throw a whole bag of stuff together, let her pick through the thing all day. I have a son with ADHD and I know how important it is to keep their hands/brain moving!! Best of Luck!!!!!

1 mom found this helpful

Wal-mart sells a portable Boombox that will charge an IPOD. Just a FYI, I just got one and it works great-it only costs about $40. Have Fun

1 mom found this helpful

keep those pukas clean and protected

1 mom found this helpful

I can completely relate to your situation. My father has been an avid fisherman all my life. When going out on his boat, it was (is) from dawn til dusk! I love(d) being on the boat, but like your daughter, I did not like to fish (still don't!).
An activity that she may enjoy and is easy to do on a boat is needlepoint and/or cross-stitch. I used to get many projects done on the boat (and still do when I get a chance to go out with my dad)! Needlepoint and cross-stitch are very relaxing activities and it is very rewarding.
Crossword puzzles and word finds are also very good time passers and easy to take and do on a boat. It is also a great time to catch up on all the Hollywood gossip and fashion magazines! I used to catch up on all the latest on Kirk Cameron and Rob Lowe from Teen Beat and the newest and greatest in Seventeen!:)'
In regards to the ipod, you can buy an adapter to charge it from the car cigarette lighter. This means the car will need to be running for a bit, but this is a way to give it some life when the battery starts dying.
Hope these are helpful ideas! Good luck and have fun.

A. B
Chicago, IL

1 mom found this helpful

Hi L.,

How about a portable DVD player that she can put into a backpack, some favorite age-appropriate DVDs, a few new books & some writing materials? To get ahead of the Ipod's inevitable loss of power, it may be worth encouraging her to take a portable CD player with a few favorites and headphones.

Kids with ADHD are often very creative. I know, because I have one who is 14. Does your daughter draw? If so, she may be able to spend some time sketching some of the scenery while on the boat. Does she write? If so, or even if she needs practice, she could get some by writing about what she sees and what happens on the trip. Descriptive details and language often are lacking in teens' writing, and I'm sure her English teacher next school year will thank you for the extra practice.

Whatever you do -- do not leave her alone in that cabin. If anything should happen while you're away on the boat, you'll never forgive yourself.

Good Luck on the trip!

1 mom found this helpful

I also suggest craft things. If you go to the craft store there are lots of cool things to do. Sand art, wax for candles. I also make hemp necklaces. It keeps me busy and allows me to be creative. Once you get the hang of it, it is so easy. Alls you need is a roll of hemp, scissors, and some neat beads with big enough holes to go through the hemp. Another idea is a deck of cards. Get her a book on the different ways to play solitare or other games you can play by yourself. Have you also thought about bringing a friend along. I am an only child and I also have ADD maybe even ADHD and my parents always let me have a friend tag along. Hope these ideas help out.

1 mom found this helpful

I know you are most likely get the same suggestions but here it goes.... is it all possible for her to bring a friend with her?, does she have a pen pal?, what about making some crafts; for example jewelry with some beads and what not, they have awesome kits at Joanne fabrics. There is also the kits like latch hook rugs and making pot holders or something. Maybe if she goes to the store she could pick out some cool things of her interest. Hope you ALL have a great time.

1 mom found this helpful

Vacation with grandparents somewhere else? That sounds kind of difficult if I try to channel my 13 year old self - on a boat having to be quiet for hours and hours, when she could be stretched out comfortably in the cabin. Is this just for one day, or multiple days? Is there any option that would allow her to stay behind - even in the middle of nowhere there must be college students who need babysitting money.

If not, I liked the idea of having her bring a friend along. Or encourage some sort of creative pursuit depending on her interests - maybe she could write a novel about her mean parents who make her sit on a boat all day ;-)

Another thought is that through Alltel, someone was just telling me they have a service that lets you get Internet through your cellphone & USB connection to a laptop - or an Aircard would do the same thing. Of course there's still the battery issue, but that would give her a couple of hours of online entertainment, at least.

1 mom found this helpful

Have you considered getting her a Nintendo DS? This portable game system has helped on long trips for my 7 year old. My oldest has a PSP, I don't advise this for a 13 year old girl.
The DS comes in nice colors: pink, red, white, black, blue.
And it has a lot a games that are geared towards girls. And there are some games that are educational. Both my kids are ADD. And these portable game systems really help with keeping them happy on long trips.The charge lasts pretty long, and you can purchase an adaptor to charge in your car, I am not sure if you can charge it on a boat. Another idea is a portable dvd player. Our player has a battery that lasts 6 hours on a charge. Ours is a Panasonic. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Wow....everyone has some great suggestions and you may be able to find something that will work! And if you have a laptop, is it possible to take that for charging purposes if you are unable to acquire a different type of charger? My ipod can be hooked up to the car or an electrical outlet to be charged also, but it depends on what type she has and if she has the proper hookups. One additional suggestion I have is to put together her own "tackle box" full of stuf she likes and would entertain her, along w/ a camera (great suggestion by someone else!) but w/ paper, pics of friends, a journal, markers...whatever....but also, tell her if she can compromise and sit and do what you guys want, you will try not to stay out as long and do something she would like. Play her favorite game, go for a scavenger walk, go to a nearby ice cream shop. This might entice her to try to sit for a little longer w/out frustrating everyone w/ her boredom. As far as the gloves...some people just don't like to touch fish!! LOL! I give her credit for being out there. Leaving her alone isn't an option, so see what type of compromises you can come up w/ and help her pack her own tackle box! Have a great vacation and good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

L.,
This sounds like me and my family when I was 13 right down to the gloves! Do NOT leave her alone...I met a boy once and did some kissing my parents would have just died over!
When she tires of fishing and reading maybe she would be interested in writing letters or post-cards. 13 year olds love to put their thoughts in writing. Perhaps a journal or a sketch pad. I used to lay on my back and take pictures of clouds. It's quite intertaining.
Good luck.
C.

1 mom found this helpful

Does she have any crafty-type interests? As a former girl (who also had a weird fish aversion) when I knew I'd be traveling with the family and probably bored out of my mind I would always bring a project or two to work on - sketchbook, knitting, beading, etc. Those can be pretty girlie-girl activities so if she's not the type then something geared more toward her personality if she doesn't have such a hobby yet.

If you can check out Tom Thumb Hobby in Evanston, or a Michael's or the like perhaps she can pick out something that will occupy her for awhile. Good luck and have a great trip.

1 mom found this helpful

Some kind of craft? Friendship bracelet, bead kits, sketchbook...Books, Nintendo DS, word searches, what about those games where you jump the peg and try to wind up with only 1 peg left? How about a small bottle of bubbles? I know some other girls about her age that still love to blow bubbles! Make her a surprise bag so she does not know what you have, once she is done fishing, give it to her. If it is a craft, make sure it is instructions she understands, or something she has done before so you don't have to break away to help her with it if you do not want to. Let her take photos with the camera. Maybe get her an album and stickers to make an album for the family of your trip?

I agree, I'd be worried about leaving her. Are you on a big enough boat she wil have some shade, and room for projects? It is hard to see a Nintendo DS screen in the bright sun.

What about writing in a journal? Even if you have to make her slips of paper with a topic? I did this for my daughter at Christmas.

The iPod should last several hours, you can buy other chargers that do not go in the computer. Also, what about getting her a book for her iPod? Will she listen to a story?

1 mom found this helpful

Would she journal? Hand help gameboy type games?
sned post cards to friends. In the olden days we had none of this and as a dughter of a fisherman who left us on the boat for HOURS it did get mundane but we collect sea shells and rocks and painted them and categoriezed them comparing them to books we had brought, there is also a good book that has license plates that make sayings you have to scramble out.
Hope this helps and I am sure once she sees your passion she will at least learn how much you love it and how much she will hate it or want to do it in her future later in life. This is a great learning experience enjoy!
J.

1 mom found this helpful

iPod has some great chargers that plug right into the wall outlet so the iPod doesn't need the computer to charge. Got my 13 yr old one and it has saved us this year when the computer didn't work. Do you have a digital camera? Maybe your daughter can be in charge of taking the pictures of the fish that everyone catches or getting all those great shots of everyone fishing? We are also a fishing family, so I understand about keeping the boredom away for the one's who don't enjoy fishing as much as the rest of us.

1 mom found this helpful